Due: You need to post your essay by Monday, January 28th @2:30 p.m.
Scoring Guide: Open Response Rubric 100 points (Major Essays & Open Responses)
You must turn in all notes on "Plum Plum Pickers" by Raymond Barrio in class on Monday.
Scoring Guide: Reader's Notebook Rubric 40 points (Homework, Notes, Etc)
Before you Submit:
- Your Essay Needs a Title.
- This should be at least 3 pages, typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman.
- Please leave spaces between paragraphs for formatting.
Reminder to read the handout on passage explications and go through this process.
A passage explication is an essay that takes apart the pieces of a prose passage to demonstrate how it creates meaning – its main question can be reduced to the simple idea of “What does the passage mean? What is its purpose? How does it create that meaning and achieve its purpose? How does it fit in with the rest of the text (if available)?”
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Plum Plum Pickers By Raymond Barrio
Raymond Barrio’s idea on how to be a man or even human is generally simple but hard to obtain. He uses different literary techniques to describe what he feels to be a man/human in the short story Plum Plum Pickers. The protagonist, Manuel Gutierrez, who works as a “slave” to the antagonist, Roberto Morales, works hard to pick all the plums to help him provide for himself and his family. While Roberto Morales who owns the business and does almost whatever he pleases, for instance take money right out of her pockets. When this happens, Manuel feels put down but stands up for himself and succeeds. Raymond Barrio suggests that “Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride.”
The exposition of the short story uses most of Raymond Barrio’s literary techniques like similes, personification, and short sentences. He also uses symbols and imagery throughout the story. The similes “like the blackest bars on he jails of hell.” describe how Manuel feels in the hot, beating sunlight picking his plums. The one-worded sentences also describe how he feels throughout the whole exposition, as in “Locked, Animal, Brute, Wreck”. No man/human should or is even suppose to feel this way. The single words even make reading the story or telling it in a slow, pausing tone to emphasize how his emotions are being exposed trying to escape the “endless maze”.
In the second part of the exposition he uses short sentences stating what is slowly bothering him while on his break. Starting each sentence consecutively with “The…” shows what specifically is wrong with his moment of piece. No man/human should be disturbed while on a break from hard work in harsh conditions. After all these disturbances are over, the story tells later how it starts to affect him, “His mind whirred. He blacked out.” He feels as though his respect to have a peaceful break was ruined and after his hard work shatters in his face to remind him of why he’s here working instead of resting, all due to Roberto Morales.
At the end of the day when he can really finally relax, everything is fine. “Sandy dreams. Cool nights. Cold drinks.” Manual’s exhaustion flows away and is more comfortable doing nothing for another man who just brings you down despite his frame. When Manuel has his freedom, his life is more relaxed.
Roberto Morales to the “slaves” is considered a man because he has power and wealth over them all. His actions are ruthless even to his own people. In a way, this is a way of being a man/human in Barrio’s terms, to feel a certain sense of honor and pride. Morales feel it’s his honor to work for these “queros”. But the pride in him gets crushed by Gutierrez’s doing. On the other hand, he has no place for honor in his own country, “How could anyone know… to his own people?” Barrio’s is trying to show that when trying to experience this certain sense, it could be filled with ups and downs, rights and wrongs. Morales’s is dead right in the center and doesn’t know it.
During the climax, Gutierrez becomes tired of being stepped all over by Morales. The way Morales speaks palms up shows that he didn’t want to go through the “robbing” effort politely. When Gutierrez steps up to protect his money, he announces it in a certain sense of pride. That he deserved all that of which he picked. Then out of nowhere Gutierrez kicks over both of his buckets of fruits and enrages Morales. Barrio is trying to say that when a man is pushed, the only thing that matters is that he gets to be top even for a minute over the powerful. The pride that which Gutierrez feels to be “controlling” the way Morales is doing what he’s suppose to do, makes Morales feel pathetic.
The imagery that Barrio uses near the end of this climax is powerful. Gutierrez’s reaction builds up the spark to fill the other workers to also step their game up and protect what they’ve so laboriously picked. At that moment, all the men there felt a certain sense of pride within themselves. The honor that they had to be behind Gutierrez’s actions are fulfilling in keeping their hard earned money.
“Manuel felt a thrill of power course through his nerves”
The Resolution of the story describes how Manuel finally becomes the man he’s suppose to be. Barrio defines Gutierrez as the man who earned respect and the honor from himself n the pride of others. Even though Gutierrez did his actions accidentally, it made him feel accomplished in what he was doing for himself and the others. Barrio uses the Spanish soldier, Don Gaspar as an example to Gutierrez because he’s done practically the same thing within the same Californian region. He led his men to unknown territory and came out on top. Same for Gutierrez when he influence his co-workers and made Morales feel as if he was to be gone and to not bother them again. Then was when Gutierrez realizes that men aren’t built “the mere gathering of prunes” but “to experience a certain sense of honor and pride.”
In the Plum Plum Pickers, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that humans deal with obstacles in life that may affect their honor pride. Barrio believes that humans have many purposes in life and must pride and honor to prevent a meaningless life. In this story, Barrio shows that humans are beginning to think less about the most important thing in life and that is defending their pride and honor. Without pride and honor, life becomes meaningless. People are born to experience the true meaning of pride and honor and what it means to be a human. Barrio uses literary devices to help support his idea.
