How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I got my hat on and walked out the door, hoping to meet Miguelito so we could walk to school together. I could not wait to catch fish with him in the afternoon, but he did not show up, and I did not see him at school all day. When I returned home from school this afternoon, I went to see if he was waiting for me by the creek. He was not there either. Then I remembered his cabin number. I hurried to number twenty and knocked on the door. No one answered. I went around to the side of the cabin and peaked through the window. The cabin was completely empty. My heart sank into my stomach. Slowly I walked home, feeling a lump in my throat. I heard Miguelito's laugh in my head and thought about our game with the puddles. (5.17)
When Francisco's one friend in Corcoran disappears, he's super disappointed. Did you notice how physical his sadness is here? He tells us about how his "heart sank into my stomach" and he has a "lump in my throat." What do you think about this experience of grief? Does Francisco experience other forms of disappointment that aren't so physical?
Quote #5
At dawn, my brothers and I scrambled to get the presents that had been placed next to our shoes. I picked mine up and nervously tore at the butcher-paper wrapping: a bag of candy. Roberto, Trampita, and Torito looked sadly at me and at each other. They, too, had received a bag of candy. Searching for words to tell Mamá how I felt, I looked up at her. Her eyes were full of tears. (6.17-18)
When Christmas comes around, it seems like everyone in Francisco's family is disappointed. Right out the gate, take a look at Mamá—she's clearly not feeling too hot while she's wrapping those gifts. Then check out all her kiddos—they're not looking too pleased with their bags of candy. We're thinking that there's plenty of sadness to go around on this holiday. What do you think the characters are so disappointed about? Is it just the presents? And is Mamá sad about the same things as her kiddos?
Quote #6
El Perico hit the dirt floor like a wet rag. Instantly Roberto, Mamá, and I started wailing. My father shouted at all of us to stop. Seeing a stream of blood dribble from El Perico's silent beak, I felt as though someone had ripped my heart out. I threw the garage door open and darted out, running as fast as I could toward a storage shed that was about half a mile away. The shouting, screaming, and crying from our home chased me. I wanted to escape, to die. (7.5)
When his parrot dies, Francisco's super upset. Take a look at his reaction: he cries and runs away. We've seen Francisco experience some physical sadness before, and here it is again, since he feels like someone has "ripped my heart out." Ouch.