Romero's Shirt Dagoberto Gilb Summary

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Recommended: Challenges encountered when balancing career and family

Dagoberto Gilb’s “Romero’s Shirt” tells the story of Romero—the protagonist, a family man whose favorite shirt was taken from his juniper. A momentous episode occurs in Romero’s life when he decides to allow an old man cut his juniper which he usually does himself. Before this episode Romero was washing his car and because he didn’t want his shirt to get wet he put it on the juniper. In front of the house came the old man offering his service, Romero who usually doesn’t accustom to this type of jobs gave the old man a chance because he find him likeable. Happy with the little moment that he share with the old man he took a nap and then when he woke up he remember his shirt and didn’t find it where it was. He is upset, but he struggles about …show more content…

Gilb suggest that often parents focus so much in their jobs that it takes away their happiness. Romero works even in weekends and is off in a week day when his family is not in the house consequently he’s not able to enjoy his time of with them. His life is so involved with work that he forgets what makes him enjoy life that “happiness was as easy as some tacos and a five-dollar bill” (395). Gilb also shows that people who believe that materialism will bring them happiness are wrong. Romero likes his shirt because he felt like it show that he was well. He wants his children to be seen in private hospitals rather than the county hospital and he wants to give his daughter the best clothes, his sons more toys and everything his wifes ask …show more content…

He often compares himself with family members who had move to other cities like Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. Because “they came back for holidays with stories of high wages and acquisition” (394) he feels that he is not as successful as them. Often he has to remind himself how he used to live in Mexico where “so many things weren’t available” (394) and where people will do anything just to have the basics. He also has to convince himself that “life in El Paso was much like the land-hard, but one could make do with what was offered”

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