Barrio uses one word sentences to help support his meaning of being a human. In the exposition of the story, the narrator says, “No matter which way he turned he was trapped in an endless maze of apricot trees…just like the blackest bars on the jails of hell…There had to be a way out. Locked. There had to be a respite. Animal. The buckets and the crates kept piling up higher. Brute. He felt alone. Though surrounded by other pickers. Beast. Though he was perspiring heavily, his shirt was powder dry. Savage. The hot dry air. The hot dry air sucking every drop of living moisture from his brute body. Wreck…drank the holy water in great brute gulps so he wouldn’t have to savor its tastelessness…a truly refined wreck of an animal, pleased to meetcha. Predator” (Narrator 40).The words that Barrio uses all relate to each other . Barrio is trying to point out that people are being treated like captive animals who work to exhaustion. Barrio uses the image of a jail and the image of hell to show how Manuel felt about working in the fields. Also he shows how terrible the conditions are in the field. Barrio is also trying to show that his life is being wasted away by working in the fields. People’s honor and pride are being held away from them which makes their life meaningless. Also in the passage, the narrator, “He picked a mountain of cots automatically. An automator. A beast” (Narrator 40). Barrio is trying to point out that people are beginning to lose their freedom and are trapped. Just like technology, they are programmed to do things and have no freedom to do anything else. Manuel is just like a robot who is stuck picking apricots in the fields. Robots have one purpose, while humans have many purposes in life. Robots have no freedom and don’t experience much in life. They are stuck doing one job and are used up until they can’t work anymore. Humans are not like robots. Humans are suppose to experience more in life and live freely.
Barrio supports his idea by showing significance of characters in the story. One of the characters from the story. In the expostion, Manuel is introduced into the story. He is the protagonist of the story who works in the fields picking fruit. Manuel has been working under the brutal sun and has become exhausted. Barrio purposely names the protagonist Manuel because his name is similar to the word to manual labor. Manuel means work involving hands. Barrio is trying to point out that that people do more physical actions rather than mental. People are not using their heads and rely on physical skills to get things done. In the rising climax of the story, Roberto Morales is introduced. Morales is the antagonist of the story a contractor who was hired by white men. He was described as friendly, but is also described as vicious and a thief. Morales’ name is significant because Roberto is similar to the word robber and the Morales is similar to moralize. Morales takes money from the workers for no reason. Barrio is showing that there are people who lack moral standards. Those people will take other people’s freedom, pride, and honor.
Barrio believes that being a human means defending yourself and others. In the resolution of the story, the narrator says, “Manuel lifted his foot and clumsily tipped over his own last bucket of cots…Roberto Morales’ eyes blazed. His fists clenched “You pick them up, Gutierrez.” So. He knew his name. After all. For answer, Manuel kicked over another bucket, and again the fruit rolled away in all directions” (Narrator 41). Manuel kicked the other buckets because he is defending his dignity from Morales. Manuel stood up for himself and his fellow workers to protect their honor and pride. Also in the story, the narrator says, “And that was-that a man counted for something. For men, Manuel dimly suspected, are built for something more important and less trifling than the mere gathering of prunes and apricots, hour upon hour, decade upon decade, insensibly, mechanically, antlike. Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride. Or else they are dead before they die” (Narrator 41). Barrio is trying to point out that every person was important and had a purpose in life. People weren’t only born to work but were born to defend themselves from injustice. Every person has the right to be free and have pride and honor. People aren’t robots that have one purpose and don‘t have any freedom do as they like. People are human beings who have many purposes in life and are free to experience the importance in life.
Plum Plum Pickers’ explication----Experiencing honor and pride
In the excerpt of Plum Plum Pickers, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that people should live for their own and are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride by using many literately techniques, like one words sentences, and dictions. Raymond Barrio points out that if people do not live for their own with target are basically not living. He carries out what is meant to be a human by showing the change of the protagonist, Manuel; from inferior to honorable.
In the exposition when Manuel and his job are introduced, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that Manuel is trapped and treated like an animal instead of human beings by using many one word sentences. There is no verb in the one word sentences, “Locked… Animal… Brute… Beast… Savage… Wreck… Predator… ”. Sentences without verbs indicate that there is no movement for Manuel. Also, one word sentences lead to pauses while reading, making readers feel like being trapped by the words; that is how Manuel feels. For the word choice of those one word sentences, most of them are animalistic, animal, brute, beast, predator, and savage. This symbolizes that Manuel is treated as animals instead of human beings. “Locked” and “wreck” show Manuel’s feeling directly. By saying that Manual is treated like animals and his bad feeling, Raymond Barrio carries out the idea of human should not be treated like this; human are different from animals because human have honors and prides.
Raymond Barrio emphasizes that Manuel is being treated poorly by personifying the trees. Manuel is treated as animals, but in contrast, the trees are treated as human by Raymond Barrio’s writing. He personifies the trees by describing them as “The trees. The branches again. The briarly branches. The scratching leaves. The twigs tearing at his shirt sleeves.” The trees, plants, have their movements and feelings. However, Manuel, human, is trapped and treated like animals. This makes the readers feel that Manuel even more inferior.
The rising action begins when the antagonist, Roberto Morales, walks in. His name symbolizes that he is an immoral person with a similar pronunciation of “moral less”. Manuel and other labors work for him by picking buckets and buckets of plums. “Whenever Roberto Morales spoke, Manuel had to force himself not to answer. He had to keep his temper from flaring.” Manuel is treated badly, and cannot even express himself. He basically lives for the others, without any self characteristics. He does what the others tell him to do and accept what the others say to him. It is lamentable to live without own style and even cannot control own life. The sentence “Now. I must take two cents from every bucket. I am sorry. There was a miscalculation. Everybody understands. Everybody?” leads to the climax of the excerpt where Manuel starts to express himself and “transform” to be a human.
“You promised to take nothing! Manuel heard himself saying. Everyone turned in astonishment to stare at Manuel.” Manuel expresses his own idea for the first time since he worked for Morales. He is not a mechanical labor anymore. Morales also treats him as a human for the first time after he expresses his idea. Morales uses the word “hombre” when he talks to Manuel. Manuel cannot hide himself anymore; he chooses to stands up for himself and fights for what he should get. He finally lives for himself but not the others. “The other exhausted animals studied the tableau through widening eyes.” emphasizes the labors are treated as animals. They are treated badly and do not defense their property and themselves. The others remain calling animals while Manuel is called hombre because he fights for himself. Manuel kicks over the buckets, the others follow afterwards. Manuel’s act awakes the other’s dignities and thoughts. They thought that they should not be under control by the others. They don’t know if this act would be work, but at least they have tried to fight for themselves and what they actually want.
