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Summary Of A Summer Life By Gary Soto

646 Words3 Pages

In Gary Soto’s autobiographical narrative A Summer Life, his six-year-old self recollects the experience of stealing, reflecting his exhilaratingly guilty tones. Vividly describing his memories, Soto constructs his past sin, executed as a desperate desire to overcome his boredom. As he consumes the stolen pie, his glee becomes overshadowed by a lingering sense of fear and realization that continues to follow him into adulthood. The author’s diction portrays the young child’s contrasting emotions and clear memories. Despite “the shadow of angels” and knowledge of “Adam and Eve[’s]” punishment, he “claw[s] a chunk” of the apple pie. His repetition of the oxymoronic statement crafts the sense of realized guilt as he recognizes holy beings haunting …show more content…

In the beginning, by starting with the pronoun “I,” Soto attempts to quickly establish a connection with the readers before he contradicts his claim. Despite his acknowledgement of hell, he carries out his sin anyway; however, he wants to construct his positive attributes beforehand. By beginning with personal pronouns, he opens himself up then delves into his story. In the middle, he uses short sentences and selectively chooses quotes. In doing so, he fashions a rushed pacing, similar to his heartbeat during his crime. Purposeful parataxis and brief quotations display his racing thoughts and hurried images of fleeing from the scene, gobbling the pie down, and forcing his neighbor to leave. In the end, Soto asks to himself if the sounds of plumbing is coming from God, Father, or Uncle as he looks back on the day. Questioning the authoritative figures in his life, he tries to place his suspicions on others to forget the day’s incidents. However, he fails to forget what he has done, and thus, he concludes with a reflection. Through syntax, Soto discloses his fast-paced attitude and actions while also highlighting his desire to present himself as a good

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