THE CIRCUIT

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THE CIRCUIT

• BY FRANCISCO JIMENEZ
• NICK ADAMS
• MICHAEL ELDER

2
SETTING

• THE STORY WAS SET IN THE MID 1900S
• THEY WERE LIVING IN THE PACIFIC MIDWEST, POSSIBLY
  CALIFORNIA.
• TEMPERATURES NEARNIG THE 110S AND VERY DRY.
• IN THE FIELDS AND OLD TRASHED HOUSES.

3
SYNOPSIS

• THIS STORY IS ABOUT A BOY AND HIS FAMILY AND THE
  MIGRANT WORKER LIFESTYLE THEY LIVED. THE STORY
  STARTS OFF BY DESCRIBING A LONG DAY IN THE FIELDS
  PICKING STRAWBERRIES. IT WAS THE END OF THE
  SEASON AND MANY OF THE MIGRANT WORKERS HAD
  ALREADY LEFT FOR OTHER WORK. SO NOT MANY
  BRACEROS WERE LEFT. THE DAY FINALLY ENDEND AND
  THE BOYS WERE OFF WITH THEIR FATHER. WHEN THEY
  GOT HOME THEY SAW THE EMFAMOUS BOXES NEATLY
  PACKED ON THE FLOOR. THE FAMILY BEGAN THEIR MOVE
  TO FRESNO FOR GRAPE SEASON.

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• THE AUTHOR EXPLAINS HIS THE MOVE. THE FAMILY
  FINDS WORK AND AN OLD GARAGE TO STAY IN. THE VERY
  NEXT DAY, THEY ARE BACK IN THE FIELDS, LABORING
  UNTIL SUNSET. WHEN EVER A SCHOOL BUS PASSES THE
  FIELDS, THE BOYS HAVE TO HIDE AMONGST THE VINYARD
  TO AVOID BEING MADE TO GO TO SCHOOL. AT THE END
  OF THE SEASON, THEAUTHOR PONCHITO, HAS TO GO TO
  SCHOOL. HE GOES TO SCHOOL AND IS NERVOUS IN FRONT
  OF HIS NEW CLASSMATES.

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• HE HAS TROUBLE READING HIS ENGLISH BOOK. HIS
  TRACHER, MR. LEMA, DECIDES TO TUTOR HIM DURING
  LUNCH HOURS, AND EVENTUALLY ENDS UP TEACHING HIM
  HOW TO PLAY THE TRUMPET.

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THEME

• MIXED EMMOTIONS INCLUDING DISSAPIONTMENT,
  RESENTMENT, EXCITEMENT, AND FEAR.

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CHARACTER SKETCH

• PANHITO NARRATOR AND MAIN CHARACTER. WORKED
  HARD AND WENT TO SCHOOL WHEN HE COULD.
• PAPA HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD
• ROBERTO BROTHER AND WORKED ALL DAY WITH NO
  SCHOOL
• MR LEMA PANCHITOS TEACHER AND MENTOR

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SYMBOLS

• SCHOOL A TYPICAL BOYS LIFE AND THE REAL WORLD
• BOXES A REMINDER OF UNSTABLE WAY OF LIFE
• OLD GARAGE THE ROUGH LIFESTYLE MIGRANT WORKERS
  HAD TO LIVE
• TRUMPET AN ESCAPE EVRYDAY WORK AND WAY FOR
  PANCHITO TO FEEL NORMAL
• MR. LEMA A SAVING GRACE FOR PANCHITO

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AUTHORS GOALS

• TO SHOW THE HARD LIFE OF MIGRANT WORKERS.
• TELLS THE STORY THROUGHT THE CHILDS PIONT OF VIEW
  SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE CHILDS FEELINGS. HE
  WANTED TO GIVE ANOTHER VIEW OTHER THAN THE NORMAL
  ADULT PERSPECTIVE ON THIS LIFESTYLE.

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TYPICAL HOUSE MIGRANT WORKERS LIVED IN
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• THE AUTHOR IS TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF AND HIS OWN
  PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. THIS IS ACTUAL EVENTS THAT
  TOOK PLACE IN HIS LIFE. HE NOW IS A PROFESSOR AT
  SANTA CLARA.

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SIMILAR TO THE CAR PONCHITOS FAMILY DROVE
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• THE AUTHOR RECOLLECTS MEMORIES OF HIS PERSONAL
  LIFE TO CONVEY THE HARDSHIPS OF MANY MIGRANT
  FAMILIES BEFORE AND AFTER HIM.

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PERSONAL REACTION

• THE YOUNG BOY HAD A HARD LIFE THAT DID NOT SEEMED
  TO BE GETTING ANY EASIER. HE AND HIS FAMILY DID
  WHAT THEY HAD TO DO TO SURVIVE. ITS SAD TO SEE
  ANYBODY HAVE TO LIVE THIS WAY, BUT NONE THE LESS
  IT WILL ALWAYS HAPPEN.

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MIGRANT WORKERS