Nick Vaca Passage Analysis

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In the passage, Martin, the author, Nick C. Vaca, writes about the time him and his friends had a confrontation with the new neighborhood boy, Martin. Through describing what happened before, during, and after the engagement he provides insight on what he learned from this experience. This experience left Vaca with a long-lasting impact and taught him how you shouldn't make assumptions about someone before you know them. When Martin and Vaca and his friends first meet, all the boys instantly decided their feelings towards Martin. The feeling they all felt towards him was the feeling of dislike. Quoting Vaca they hated him due to "his enormous belly." Martin's "enormous belly" lead to his dislikement was due to the fact that he had access …show more content…

Vaca debated with himself if he should return it or keep the gun as a trophy for the showdown that him and his friends won, against Martin. Vaca decided in the end that he shoudl return the cap gun to Martin. As Vaca searched for where Martin lived in the neighborhood he very became anxious, for he knew it was dinner time and he was about to be confronted of the food that had made Martin so plump. Vaca found the trailer and knocked anyways, despite his apprehension. When he entered the trailer, the sight shocked him. Vaca described the experince thorugh symbolism to adaquetly explain what he saw. Vaca used symbolism in the line, "on a weather-worn table, with peeling red paint, dinner was set." Vaca uses this line to show that not only did the boys assume Martin lived a lavish life, but it was quite the opposite. To continue with his encounter of Martin's home, he also described what was happening in the house. Which was made up of Martin and his mother sitting alone in the living room crying together. Vaca ends the passage with saying, "there lay the food that had made Martin so enviable in our eyes — a small stack of corn tortillas and a glass of water." Through knowing that Martin was only eating corn tortillas Vaca now understood was he was fat, for it was all carbohydrates, and didn't provide any other nutrient, which lead to poor nutrient absorbtion and digestonal problems. Once Vaca realized this is how Martin is living he no longer disliked him, but felt remorseful towards him, since he has it worse off then everyone else in the neighborhood, but they all judged him and proceded to exclude

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