Based in central California, the Hernandez’s are interesting characters: an abusive alcoholic for a father, an unambitious mother, a dead-weight older brother, an older sister who’s obsessed with her records and boyfriend, and the youngest sister is young and unaware of what family unit she’s really a part of. Stuck in the middle of the chaos is Manny, the sensible 14-year-old challenged with facing the fact that his family might be one that can’t be saved. However, Manny is still able to find the beauty in his dysfunctional family, savouring the times when he’s able to see the glimpses of redemption from his family members in times of hardship. Although the personas seem unlikable and frustrating, it makes for an interesting book as the reader …show more content…
For example, after Magda, Manny’s eldest sister, neglects her responsibility to watch their little sister, Pedi, she bribes Pedi with a chocolate bar to distract her while she sneaks away. Manny is left to watch Pedi and wants to play with her, so he cleans off her face before going to get the dominoes for her. The author writes, “‘Come on Pedi,’ I said, wiping chocolate from her face. ‘Let’s build a house’,” (Martinez 95). This piece of evidence displays that Manny is empathetic towards his younger sibling, understanding how it might feel to be neglected and wanting to help her. Playing with her is practically the opposite of what another family member might do, which would be sticking Pedi in front of the TV, and shows that Manny cares enough to entertain her. Furthermore, wiping off Pedi’s face is a task that might be put off by someone else. The passage shows that Manny wants to keep his sister clean and entertained, for he wouldn’t want to be in the same scenario. In addition, Manny also proves how kind he is by helping out one of his classmates, Lencho, who Manny isn’t very fond of as he finds him to be rude. After Lencho loses a boxing match held at school, Manny and Lencho are the only two left in the room and demolished Lencho is looking for someone to help him take off his boxing gloves after the winner, Boise, comes to shake his hand. The author writes, “Right then, no one was …show more content…
Manny treats family, friends, and even his enemies with the same amount of quiet respect and empathy for each. He gets along with everyone and is able to find beauty in dark situations, like funerals and even losing something important. His personality shines through any difficult scenario and aides in providing a considerate point-of-view. To even find an ounce of Manny’s compassion in ourselves would benefit our communities