Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
If you're looking for a complicated symbol, then look no further. But fear not—we're here to sort through this tangle of meaning for you. See, bullets crop up in this book a little too often for comfort, especially since they're normally pointed from one family member toward another, but as they fly around, they teach us a lot about violence, as well as the potential to do better.
Insofar as bullets can be super dangerous—they go in guns, after all—they're representative of some of the danger lurking within Manny's family. And because they're tied to danger, bullets also represent the element of fear that stalks through Manny and his family members' lives.
Not sure what we're talking about? During one of Dad's drinking binges he tries to shoot Mom—as he struggles with the bullets, we are reminded of the violence at play in this family, particularly as it connects to Dad and his drinking. This moment may be overly violent, but Dad's drinking is a threat that plagues the Hernandez household whether he has a gun in hand or not. Just like Dad can't quite take control over the bullets, he also can't quite take control over himself, it seems.
Later, Manny almost shoots Pedi while inspecting Dad's gun. The firearm goes off unexpectedly as Manny's struggling with the bullets—and this struggle, and the violence that accidently explodes from it, symbolizes both how young Manny still is (unlike his dad, who's more of a done deal, if you will) and his own potential to be violent. But check out how Manny responds:
Looking up, I remembered the bullet, which I figured got buried inside the cooler shaft. I prayed no one would ever see it. The thought of how close I'd come to killing Pedi gave my lungs a peculiar sponginess, as if apart from my body they'd been sobbing for hours. (6.103)
Notice how accidentally shooting the bullet has a physical effect on Manny—the bullet may not kill Pedi, but it sure has a huge impact on the shooter's own body. Instead of actually hurting his sister, then, Manny has been hurt himself in this moment of realizing his own ability to cause harm. But here's where bullets take on a surprisingly positive significance: In recognizing his capacity for violence, Manny is alarmed. And since he's young yet, there's hope for him to right his course.