Kentucky Club Sparknotes

In the book Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club, the author Benjamin Alire Saenz forms a setting that appears in all seven stories, which is El Paso and the city of Juarez. The city of Juarez was known for raping, killing, and drug usage. The Kentucky bar is located in the city of Juarez where most people love to stop by to get drinks although being one of the most dangerous places in the world. There are various dualities in “everything begins and ends at the Kentucky Club” such as love and hate, individuals and family.

Love is considered to be one of the most powerful emotion. This emotion may lead a individual to be overjoyed or very unhappy. We see how all the protagonist in each of the stories strive to maintain affection.

It is one of the major concepts that unravel throughout the book. “But not when it came to Carmen. My love for her was a kind of insanity. I wanted to hold onto her forever” (Saenz 190). Most brother sister relationships have love. Even through all the constant rivalry, arguing and competition. Conrad in “chasing the dragon” has so much love for his sister, his main goal was to protect her from anything and anyone. Conrad wanted to make sure Carmen stopped doing drugs because he was afraid to lose her. Like a great loving brother he was always there for his dear sister. Love is the most valuable feeling in a relationship and everyone looks for it. In rule maker, Max’s mother abandoned him and left him with his father. Max’s and his dad didn’t really know each other but the love became present day by day, it was different from any father and son relationships, but the feelings were there which is more important. A parent is someone that loves and cares for their child, and that’s exact how Max’s father was. His father does care about him because he constantly would tell him what to do, what not to do, buy him his necessities and spoil him. “Yes I hugged him. And he hugged me back” (Saenz 99). A hug is a gesture of love, people tend to hug the people they care about. In addition this hug meant so much for Max, because he knew he was loved. Maximiliano’s dad always made sure he had what he needed, and his love was always present.
Hate is caused by the experiences an individual goes through in life.

It is easier to hate than to love. People tend to hate because it’s the easier way out. “She unbuttoned my shirt, laughed because I was wearing a T-shirt underneath, and when my shirt was off, she tried to take off my T- shirt. I stopped her. “Not my T-shirt.” (Saenz 60). Nick Guerra in “the art of translation” had scars on his back and because of that he felt insecure every time he had to show his body. The main character had shame, embarrassment, and disgust. “Tengo odio en mi Corazon” (Saenz 65). He had so much hate inside of him because of the boys that scarred him and he felt he couldn’t easily trust and couldn’t love. For this reason, he treated the girl that loved him in a fucked up manor. Instead of trying to love the woman back he chooses the easy way out which is to push her out of his life and he just didn’t care. Having low self-esteem can prevent people from loving and being loved. For people who deep down don’t like themselves, it’s easy for them to hate. In “brother in another language” Charlie does not feel the love that most children do. They feel somewhat abandoned and unloved. Charlie in “Brother in another language” feels so much hate for his own father. Charlie doesn’t want to have his mother in his life anymore and he states “I never want to see you again” (Saenz 114). Charlie only had his parents in whom he despised and they were unable to show him what love was and how to love

anyone all he knew was hate.
When you don’t have the love of a family, you tend to go your own way.

“No movie has ever been made that could heal the wound of a boy who was born to parents who never loved him” (Saenz 166). Conrad in “chasing the dragon” along with Carmen grew up with their parents, and they weren’t treated like kids and ever given affection. Not knowing what love really was they both decide to create their own individual paths. Carmen gets addicted to drugs, while Conrad gets addicted to sex. There was no one out there telling them what was good or bad and they created their own

future.
Family is a word that is most people know but only a few people know the definition. We see how characters are being mistreated, unloved and how parents cause a major impact on their children’s lives. For Michael in “the hurting game” his dad physically and mentally mistreated him. In addition, his mom was at all times too busy to notice because she was occupied doing drugs. “And we weren’t ever, not ever, to bring up the word love. That was my rule” (Saenz 199). Michael carried that rule around with him and was afraid of loving or being loved, he was scared of being hurt by anyone. Charlie in “brother in another language” has never forgotten about his brother every day he thinks and hopes that he will find his brother and they will be reunited but he doesn’t know how or where to begin to look for him. He wants to find his brother so they can have that small family even if it is just them two. Unfortunately, his brother passed away and his plans of a family was ruined.