In the resolution, “He would have to pay for this, for his defiance, somehow, again, later. But he had shown defiance. He had salvaged his money savagely and he had earned respect from his fellow slaves.” shows that although Manuel does not earn anything physically, he gets respect from the others which still makes him happy. That is honor and pride. Raymond Barrio mentions that “Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride. Or else they are dead before they die.” Manuel has experienced that sense of honor and pride. He is no longer that mechanical labor who works without soul. He fights for what he wants at last. Before he gains respect from the others, he is technically dead. He changes from inferior to honorable; from animal to human. That’s what is meant to be a human.
Samyr Fanfan English 12 CP Period 1
Plum Plum Pickers
In the short story Plum Plum Pickers the author Raymond Barrio suggests that to become a man person needs to have pride, honor and being to stand for injustice. Barrio shows this through his use of imagery, short sentences, and animalistic adjectives to show that when a person does show pride when they are being treated unfairly they are people without manhood and they become animals.
In the exposition of the Plum Plum Pickers Manuel Gutierrez the protagonist of the story with a name which is cleverly means manual as is manual labor is furiously working like a animal or slave in the vast apricot trees picking plums. While pointlessly the author Raymond barrio uses imagery to show the reader that Manuel doesn’t enjoy working and animalistic adjectives with short sentences used to describe not a man working furiously but an animal to suggest that Manuel is not yet a man but an animal of some kind. “Brute. He felt alone …through the surrounded by other pickers. Beast…pleased to meetcha. Predator” (Barrio page 40). In these passages Barrio uses short sentences with the animalistic words to emphasize his point that Manuel is not a man but a working animal surrounded by his fellow workers. Throughout the whole entire exposition Manuel is not once described as a man but an animal working in this place which is a imagery of hell, his hell. “Trapped in an endless maze of apricot tree…as though forever, neat rows of them, neatly planted. Row after row, just like the blackest bars on the jails of hell.” (Barrio Page 40). In this passage Manuel is saying that his work place is his hell and it seems that he searching for an escape. “ Raised the dented dipper from the brute tank, drank the holy water in great brute gulps so he wouldn’t have to savor its tastelessness.” (Barrio Page 40). In this passage Manuel finds his escape when he drinks water, which is called his “holy water” which can provide a minor escape from his hell. As the story moves on the Manuel encounters his conflict and gradually grows into an eventual manhood.
As soon as Raymond introduces Robert Morales the reader realizes this is the antagonist of the story, which makes this part of the story the rising action. The author cleverly gives the antagonist ironic name Morales telling the reader that this antagonist has no morals and he is going to provide a conflict to the protagonist Manuel. In the rising action of the story the reader begins to predict that something is going happen between Manuel and Roberto Morales through Barrio’s use of imagery. “Whenever Roberto Morales spoke, Manuel had to force himself not to answer. He had to keep his temper from flaring” (Barrio Page 41). In this passage it is clearly showed that Manuel strongly dislikes Robert because he has keep his temper from coming out every time he talks. The author shows this through his use of imagery to show that if not controlled Manuel’s emotions of Morales could flare up like flames, which is symbolic because that Manuel calls the place he works a hell. As the story progresses Manuel can no longer hold in his displeasure with Robert and the Protagonist and the antagonist will collide and Manuel will become a man.
In the climax of the story Manuel finds himself doing something he has never done before I finds hidden pride and honor and stands up to unsuspecting Robert. In this part in the story Barrio provides an image of the animals standing around in a circle watching this recent animal become a man. “You promised to take nothing! Manuel found himself saying. Everyone turned in astonishment to stare at Manuel… The two men, centered in a huge ring of red-ringed eyes, glared at each other. Reaching for each other’s jugular. The other exhausted animals studied the tableau through widening eyes.” (Barrio Page 41). Once Manuel shows pride and honor and stands up for himself he becomes a man and he is a equal with Morales. And the rest of the workers are still characterized as animalistic because they allow Morales to do injustice to them. Once the men start to stand like their comrade Manuel they become men. “ All the other pickers moved toward their own buckets still standing beside them on the ground awaiting the truck gatherer, and took an ominous position over them…Robert Morales said sharply, all right. All right, men. I shall take nothing this time” (Barrio page 41). Once the other men show pride and honor and stand up for themselves Robert calls them men for the first time and decides not to take any money from these hard-working men.
PLUM PLUM PICKERS EXPLICATION PASSAGES
In the passage when Manuel work in he plum garden, the author suggests that as humans live in the same society, people have to care for each other, because if they care for other people, they will be care. People shouldn’t selfish, don’t because of one’s benefits and then abandon other live in suffer. They have so stand up for their own right as well as other people. When people have a limited power, they can’t do anything they want as well as change their destiny. To be fair with other people around them is important too, because if they do so, there would be no cheating and doubling between people and people. When people pass the challenge in their life, they would be come stronger and have more respect from other people. Money is important, but it can’t ever buy the happiness and the respect from other people. Good personality is the most important thing to build a person.
In the short story, Raymond Barrio describes Manuel work like an animal. “No matter which way he turn, he was trapped in an endless maze of apricot trees, as though forever, neat row of them, neatly planted, row after row, just like the trapped.” Raymond Barrio compares the maze with the neatly planed row of tree. The maze is really neat, but Manuel is trapped inside with no way out. The maze refers to the options that Manuel has. He has no option to choose. He can’t decide of what he wanted. All he can do is work and earn money for his own life. “There had to be a way out. Locked. There had to be a respite. Animal. The bucket and the crates kept pilling up higher. Brute. Though he was perspiring heavily, his shirt was powder dry. Savage. The hot dry air. The hot dry air sucking every drop of living moisture from his brute body. Wreck.” Raymond Barrio uses one word sentences to emphasize how Manuel felt, not only hopeless but event depress which is the worst type of feeling. Those one-word sentences also give readers the sympathy feeling for Manuel. He wants the reader to experiment how Manuel emotions while he working. He describes Manuel as an animal by using words that carry animal characteristics.
