1. Life on TV seems to appeal to the narrator, Gary, because it offers an escape from his own reality. The families portrayed on TV seem unusually perfect and their day to day life “so uncomplicated in its routine” (p. 26). Gary also envies the wealth and social status of these families. Although the narrator’s life seems normal in the modern world, at age nine he it seems incredibly flawed to him. His family is ordinary, working class, and Hispanic rather than the ideal upper-class, exciting, and Caucasian ones depicted by the media. At school, he is categorized as a “stupid,” ants often adorn his home, and sibling arguments are inevitable. The problems in Gary’s life are far from tragic, but I can’t blame him for feeling inferior with shows like “Leave it to Beaver” illustrating the “ideal” life. And while the narrator is intent on imitating the life he witnesses on TV, his siblings don’t appear to share this desire. His brother and sister seem more comfortable and accepting of their identities. This is exemplified when Gary asks his brother to wear shoes to dinner, but instead he arrives wearing only his swim trunks.


2. There are many aspects of TV family life Gary desires; however, wealth seems to be his number one priority. He looks for work in a desperate attempt to “become wealthy, and right away!” (p. 26). Gary believes, as many do, that wealth is the solution to his problems. By the end of the story, however, his opinion of wealth appears to have changed. Although he is still attempting to find work, it seems to be more of a pass-time than a money-making venture. Since his mother encourages him to spend as much time as possible outside, he may as well do something productive. Completing a job such as weeding a flowerbed becomes a fulfilling job that will help him to “end the day right.” Understandably, the money is still appealing, but it no longer represents a step towards the “Father Knows Best” lifestyle. In my opinion, Gary seems to be slightly more accepting of his life and family situation at the end of the narrative. He may still idolize the families on TV, but I think he has come to the realization that his family will never be like them.


3. The grown up Soto seems to have an attitude toward his family that is more in keeping with the modern idea of family. No longer is the “Leave it to Beaver” family the norm. In fact, even when Gary was nine that “ideal” family wasn’t the norm, but it was depicted that way. Soto conveys a feeling of acceptance about his childhood as he is able to poke fun at the perfection of TV families of the past:
‘May I have the mashed potatoes?’ asks Beaver with a smile.
‘Sure, Beav,’ replies Wally as he taps the corners of his mouth with a starched napkin.
I think Soto believes he had “a good family,” or at least a typical one. While Soto admits his family was not perfect, at least they were, for the most part, happy. As a child, Soto was unable to differentiate between reality and television which unfortunately gave him an unrealistic idea of what a family should be like. Gary tried to identify with children whose situations were fabricated and airbrushed to perfection. “This was the summer when I spent the mornings in front of the television that showed the comfortable lives of white kids. There were no beatings, no rifts in the family” (p.28).


4. Although I didn’t realize it until I read this question, food and drink are prominent in practically ever paragraph of this story. I think the food and drink seem to symbolize two main groups. There are sort of “high class foods” which symbolize the TV family lifestyle, as well as the more practical, less expensive foods which represent the everyday life of the working class, including Gary’s family. Kool Aid, for example, is mentioned four times in the story. When I think of Kool Aid, inexpensive powder mix in an oversized container comes to mind. A mere scoop can provide an entire pitcher of juice; a staple beverage for kids on hot summer days after playing in the scorching sun. Gary also mentions foods such as beans and tortillas, which are often associated with Hispanic culture, to emphasize his ethnicity. These are all foods which I feel represent the narrator’s working class lifestyle. Then when describing the ideal family, Soto includes other foods which, although they may not seem like delicacies, represent something he didn’t experience as a child. “They hopped into bed with kisses and woke to glasses of fresh orange juice, and to a father sitting before his morning coffee while the mother buttered his toast” (p. 29).


5. I feel the supporting characters play a large role in helping Gary to accept his family life the way it is. Gary’s mother affectionately reminds him who he is when he asked to eat turtle soup like he saw on TV. Gary states, “she laughed that I was a crazy chavalo” (p.29). His sister provides a similar “reality check” when Gary proposes an idea to her that would make “white people like [them] more” (p.29). She replies by referring to him as “craphead,” explaining that “they’ll never like us” (p.29). Although this may be harsh, it shows that his sister is more accepting of her identity and isn’t obsessed with trying to change it. The same attitude is exemplified by Gary’s brother when he wears his swimsuit to dinner rather than dressing up as Gary asked. Outside his own family, Gary is also provided with different concepts of family and identity. For example, his friend Little John, who is openly abused by his mother. I think this gives Gary something to appreciate about his own family which he is so quick to find flaw with. Gary’s other friend, David King, provides the closest real life example of middle-class Gary can find. However, he isn’t perfect or kind like the middle class children who are depicted on TV. I feel this, too, gives David a better perception of reality versus fiction.