Summary Of A Summer Life By Gary Soto

Almost all humans struggle sometime in their life when they must make a choice between right and wrong. Consequently, humans often sin as a result of a poor choice. However, some people view sinful deeds as relatively harmless while others experience feelings of agonizing guilt and pain. In his autobiographical narrative A Summer Life, Gary Soto contrasts the virtuous behavior inspired by his church, neighbors, and society with the voracious greed of a six-year-old boy taunted with boredom. Soto examines the ideas of right and wrong through the eyes of a child, and he skillfully conveys the excruciating feelings of guilt he experienced as his six-year-old self when he stole an apple pie through the use of Illusion and contrast, imagery

Soto paces his narrative by taking his time to build up the story and slowing it down at important points with details and vivid imagery that creatively depicts the guilt he experienced. For example, he begins with a complex description of every detail when he stood before the rack of pies and determined which pie he would steal. “I gazed at nine kinds of pie, pecan and apple being my favorites, although cherry looked good, and my dear, fat-faced chocolate was always a good bet.” In addition to his description of the pies, Soto comments on the other details such as the grocer’s shining forehead that shone “with a window of light,” and the “warm air of the fan above the door.” Readers can visualize the “juice of guilt wetting my underarms,” as young Soto gazed upon the pies. However, after stealing the pie Soto does not immediately eat it which strengthens the fact that he felt guilty. The pace then increases as young Soto hurries across the street and then a neighbor saw him so Soto “raced on skinny legs,” back to his block. Next Soto describes the slow process of eating the pie as he “laid more pieces on his tongue,” and continued the process the, “slop was sweet and gold-colored in the afternoon sun,” until he finished the pie. In addition, Soto appeals to pathos in his imagery to connect emotionally to his readers to his piece. He hopes readers can relate to the tantalizing temptation of the pie, and therefore understand his suffering and mental agony his young self experienced as he reminisced the loss of his virtuous way in the “glare of the empty tin