The Play Pachuco Analysis

The first thing I found to be interesting had nothing to do with the story. Pachuco begins the play with a typical monologue, but then suddenly stops to address the audience. His words come off more like a warning than an opening narration.

The second thing to stand out to me was the press news updates that contently showed up throughout the story. They helped keep up with the timing of the event.

I found interesting that the story was told as a musical.

The next thing I found interesting was the behavior of the police. People rely on the police to protect their lives. The police in this play chose to give Henry a Rodney King style beaten.

It’s hard not to feel bad for Henry’s parents. In the beginning of the play it’s made clear hard loving

and caring his parents are.
One character that stood out the most to me is Tommy. In a group full of Mexicans Tommy is a young white man. He grew up among the Latin community and it is what he knows.
Pachuco plays an angles on the shoulder type of narrator. With sporadic showings, Pachuco would advise Henry not to trust people. And, at times he would give good advice by making the situation more clear.
The real trouble began when Henry and Della were on a date. During the date the pair heard music. It was a party. A rival gang was there and beat up Henry. He returned with his friends. A larger fight started between the group and the homeowners. A man was beating other man with a large stick. Della seemed to be the only one to see “the man with the big stick”, because she would not give the name of the killer, Della was sent to Juvenile Hall for a period up to one year. Not only was Della going to jail shocking, but the judge’s behavior altogether was shocking. He was so quick to send people he didn’t like to prison.
Another high point to the story was how Alice went from a motherly savior to a love interest out of no way.
I was amazed that Della waited for Henry after all that time. At the end of the story Henry had to make a choice, Della or Alice. Henry choice Della, which doesn’t fit in with the traditional Lifetime love story but you were able to see it from a mile away.