Metaphors And Symbols In Gary Soto's The Jacket

Finding a gift or a piece of clothing that is not what was expected or unappealing can be disappointing and can cause distractions on insubstantial stuff. Do I have to keep this? Can I get rid of this? Will everyone be looking at me when I have this with me? Do I have a choice? In Gary Soto’s “The Jacket” the young man receives a jacket he dislikes greatly and does not appeal to his wants. In addition, Soto uses literary elements, symbols and figurative language to influence the overarching theme that being concentrated on self image can be a distraction to what needs to be done or needs to be the main focus.
To begin, Soto uses a metaphor to influence the theme that being distracted by appearances instead of centering in on more important …show more content…
As a matter of a fact, the main character, the boy is unsettled with what he received. The boy is very distressed and is starting to focus on when the people are talking about him and making fun of him. Soto explains “I heard the buzz-buzz of gossip and even laughter that I knew was meant for me.” He hears what is going on and is so worried that his ugly jacket is going to make him uncool, most people would be worried about and many would be apprehensive of what they wear. Soto decides not to actually say what they people are saying and what they have to say, the reader may believe that the people are saying kind but they are assuming it is is unkind words. Gary Soto states ,“The teachers were no help: they looked my way and talked about how foolish I looked in my new jacket. I saw their heads bob with laughter, their hands half-covering their mouths.” The boy with the guacamole colored jacket felt they were gossiping about him. The boy is too focused on what people are saying about him then …show more content…
One event that displays is when he asked for a certain jacket and it had to look a certain way. Gary Soto explains “When I needed a new jacket and my mother asked what kind I wanted, I described something like bikers wear: black leather and silver studs…” This reveals he wants to be like everyone else and thinks people should look a certain way. In addition, the author shows he is upset with the jacket he got instead of the one he told his mother he wanted. Soto says “I discovered draped on my bedpost a jacket the color of day-old guacamole... From my bed, I stared at the jacket. I wanted to cry…” Soto only reinforces this idea with this quote. This may symbolize his culture because there are many other objects that are green and guacamole is found in many Hispanic cultures. He wants to be like everyone else and is embarrassed of his culture. The point is focusing on looks and self image can sidetrack people from what is most