To describe the heavy work that Manuel has to do everyday ay the plum garden, Raymond Barrio use the short sentences as a paragraph “Lunch.” “Midafeternoon.” “End!” To describes Manuel feeling while he is taking his break. His purpose to tell the readers that the time that Manuel can relax is very short. “ He felt his spirit swell out again n like a thirsty sponge in water. Then up again. The tree. The branches again. The briary branches. The scratching leaves.” The author personifies the tree as a human and details, but Manuel had been personified as an animal, which also mean the tree is event more important as than Manuel. The rhythms of words “upon” when the author describes Manuel’s work: “ the endlessly unending pilling up of bucket upon box upon crate upon stack upon rack upon mound upon mountain” makes the reader feel the heaviness of those buckets. Without using any punctuation, Raymond had put the imagery of Manuel’s works is keep continuing never end.
The author also use the one word sentences to empathy the beautiful sign that Manuel can reach in his imagination, because al of those leisurely time isn’t belong to a labor as Manuel. “ It started to light the ocean be hind him, back of the hill. Sandy dream. Cool nigh. Cold drink. Soft guitar music with Lupe sitting beside him.” In these sentences, Raymond barrio use more of the punctuations to slow down the speed of the reader, which make the reader focus more on the relaxing sign beside Manuel. He can’t ever experiment those wonderful moments in his life because he had no power to do that.
The owners had no intention of caring for their own business. They don't care for people around them. They just hire some random people to be a manager and get the money after the work done. There is nothing else they could do to make employees’ life better. “How could anyone know what he did to his own people? And what did the guero care? So the anglo grower and guero executives, smiling in their cool filtered office, buffing their elegant thin cigars, washed their clean blond bloodless dirtless hands of the whole matter” At this point, Raymond Barrio had set up a contrast between owners and employees. The officer has everything that their employees can’t enjoy. They stay in a cool office while their employees are suffering out side picking the plum and deal with the sun's heat, which was so pity. The worker do the hard job, they don’t event have enough time to enjoy the water, “ drank the holy water in a great brute gulps so he wouldn’t have to savor its tastelessness, letting it spill down his torn shirt.” While those owner do almost nothing, wash their dirtless hand because if the cigars. It shows that the owners are cold blood and careless people. “ It was no concern of theirs. Their wives said it was no concern of theirs. Their alderman said it was no concern of theirs. Their –” Not only those greedy owners get more benefit, event their family members also get a good life without worry anything about earning money. The author repeat the word “theirs” to show readers that everything good is belong to them, the owner, and the employees get a small amount of money after their hard work.
Roberto Morales is an antagonist in this story. Raymond Barrio chooses this name for the antagonist because he is known as a robber and moral less. The author shows Roberto Morales is a bad manner person by describing his actions to other fellows. “ “Now” announced Morales at last, in his friendliest tone, “Now, I must take two cents from every bucket. I am sorry. There was a miscalculation. Everybody understands. Everybody?” he slid his eyes around, smiling, palms up.” Morales uses his friendliest tone when he wants to get money from other people to put in his own pocket. His friendliest tone to his fellow is so harsh. Nobody respect him, they just can’t speak for themselves because they don’t have as much power as he did. All they could do is listen and do whatever Morales said. It doesn’t matter how crowded those employee were, they didn’t work together to against Morales. Because they are selfish and don’t care for anybody, that is an opportunity for Morales to tyrannize all the fellows.
When people have reached their limit, they would fight back for their own right. The climax of this short story is when Manuel speaks up for himself. At first Manuel das force him self-not to answer to Morales. When Morales excessively wants to take two cent of every bucket. “ “ You promised to take nothing!” Manuel heard himself saying. Everyone turned in astonishment to stare at Manuel.” Manuel doesn’t want to talk back to a ridiculous person as Morales. Raymond Barrio uses the states that Manuel heard himself saying. It also brought up the extremely boorish of Morales. Manuel is angry when Morales keeps cheating on people salary. That why he speak without realize it.
Whenever people reach the end of their ways, they would find other solution to survive. “Morales remained calm, confident, studying Manuel. As though memorizing his feature. He had the whole advantage, then with the last remaining energy, Manuel lifted his foot and clumsy tipped over his own last bucket of cots.” Morales doesn’t care about how much people up set about him, because he has enough power to do anything he wanted. Manuel stands up for himself and other people. He rather kicks his own buckets than fighting with Morales or kicks other people buckets. Because he knows that everyone works hard for every single bucket of cots. It shows that he care for other people. He gives up his two bucket of cots to get the fair paying for everyone.
When someone does a good thing, they would ha a good ending. “ But he had shown his defiance. He had salvaged his money savagely an he had earned respect from his fellow slaves.” As Manuel, in return of his action, he earns more than the money he gets for those buckets of cots. He gets the respect from his fellows, which Morales won’t be able to buy with his huge money. Raymond Barrio states that: “For men, Manuel dimly suspected, are built for something more important than and less trifling than the mere gathering of prunes and apricots, hour upon hour, decade upon decade, insensibly, mechanically, antlike. Men are built to experiment the sense of honor and pride. / Or else they are dead before they die.” He wants to tell the reader that good people always success and proud because they had respect from other people. When they care for people around them, they will be treated the same way. As some people use their power over others because they want people do something for them. They would get what they wanted, but they will never get the love, honest and the respect from people. When people never experiment the sense of honor and pride mean they haven’t done anything good for people or the society around them. The just live to do nothing good like a dead body which is useless.
The Plum Plum Pickers
In the short story “The Plum Plum Pickers” the author Raymond Barrio suggest that
Manuel has to become his own man to escape his slavish lifestyle. This story has Manuel as the
protagonist, who has his life controlled by others who treat him like an animal and not like the
man he really his.
In this passage particularly the exposition gives great feeling for how Manuel was feeling
at the moment. It gives great description of what he viewed his life as being. Manuel felt trapped,
he thought to himself “There had to be a way out”(¶1). He was surrounded by people but yet felt
alone. Manuel continued to describe his situation as being trapped behind “the blackest bars on
the jails of hell”(¶1). So Raymond Barrio gives a good scene look through Manuel’s eyes.
