Summary Of Looking For Work By Gary Soto

Many people would like to change their lifestyle and their tradition to look like other ones. But does that change make them more satisfied? it does not, because what will be the meaning of life if all people are the same? If one group of people is happy with their tradition, it does not mean other group will be happy as well if they just act them, because the different of conditions that in each group and that what is called the different of thoughts. Believing in the content of the TV shows and make it as people guidance will cause a lot of problems for people’ lifestyle.
The article, Looking for Work” by Gary Soto is a short story about nine years old Mexican American child who is inspired by the lifestyle that he saw on one of the tv shows

which seems to him that is the perfect style that his family should have. He begins thinking of changing his family style to look like more classy and wealthy, so that is why he starts looking for job in his neighborhood to improve his family’ life even though he is only 9 years old just because he is not happy with his family style that they are have and want them to change. He starts asking his mother and his siblings to imitate the family’s habits that he sees on television. However, his idea was not acceptable from his family, and they laugh at him because this is not their lifestyle and it is different from their traditional. However, at the end of the article the narrator recognizes that he had a wrong imagination about the meaning of work. Furthermore, he understands that he can belong to his simple family as it is without complaining at all (Soto 19-24)
One of the problem is children who ask parents to adapt ideas from the TV movies.

The teenagers age is most likely affected by the content of the TV shows more than adult one because adult people are more understandable that the content of the TV movies mostly has nothing related to our real life or even though if the movie was a reality movie, it could not fit in all traditional and communities. However, children would not think that way. they believe what they see about the family style which make them unsatisfied with their own lifestyle. This will lead them to have a trouble with their parents because children start complaining about their way of life. For example, in the article “Looking for Work” by Gary Soto, the narrator was inspired by the lifestyle that the family had in the movie which made him was not satisfied with his family lifestyle, then he decided to make changes on his family life. He began asking his family to dress up at the dinner. This is something that they did not used to do (20). But then he realized that the content of his family lifestyle is the only style that his family can have to stay happy (24). Basically, People should know that if they want more than life could give them, it will be a very depressing life. A best example about not all the tv movies events can be done in the real world is when we see how easy it is to steal a bank in some movies. Is it can be done that easy in our world? Of course not, these days stealing a bank seems so

difficult or in some case impossible because of the highly level of security in the banks. These lead us to understand how easy to be affected by the Tv content, and the negative impacts the television program can bring into the family. Let us think about life without television, it will be less exciting but safer because we will not see more children fell from the balcony just because they thought they can fly as Spiderman or Batman.
Another negative impact of the TV shows is bringing trouble for the relationship between couples.

We cannot count how many romantic movies are out there which we can easily being affected by them, especially women because they are more romantic than men in most cases. Furthermore, the stories, in these movies, can easily make people feel jealous of the happy and lovely life that the movies present of the relationship between couples. But these impacts reflect badly on people relationship right now because girls begin asking their boyfriends or husbands to treat them as the men in the movies do for their wives. In addition, they will ask them to change things in their outfit to look like some famous actors in the movies. Here the war will start. In most cases the men immediately refuse that request because they think that it is something that will hurt their personality and their selves-confidence. This will lead men to have a trouble with their wives because they think that their wives have touched their personal identity. On the other hand, women clearly would not be satisfied with that decision. In some cases, they ask for divorce like what happened with some couples in my country. When I was in my country Syria 4 years ago, people were admired watching the Turkish series. My uncle’s family was one of them. They used to watch them as much as they could. But after a while we found out that they were preparing for getting divorce that is something that we did not ever

expected because they used to love each other too much. But as my uncle claimed that since they started watching the Turkish movie, his wife was changed. He said the problem happened when she asked him to color his hair to look like an actor. That was not acceptable for him because he thought that she was no longer satisfied with him after she saw the Turkish’ men treat their wives in the movies. That’s lead me again to what Soto mentions about the child who be affected by the content of the movie (20).
In conclusion, parents should increase their children’ awareness about not believing everything they see on TV because most of them are not real or not suitable for their own tradition. Furthermore, couples should have more understanding that people can like one of the TV shows actors, but that does not mean to force their mate to act and look like them because it is harmful for them. Basically, there should be more interest of making sure of the content of the movies before displaying them to the public.