Uncle Rock By Dagoberto Gilb Theme

Part of growing up is finding the real meaning behind happiness. In the short story “Uncle Rock” by Dagoberto Gilb is set in Los Angeles California in the early 1980s. “Uncle Rock” is about a young boy named Erick who struggles to see the true meaning of happiness due to seeing his mother's dissatisfaction with many different men. The theme of “Uncle Rock” is to learn that happiness is not based on materialistic objects, happiness is based on unconditional love. Through the story Erick learns the true meaning of happiness when he disposes of the letter that a baseball hands him to give to his mother, he realizes the unconditional love that Roque gives his mother is more important. By analyzing the symbols and plot, the overall theme, happiness

The baseball Erick catches, at the Dodgers game that Roque took him to, symbolizes Erick retrieving happiness by catching the ball. Erick being able to catch the ball at the game wouldn't have been made possible without Roque. The note that the baseball player represents Ericks realization that him and his mother would be happier of with Roque because he always gave their family unconditional love while her other souters gave her materialistic goods. Erick had decided to throw the note down and let Roque and his mother be happy, "he had the ball in one hand and the note in the other. By the time he reached his Mom and Roque, the note was already somewhere on the asphalt parking lot."(Gilb, 280) When Erick decides to throw the note that the baseball player wrote to his mother on the ground this also represents Ericks acceptance for Roque. The title “Uncle Rock” has an important theme because Roque ends up become the rock in the family, he has no intentions of leaving Erick and his mother so he becomes the stone of the missing piece of their family. The symbolism in “Uncle Rock” helps the reader find the overall theme of happiness, this theme is also supported by the