However there is another technique that Raymond Barrio uses to establish Manuel’s
mental and emotional state that he is “locked” (¶1) in. Throughout the exposition of the story the
author uses short sentences to in a way slow down readers pace. He uses descriptions that many
would see as describing an “Animal” (¶1). Certainly words like Brute, Animal, Beast, Wreck,
Savage, and Predator would not be used to describe a civilized and respected man. These
words used by Raymond Barrio were a way to describe the way Manuel leads his life, like an
animal.
However in order for Manuel to overcome this animalistic life he had he must first
overcome Roberto Morales. Roberto was the contractor seen by his fellow workers as “A
gentlemanly, friendly, polite, grinning, vicious, thieving brute”(¶8). Roberto played the part of
the antagonist preying on lower privileged workers like Manuel. Barrio created an interesting
way of describing the characters. For example the name Roberto has Robber in it the same way
Morales has Moral and Less in it as well. Raymond would create this to give the reader another
understanding of the characters.
In the rising action Manuel is going through his regular day of work. Eating pan y
tortillas and sweating like a pig. He keeps on building up the pressure he feels during work.
Raymond would create this aspect using short choppy sentences to give the feeling of slowing
down. Certainly Manuel’s work was very animal like and frustrating. Manuel had “to keep his
temper from flaring”(¶9).
Finally the climax reached between Manuel and Roberto. Roberto had promised the workers not to take any extra money from their pay. But Roberto did not keep his promise and asked of the workers 2 cents more from their pay. But Manuel had had enough he did not what to keep on living the way he was living. He no longer wanted to be thrown around like an animal. Working like an animal. Being paid and treated like an animal. So he did what he had to do he stood up to the antagonist Roberto. “Manuel lifted his foot and clumsily tipped over his own last bucket of cots.”(¶18). So Manuel in doing that became his won man. He found the man in him and changed for himself the life others have ginin him and changed it for the best.
So in conclusion to the plum plum pickers manuel came to the conclusion “Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride. Or else they are dead before they die”(¶24-25). Raymond Barrio summed up through literature what he wanted other readers to see that being a man means not letting others lead your life for their benefit but being your own man making decisions for Manuel’s benefit.
Jalisa Freeman
January 25, 2008
English 12 CP
The Plum Plum Pickers Explication
Humans are built to have a certain amount of pride and honor in their own world. Raymond Barrio mentions Manuel in the sixteenth paragraph standing up for his pride and honor because the Antagonist Roberto Morales was trying to take everyone’s money and Manuel stood up and said no. This is where Manuel shows his pride and honor by standing up for himself as a human.
In the excerpt from the Plum Plum Pickers when the first sentence started out saying Manuel is trapped, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that Humans are metaphors, because the Humans are trapped in a maze until they decide to find their way out. In the first sentence when Raymond Barrio starts it off he says “No matter which way he turned, he was trapped in an endless maze” He is describing Manuel as a lost person in his own world. Humans are supposed to be defeating their enemies that come along in their maze. As the excerpt continues Manuel is describing the trees as how they are tugging at him and scratching his arms because their his worst enemy because they lined up like a jail cell, and a jail cell is wear you cant get out of he feels trapped. Manuel feels locked up and can’t ever get out because he is a plum picker and it feels like he had worked for a very long time and wont stop working. Barrio believes that being a human means defending yourself and others.
When Roberto Morales enters there is a big conflict between him and Manuel. When people have reached their limit of aggravation, they would fight back for their own right. Finally the climax reached between Manuel and Roberto. Roberto had promised the workers not to take any extra money from their pay. But Roberto did not keep his word and asked of the workers two more cents from their pay. But Manuel had enough he did not want to keep on living the life he was not made to live. He no longer wanted to be thrown around like a Beast. Being paid and treated like an animal. So he did what he had to do he stood up to the antagonist Roberto. “Manuel lifted his foot and clumsily tipped over his own last bucket of cots.”(par.18). Manuel is doing what becomes his own man. He found the man in himself and changed for the life of others and gaining pride for his future and to change it for the best. Also when Roberto tried to take his money he had to force himself not to step to his level. “But he had shown defiance. He had salvaged his money savagely and he had earned respect from his fellow slaves.” Manuel didn’t back out of the money situation and stood up as a man to Roberto Morales.
The excerpt of the Plum Plum Pickers Manuel came to the conclusion of saying “Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride. Or else they are dead before they die” (par. 24-25). The author Raymond Barrio wrapped the story up through literature and word choice for what he wanted other readers to see that being a man means and not letting others lead your life. Also for their own benefit and to make your own decisions in life and step to the highest level and be a man.
Jeffrey Mendez
Period 1
In the short story Plum Plum Pickers by Raymond Barrio, Barrio suggests that to be a human a man must have honor, bravery and pride to go through life by using textual hints and clues such as tone and also his choice of words. Barrio uses these textual hints and clues as examples in this short story and to explain how humans go through life using it.
The author uses most of these textual evidence in the first paragraph of the short story. He constantly writes one word sentences to explain his theory. He uses tone to help set up how the story starts off and puts the animal as the main character. In the passage when he says “The buckets and the crates kept piling up higher. Brute. He felt alone. Though surrounded by other pickers. Beast.” He is showing and explaining how he is using one word sentences. It is also describing how the animal is and how he is feeling in the short story. He also is writing similes such as “He felt his spirit swell out again like a thirsty sponge.” After that he writes his one word sentences again and is slowing down in the story and moves on to the next situation that is going on. The author is showing and explaining how Manuel is surviving and living in this prison is similar to the same way an animal would live in a trap in an endless maze of apricot trees. The author writes this about Manuel so later in the story it would have a bigger impact towards the end.
