Fear By Gary Soto Summary

When reading the text Fear, by Gary Soto, I can’t help but assume the author’s purpose or overarching theme was that our past or life experiences can affect how we act. In this stories case, a life without love, can cause terrible behavior. The plot of the story revolves around a boy that comes from a broken home, and due to such circumstances he bullies his peers. The story was a typical encounter a fifth grader would have with Frankie (boy from a broken home). The narrator says, “Some of us looked away because it was unfair. We knew the house he lived in: The empty refrigerator, the father gone, the mother in a sad bathrobe, the beatings, the yearnings for something to love” (Soto, Par. 10). It’s easy to see that Frankie is only in need of love, and without it his actions become sort of evil. Another examples comes in when we get a look at

When looking at it through my eyes, the purpose was to explain that appearances and self confidence can really drive someone’s actions. The story follows a boy named Alberto who does his best to fit the images of people he sees in magazines, anything from working out constantly, to pushing on his teeth everyday assuming they’ll straighten out. You can tell that Alfonso is very dedicated to his appearance. “Alfonso didn’t want to be the handsomest kid at school, but he was determined to be better-looking than average. The next day he spent his lawn-mowing money on a new shirt, and, with a pocketknife, scooped the moons of dirt from under his fingernails. He spent hours in front of the mirror trying to herd his teeth into place with his thumb” (Soto, 2). Now only does he worry of his physical appearance, but he makes sure his bike is up to par as well. “Alfonso walked over to his brother. He compared their two bikes: his gleamed like a handful of dimes, while Ernie’s looked dirty” (Soto,