Culture 3: Hispanic/Latino(a) Literature - Gary Soto

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA:

Soto, Gary. 2003. THE AFTERLIFE. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0152047743

PLOT SUMMARY:

An ordinary high school senior named Chuy finds his life abruptly and violently taken from him when he makes a benign comment to a stranger in a men’s restroom at a nightclub. Chuy quickly discovers that he is a ghost, and he is given a chance to view life in a whole new way. As a ghost, he is able to see how much his family and friends loved him. Chuy’s new perspective also gives him an awareness of the things that really matter the most to him, and he ends up bravely trying to save someone else’s life. He even meets the ghost of a young girl who has committed suicide, and he ends up falling in love with her. As Chuy’s ghostly appearance begins to fade, he must quickly say goodbye to his old life and cling to his newly discovered love as he heads to “the afterlife.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The setting for this story is southeast Fresno, which Chuy considers the “homeland for Mexicans and Hmongs mostly.” Through Chuy’s eyes, Soto describes the poverty and crime of Chuy’s hometown and the surrounding areas, giving the reader insight into some of the situations faced by many throughout America.

Chuy’s character serves as an important cultural marker for the story, showing readers what life for a Mexican American teenage boy might be like. Chuy is a likeable, ordinary teenager, and all readers will easily identify with him while learning specific details about his culture. Chuy’s real name is Jesús, but he prefers the nickname Chuy. Throughout the story, Chuy references several forms of address that are of cultural significance, such as “mi papi” (my dad), “primo” (cousin) “viejo” (old man), and “carnal” (blood brother).

Soto skillfully references food specific to Chuy’s culture throughout the story as well, giving THE AFTERLIFE further cultural authenticity. For example, Soto mentions foods such as “menudo,” “churros,” and “pan dulce.”

Chuy’s religion is another way that Soto gives readers a glimpse of Chuy’s life and heritage. In fact, Chuy’s religious beliefs play a pivotal role in the plot of the story since he clearly believes strongly in the afterlife. Chuy talks about a rosary and attending mass with his mother, and he goes into Saint John’s Cathedral to pray in front of an alter for God to allow him to see his parents again in the afterlife.

Language is another important cultural marker for THE AFTERLIFE, and Soto cleverly sprinkles Spanish words and phrases throughout the story (with a glossary at the back of the book) to add to the cultural accuracy of the story. This use of both English and Spanish effectively places readers in the context of Chuy’s life as a Mexican American teenager.

THE AFTERLIFE is a great story for young adults, and many readers will empathize to Chuy because he is such a normal, ordinary guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Soto blends a great deal of cultural authenticity into the story while at the same time making it a story that anyone can relate to. This book is a fascinating look at a Mexican American teenager’s life with an interesting supernatural twist that is sure to please readers.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

From BOOKLIST starred (August 2003):
“Soto has remade Our Town into Fresno, California, and he not only paints the scenery brilliantly but also captures the pain that follows an early death. In many ways, this is as much a story about a hardscrabble place as it is about a boy who is murdered. Both pulse with life and will stay in memory.”

From HORN BOOK starred (Spring 2004):
“Chuy, the victim of a murder, rises from his body to observe earthly goings-on, but he's more engaged with his life as a teenage ghost. The Latino neighborhoods of Fresno provide a solid setting for the fantasy, as tangible as Chuy's ghost is not. Ghostly romance, not tragic reality, the book ends with Chuy and a beautiful ghost named Crystal floating toward the afterlife amid Soto's poetic metaphors of autumn.”

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (August 2003):
“While the premise could sound dark and morose, the novel is instead filled with hope and elegance. The author counterbalances difficult ideas with moments of genuine tenderness as well as a provocative lesson about the importance of savoring every moment-a lesson that Chuy, once fretful and insecure, comes to understand.”

CONNECTIONS:

If students enjoy THE AFTERLIFE, they may also enjoy more of Soto’s novels for young adults with Hispanic themes, such as ACCIDENTAL LOVE and BURIED ONIONS.

Gary Soto has a fantastic website that students might enjoy visiting at http://www.garysoto.com/. This is a great website for budding young writers since Soto’s FAQ section offers a lot of information about how he began writing. The photo gallery on the website is also a lot of fun to look at.

The setting of THE AFTERLIFE plays an important role in the story. After reading, begin a discussion with students about the importance of the setting and how it may have affected Chuy’s perception of things.

In addition to writing young adult literature, Gary Soto is also a poet. Invite students to write a poem about the afterlife from Chuy’s perspective.

TAYSHAS reading list 2004-2005