Barrio also has hints and clues about the characters themselves in the short story. The author makes a connection with the characters Manuel, Roberto Morales, and Guiterrez. While reading the story the makes a connection with Manuel by saying his name means “man”. He is trying to say that Manuel is the man of the story and that he is very manly also. That he is the definition of man and that he is the description of it also in the short story. Another character he connects to in the short story is Roberto Morales. He is saying that Roberto Morales means “without moral”. What the author is saying is that Roberto Morales does not know the different between right and wrong and does not care about anything. Also there is a meaning for Roberto Morales and that’s his first name. In his first name the word “rob” is in it. The meaning for his first name is that Roberto likes to rob. He really tried to rob Manuel and the other guy of their earnings.
There is a part of the story when the main characters are described as animals. There is a part of the story when Manuel kicks a bucket over and the two men stare down at each other. At that point the author was describing them as animals because in the passage it says “The two men, centered in a huge ring of red-ringed eyes, glared at each other.” Basically the author is making them look like animals by the way they are towards each other. This is when the author proves how manly Manuel is in the short story. In the beginning Roberto backs down and this is when Manuel uses honor and pride and proves himself as a man which is also a big affect on the story. At the end of the short story the author says “Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride.” His statement is true and made an example of it in the story and shows the man within Manuel.
In conclusion, the author Raymond Barrio uses words as hints and clues in the short story as symbols to explain the meaning of the characters. The setting also described the characters as animals which supported the theme of the story Plum Plum Pickers. Using these clues and hints the reader can completely understand the theme of the story and the authors purpose also of writing the story.
Plum Plum Pickers Explication
In the novel, “the Plum Plum Pickers”, the author Raymond Barrio suggests Men will always have an instinct to experience honor and pride regardless of their social status, by having moments when the protagonist, Manual, has to rise up and become a man to change his lifestyle. Barrio sets up the novel in as a life spectrum. The protagonist is introduced in a childish stage where he is stuck and living life with no goal. As the story progresses Manuel takes a stand to change his lifestyle risking his life. The workers in the story are being worked beyond their limits. At the end of the day, the antagonist Roberto Morales decides to steal more money from the workers, when finally, the protagonist Manual, decides to take a stand.
In the first paragraph, Raymond Barrio begins with an exposition that relates to the primitive and lifeless lives of animals. The protagonist is described as a wreck, beast, and savage. Barrio really makes these words stand out by leaving them in their own sentences to really exaggerate and intensify the meanings. The author uses animals because they are basically just there, living along what their superior tells them to do. Locked up and living with no purpose, just as a child is confined by their parents. Barrio describes Manuel with animal like qualities to show he is still in a child spectrum. Living a life similar to the stage of a child; a life limited by the güeros. In the quote, “he was trapped in an endless maze… just like the blackest bars on the jails of hell” the protagonist is stuck in the child stage and needs to be broken out by himself into a man. The bars that are holding him back is actually himself “Manuel was too tired even to curse.”
In the rising action of the story, Manuel just finished the days work, and the antagonist Roberta Morales begins to set up a conflict. Morales decides to take money from all the workers. “Manuel had to force himself not to answer.” Barrio really shows that the protagonist is really starting to get up and basically reaching his transformation. Barrio double spaces this paragraph to really show the conflict and augment it. The paragraph also shows the workers gasping as one, Building up to the climax. The protagonist begins to transform from a child to a man during this quote “You promised to take nothing!”. This quote is the insinuating force to Manuel’s transformation.
During the climax of the story Manuel kicks the bucket of cots “Manuel lifted his foot and clumsily tipped over his own last bucket of cots. They rolled away in all directions around everyone’s feet.” Barrio uses the bucket and the fruits to represent the lifestyle and transformation Manuel once had. Manuel broke free and finally got out of the bucket that was keeping him as a child. Also the fruits rolled to everyone’s feet giving an example to the people as well. Manuel’s transformation into a man inspired the crowd of his transformation. Barrio uses the word everyone to relate how humans should set examples for each other, and how a group can rise if one man rises. Suddenly all the pickers kicked over their bucket. The protagonist made as change, risking possibly his life, home, and family for his own honor and pride. This triggered all the other pickers to risk it as well.
The resolution of the novel is Manuel finally becoming what the author believes is to be a man; to step out of conformity, and make a change. “Manuel felt a thrill of power course through his nerves”, this is the most powerful sentence of the novel. Barrio really shows the honor, pride, and transformation Manuel has endured. A poor man who is working desperately, has suddenly changed his own and his fellow workers life. Becoming a man to Manuel, means risking everything for a chance to change. Not only does Manuel succeed, but he becomes a leader to the people around him. The final sentence “Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride. Or else they are dead before they die”, is a interesting paradox, the protagonist’s life is basically pointless in the beginning of the novel. In the child stage where he only follows what is given to him. When he breaks out and becomes a man, he finally decides where he wants to be, and is living for what he believes in.
Living life guided by someone is something humans all experience and live through. But what is life when they are following someone. The key is to learn how to become a guide, and create a new path for themselves, influencing others. Manuel decides to break the rules set by Morales and decides his own fate. Barrio really shows how Manuel felt after and how much he influenced those around him. Creating a path is the way mankind will become a true man.
The Plum Plum Pickers
In the passage when Manuel is earned the respect from other picker by rise against Roberto, and let him keep his promise that will not took any thing from the pickers this time. Manuel fined what is the true meaning to be a human, and what is in the true living human, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that “Men (human) are build to experience a certain sense of honor and pride. Or else they are dead before they die.”
In the exposition of the story Manuel is working alone in the frost that form by fruit trees, and he is work without showing out his feel, it just working by himself, and Raymond use short sentence like locked, animal, wreck, beast, ect….. to form the feeling the time is going slow or it is been slow down for a while, and the way that he wrote about when Manuel working in the frost that form by fruit trees, he was trapped in an endless maze of apricot trees. It makes the reader feel hopeless of the life and no one can help you’re only yourself can help you. In this passage Manuel is show he is in hurry, to finish his job. Over view the exposition of the story Raymond create a slow motion of the working place or Manuel feel the work is too boring, and the end of the exposition is kind of make people feel realest for the working that they need to do everyday and it is the only thing that let them keep doing the work and in the time when the whistle blow it the only think that the worker want to hared more that other. And by personified the tree and the sun that make Manuel is not a human or man it just a tool for working, work for Roberto. In this point of the story Manuel it can see is a human being it can just say is a working tool for the man like Roberto.
