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Being Mean By Gary Soto Analysis

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In the essay “Being Mean” from Living up the Street by Gary Soto, the tone is tense and mischievous based on the author’s diction and the use of repetition. Gary Soto describes his childhood as being very violent and gives details about how it is so: “Rick and I and the Molinas all enjoyed looking for trouble and often went to extremes to try and get into fights.” By Soto saying this, it represents how mischievous he was as a child. Moreover, the title of his essay “Being Mean” fits the tone of being mischievous perfectly because the definition of mean is for someone to go out of their way to cause you pain, which he does, but in a mischievous way. Furthermore, Gary Soto also uses repetition to let the reader know how he feels about certain
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Ever had a bad wardrobe malfunction? Once students arrive in middle school, their appearance is one of the top priorities, and many are made fun of because of the clothes they wear, turning a good day bad. In "The Jacket", by Gary Soto, the main character has to deal with these events. After reading this story, it is evident that the universal truth, one’s clothes can affect how they feel, is the overarching theme for this short story. This is the theme of the text because it is supported by the symbolism, the conflicts, and the climax.

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In the story Mother and Daughter, The author Gary Soto was giving the message that mothers aren’t always perfect, but they always want the best for you. Yollie and her mother, Mrs. Moreno, had a very good relationship. The author described Mrs. Moreno as: “ A very large woman who wore a muu-muu and butterfly shaped glasses.” (Soto 203) She liked to water her lawn in the evening and wave at the cars passing by.

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