Gary Soto's narrative "Looking for Work" was really enjoyable to read.
He is a very descriptive writer; I always had a vivid image in my head
of the scenes he set. And I always wanted to know what mini-adventure
he would go on next.
I believe that the narrator is attracted to the kind of family life
depicted on TV because it seems simpler and more 'put together'. He
views his family as disorganized, dysfunctional, and dirty. He wishes
his family could be more formal like the ones on TV. However, when he
brings this up to his family, they could care less. It has little
impact on them because they are used to their routine and how they live
and don't feel the need to change anything or try to impress anyone.
Also ,they don't wake up early in the morning to watch all the TV shows
that the narrator did.
The narrator goes looking for work because he decides that he wants to
become wealthy "and right away!". He believes that if he gets a job he
will be able to turn his family's life into one of the ideal lives he
sees depicted on TV. However, by the end of the story, the meaning of
work has completely changed for the narrator. He realized that he could
be happy with his life and his family just the way it is and also that
he truly enjoys helping people no matter the reward. His attitude
changed from seeing everything as not good enough to being zen and just
enjoying what is right in front of him and all it has to offer. He was
no longer working to become wealthy, he was working because he liked it.
The mature Soto's thoughts on his family life back when he was nine are
that it was perfect just the way it was and now he knows he was
fortunate to have such a good family. In the story he says "I tried to
convince them that if we improved the way we looked we might get along
better in life" (30). In my opinion this suggests that now he believes
that no matter how they looked or dressed, they would've gotten along
just fine.
Food plays a role in this narrative. Beans and tortillas were always
for dinner; reflecting upon their Mexican heritage. Also fresh fruit
from trees in people's yards were highly valued and seen as 'treats'. I
thought it was interesting that for dessert they would go outside to
pick a peach off the tree. Soto compares this to a TV show where they
have dessert on a plate, but ultimately he has fun going outside to
retrieve his dessert.
The cast of supporting characters in this narrative contribute to the
meaning of family within the story because they all influence his family
life in different ways. His siblings and friends are there for him to
play with and talk to and remind him, in a way, how to have fun and just
be a kid. His mother rejects his ideas but at the same time is loving
and puts a lot of work into caring for her family. They might not share
his perspectives but they all support him and work to maintain a
familial balance.
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