In the part that is the rising action for the story Roberto Morales is come in to the money in the workers’ hand to put in his pocket, and Manuel is arguing with him. When Roberto Morales is come in to the story the author degrease him is a real robber, but in the same time say he is a Mexican general, in this kind of two different degrease a person, the author is try to show Roberto Morales he is look like a Mexican general or businessman (but he is a businessman), but the way he treat his worker is a robber way, the way is only the robber will use on the poor or weak people, the one that fear to against him. And his name Roberto Morales, the name Roberto is kind of form from the words robber, and that the reader can from his name Roberto Morales, to think the word robber and will know what happen next. In the line that Manuel say to Roberto Morales “you promised to take nothing!” that I think promised it nothing to Roberto Morales because he is a robber and robber don’t need to keep his promised to anyone that is weaker that him. And in this point of the story Manuel is show that he have feeling and he is a human being that is live in this earth.
In the climax of the story, when Manuel is kick down his entire bucket that is full with cots. In this point of the story Manuel is against Roberto Morales with his action. And when Manuel kick down the bucket of cots are rolling to all direction around everyone’s feet. In this sentences it show Manuel is use the fruit that he pick in this day the spot Roberto Morales to get any money form other pickers, and is kind of saving other people but is using it’s own life to do it. It is the same situation that Manuel is in now.
At last the resolution Manuel he know he has earned respect from his fellow slaves, by against Roberto Morales and keep his hand away form other workers money and they hard work of the day (maybe is just this time). And Manuel is know if a man don’t have any respect that form other or don’t respect other that he can’t say he is truly living in this earth.
The Plum Plum Pickers
In the passage when Manuel discovers men were not made for picking fruit, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that men need to experience pride and honor. Men did not evolve to work like ants.
In the passage The Plum Plume Pickers, Barrio uses one word sentences. This causes the reader to pause more often then if the words were not there. He uses simile to compare the rows of apricot trees to bars on a jail cell. Barrio uses personification to describe the area around the pickers. He uses imagery to describe the field of apricot trees.
In the exposition, Raymond Barrio describes them as animal trapped in a field of apricot trees. “... he was trapped in an endless maze of apricot trees...” Humans did not evolve just to be confined and work like slaves picking fruits. Barrio uses one word sentences in the passage. The words he chose all describe animals. This causes the reader to feel trapped in the passage because of the slow pace. “There had to be an end. There had to be. There–trapped.” He is searching for a way out of the the maze of apricot trees. He does not want to continue his life just picking apricots. Like him, humans are searching for something, whether its love or something else.
Barrio uses personification to describe the trees and sun. He writes the sun as an enemy, which is ironic because the sun provides life for the earth. He describes the tree like a friend, protecting him from the sun. The protagonist's name is Manuel, which is close to the word manual. “Suddenly the whistle blew. The day’s work was at last ended.” Their job is like an assembly line, just doing the same thing over and over, as if for an eternity.
In the raising action, Raymond Barrio introduces Roberto Morales. Morales' name can be slightly altered to rob moral. Morales started out as one of them. The people who hired Morales did not care how he lived. They just wanted to hire someone who can get people to pick fruits. “Whenever Roberto Morales spoke, Manuel had to force himself not to answer.” He despises Morales. Morales is smiling when he announces he will be taking two cents for every bucket. Him, smiling while bringing the bad news will cause the people to hate him more than if he wasn't. Manuel let his anger consume him and says “You promised to take nothing!”
In the climax, Manuel confronts Morales. Manuel defies Morales by tipping over his bucket of apricots. Morales demands, “You pick them up, Gutierrez.” He knew Manuel's name. Manuel has found a weakness. He knocks over another bucket of apricots. The other pickers move to their buckets preparing for what is going to happen next. Roberto gives up and takes nothing from them. Manuel has somewhat became their leader in the revolt.
In the falling action/ resolution, Manuel discovers men are not built to toil in a field of fruits. Men are made to experience honor and pride. Manuel now lacks his animal like quality he had earlier. For his defiance he has experience pride and honor. He would have to pay for his defiance later but it is nothing compared to what he has gained. “For men, Manuel dimly suspected, are built for something more important and less trifling than the mere gathering of prunes and apricots, hour upon hour, decade upon decade, insensibly, mechanically, antlike. Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride. Or else their dead before they die.” If men do not experience honor or pride then they are like a robot, emotionless, dead.
In the passage on the last page in the last paragraph, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that men are built to experience a sense of pride and honor. What Raymond Barrio is trying to say is pretty self explanatory that a man needs to experience honor and he has to have pride in himself or else he can’t really live a normal life it is built into a mans geans, he just feels like he has to accomplish something and then he feels his honor and pride. Or else they feel like an "animal" which is what he pretty much calls the people if they haven’t experienced their honor.
In the story the exposition is pretty much a full day at work for them because of the three words in between the first three paragraphs is a time frame of a whole day of work. Raymond doesn’t mention who the main character is till the exposition is almost done. There are seven one word sentences and I am thinking that they are all expressions that the people working in the fields feel. Even though there is seven one word sentences each one has a very important and can sat a lot, take for example the word animal it says that they are like animals and they are treated like animals and they are working like animals in the intense heat. Just that word gives me all that information and this is my first impression I get. "He felt his spirit swell out again like a thirsty sponge in water" he uses the sponge to describe himself which is a good example of symbolism and in that quote I see some personification Raymond says that the sponge is thirsty and the people are thirsty as well.
The rising action is what leads up to Manuel about to go off on Roberto. The main reason Manuel speaks up to Roberto is because Roberto comes over from out of nowhere to the fields and just takes two cents from their buckets which meant that their pay was being lowered and that is what got Manuel so mad that he spoke up and he probably didn’t want to say anything.
