We The Animals By Justin Torres: Chapter Analysis

As best stated by writer Paul Auster, “the truth of the story lies in the details.” When it comes to novels, the reader must partake in a close reading to get to the nitty gritty of what the author and/or characters of that novel are trying to say. We The Animals, by Justin Torres, is the perfect example of such a novel. There were endless messages throughout the novel linking story lines to one another from beginning to end. However, it is not easy for the reader to understand such details because Torres constantly withholds information from the audience. Torres did not want to easily give up the information; instead he would leave clues for the reader to pick up on. I had to re-read the novel over and over to understand the meanings behind the story. In particular, the chapter “Heritage” caught my attention. This chapter unveiled the true meaning of the word identity to the main characters, also know as the brothers. The

author, Justin Torres, was able to reveal the subject of identity through his choice of words, the theme of otherness, and literary devices such as repetition and personification.. In this manner, Torres was able to magnify the narrator’s direct issues with his identify.
Justin Torres chose to write the chapter “Heritage” to explain the importance and the feeling of identity from the perspective of the brothers, in particular the narrator. As explained in the passage, the brothers are White and Puerto Rican –mutts as their Paps would say; creating a sense of animal imagery. According to the narrator, “[they] tried to see what separated [Paps] from [them],” because they had no true sense of whom they were (Torres p. 10). The only identity they knew of was the collective identity of their brotherhood. Since the beginning of the novel the brothers referred to themselves as “we”. Thus, they have shared the same feeling of identity and togetherness. However, in “Heritage”, it was up to them, the brothers, to differentiate themselves as individuals and how they identified themselves in comparison to their father. It is ironic that Torres would choose to title this chapter heritage, yet the characters knew nothing about their own. There was a barrier between their feelings and their actions; they could not naturally assimilate to Paps’ heritage the way they wanted to.
Based on textual evidence, the theme of otherness is present in “Heritage”. Torres used words, such as mutts and separate to let the reader know that the brothers were not like their father. They were different and disconnected from their heritage. This theme has a direct effect on the reader because it gives them the understanding that the brothers are “outsiders”. They do not feel as if they are on the same level as their dad; their dad is better than them. The way the father presents his views on Hispanic heritage leads the reader to conclude that the brothers see their father and his actions as superior. Paps refers to himself as a purebred (Torres p. 10). He wants his children to be like him, just like how his own father raised him. Yet, Paps is showing the theme of alienation towards his children’s heritage because he is only accentuating one side of their heritage. Paps looks down upon his children because they are mixed, or in other terms mutts.
Not only did Torres utilize theme in “Heritage”, but he also presented the literary device of repetition. Torres used the word watch three times within the passage I selected. The word was used to emphasize the lack of understanding that the brothers had for their own identity. Their heritage was not based on what they knew, but based on what they learned from their father. Also, the word watch highlighted their observant nature, like animals hunting for prey. Through his use of repetition, Torres was able to create some type of engagement for the reward to the novel. Each time a word or behavior was repeated in the passage, it emphasized the focus point –for the boys to be more like their father.
In addition to repetition, the author used personification. Torres gave the term Puerto Rico human-like qualities. Within the passage the narrator stated, “as if Puerto Rico was a man in a bathrobe, grabbing another beer from the fridge and raising it to drink…,” (Torres p. 10). The description of a human gives the audience the understanding of what the brothers and the father describe and/or see as Puerto Rican. They were able to give an inanimate thing life. By creating this impression, it allows the reader to also imagine how a Puerto Rican “looked” and “behaved” in a sense, thus giving them a greater understanding of the text and the characters in the novel. Though the narrator and his brothers do not know what it is like to be a “full breed” Puerto Rican, this personified person that their father expresses gives them, and the reader, the find some way to relate back to the father, struggles, and themselves.
All in all, the chapter “Heritage” explored the identification of the three brothers in We The Animals.

Torres used specific words to convey the emotions of how the boys felt concerning their heritage; the boys felt as if they were outside of the loop. Therefore, they did not know what they belonged to or where they fit in. Their physical traits did not match up with the culture that they were trying to identify with –the Hispanic heritage. Yet, they wanted to find a way to belong. Furthermore, the theme also contributed to the identity aspect of the characters. Through their diction, readers, like myself, were able to draw important subject matters. In addition to word choice and themes, Torres applied various amounts of literary devices to drive his messages home, consequently enabling readers to understand the point of the passage, without giving up more information than needed. Close reading this particular passage gave me a better appreciation for what authors write, how they interpret their emotions, and how they execute their

message.