Buried Onions (1996) by Gary Soto describes the life of Eddie, a teenager living in Fresno, California. Told in the first person, Eddie narrates his life as a Mexican-American living on the south side of Fresno and as such the landmarks mainly relate to this area. His mother has moved to Merced, a town about an hour away.
As the life describes daily life in an impoverished part of town, where gangs are a big part of life for many. The landmarks are primarily taken from the daily routine in the "barrio": houses, community college, cafeterias, and places around town. We get a sense of a world without many options for social advancement or opportunities, despite all Eddie's efforts. A landmark that epitomizes this is the dump, where Eddie goes to deliver trash while working for Mr Stiles.
One of the locations in the story is Eddie's flat, which is dirty and infested with cockroaches. Another is the small garage where he keeps his bike. Other prominent places are the smart, affluent houses where Eddie goes to paint street numbers to earn money and the baseball field and park where Coach is the recreation director.
A space that is used to offer a suggestion of freedom is the river, where Coach takes Eddie and José fishing for an afternoon. It represents a break from the daily routine and a chance to be refreshed and renewed by nature. Water, as represented by this river and the idea of joining the Navy, is presented as a means of finding freedom and escape from the difficult circumstances Eddie finds himself in as well as return to the simplicity of childhood and happier days.
Another symbolic landmark is the field where workers are digging onions. In contrast to the freedom, excitement, and enjoyment offered by the river, the field suggests a life of hard work and routine—one that is the reality for many.
Monday, April 11, 2016
What are all the landmarks introduced in Buried Onions?
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