In the climax Manuel steps up to Roberto and one of the things that Manuel says to start the climax he says "You promised to take nothing! Manuel heard himself saying. Everyone turned in astonishment to stare at Manuel." This is when Manuel first says something to Roberto and even Manuel is surprised that he said that he said That "he heard himself saying" like he was not expecting that to come out of his mouth. Something I noticed while reading a paragraph is that he referred to the other workers that were watching Manuel yell at Roberto. "The other exhausted animals studied the tableau through widening eyes" that is the quote from the story that Raymond said that the people were animals. It was weird that Raymond Barrio would refer to the people as animals I noticed that even though there are no animals mentioned at any time in the story, the word animals is another time in the first paragraph all these animal characteristics are thrown into the paragraph. I think that Raymond is comparing the people to animals because that is how they are being treated.
The resolution is the part that really explains my thesis. "All the other pickers moved toward their own buckets still standing beside them on the ground awaiting the truck gatherer, and took an ominous position over them, straddling their feet over them." Because Manuel stood up to Roberto it sparked everyone to stand up too. In the end Manuel feels a sense of leadership and he feels proud of himself he knows that he was going to get in trouble but he doesn’t care because what he did had gained him respect from the other workers. " Manuel felt a thrill of power course through his nerves" That sense he got was the feeling of accomplishment and like I said in my thesis it is a feeling you get that you have done something and that is a sense of pride.
Casey Gordon
English Per.1
What Is Human According To Raymond Barrio
In the passage The Plum Plum Pickers, the author Raymond Barrio brings the
meaning of what it is to be human, through stages of events to lead the reader to the true
definition of what human/ mankind is.
In the passage of the exposition, Barrio brings the feeling of how brute Manuel
and the other pickers feel through repetition and broken sentences that give a slow motion
and he also uses animalistic characteristics to almost foreshadow the adaptation to
become human. Barrio also keeps repeating the word brute, which makes the characters
in the passage seem animal-like and lower class, which shows inhumane qualities.
Through this first stage it’s almost as if Barrio wants the reader to be aware of the
struggle that is being faced at this point, as they become more aware of what they are
capable of and capable of having. Barrio makes up for this slow motion pace, by showing
a lunch was served giving the workers a splash of this extra energy, by using spoken
word poetry in the passage to bring life back to the characters and let personalities spark.
Once the antagonist is introduced this change in writing style occurs. The conflict
is arising and the feeling of irritation has been detected. As human, being characterized
into simple words, and now as Roberto Morales steps into the scene, he gets glorified
more then any of the other characters have. By this Barrio could be indicating how as a
human, you have to earn your respect, the way others perceive you can set a tone for
others. The power is given to Morales at this point. As Barrio states “ A Mexican general.
A gentlemanly, friendly, polite, grinning, vicious, thieving brute.” But then tricks the
reader and says “The worst kind. To his own people.” By Barrio characterizing Morales
as this leader to the workers, he demonstrates how a leader must act to get the respect
from his fellow people. He himself is the brute of them all, but he also is the one who
stepped up and showed leadership qualities, even if it was for the worst of his people.
As the climax, Raymond Barrio puts the reader in a state of bewilderment, since
this unexpected event is happening giving a not so out there character; characteristics of a
man, becoming a leader. At this point, Barrio captures the meaning behind what a person
must do to become that ideal human or man. Barrio makes Manuel seems as though in
the beginning the he is just like all the other workers, also by giving him the name
Manuel, shows such a symbolic meaning behind it as a manual worker, almost defining
him in the exposition. When it comes down to the breaking point, Manuel is able to break
out of this shell, of a worker and stick up for his rights as a human. “You promised to
take nothing.” Manuel heard himself saying. Everyone turned in astonishment to stare at
Manuel.” By this, Barrio shows an independent and understanding that the character
finally learned that he is his own self.
As the other pickers realize that they have their own opinions and can’t be
controlled by a leader, more individuality comes to play. They are able to go against
Morales as a whole, and defeat what they think is wrong. By Manuel being able to realize
that he has his own opinion, and being able to stand for what he thought was right,
brought great respect to him by his co-workers. Going from a brute animal, to a
opinionated leader, Manuel was able to absorb human characteristics, which led to finer
things; such as followers, and confidence. With this new found confidence Manuel will
be able to stay string when it comes to Morales, and can stick up for his people. Manuel
knows that the power is his now, since Morales backed down, and Manuel had majority
of the people behind him.
“Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride.” “Or else they are
dead before they die.” Barrio couldn’t have ended the passage with any other quote. As
the impact of one experience, when someone; Manuel, was able to arise from normal
behavior, to stand up and express his opinion shows that it has a tendency to lead to
honor and pride toward that individual. If Manuel didn’t stand up for what was right, then
he would have been just another worker in the crowd. Just as the quote says, “Or else
your dead before you die.” If he hadn’t done so, then he would have continued on in his animalistic life, looking up to Morales for no reason beside the fact that everyone else
does. By taken a brave stand, he gave meaning to his life. He defined what a human is
and what it should be, but at the same time he put Morales in his place, as the brute
animal that he really is.
The metamorphosis that the character Manuel went through truly defined that
through time and curiosity of life, we as people are able to realize right from wrong.
Manuel has the characteristics of a human now, due to his experiences in his every day
life that made him realize that he was better then what people make him out to be.
Manuel is a man. Nothing close to an animal.
Doug. K
PLUM PLUM PICKERS EXPLICATION
In the passage from The Plum Plum Pickers when Manuel is treated like an animal, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that men should stand out in society by doing more important things and living in pride and honor. Barrio believes that men should stand up for their rights in order to “experience a certain sense of honor and pride.” He shows that through Manuel’s actions towards his boss, Roberto Morales.
Manuel feels exhausted throughout the passage’s exposition. His hard work leads him to exhaustion. He works as a plum picker for Roberto Morales, the story’s antagonist. Manuel feels like he is in a cell while working under the supervision of Morales. “He was trapped in an endless maze of apricot trees.” There is no way out of the situation because he has to work in order to provide for himself and his family. He feels lonely even though he is surrounded by other pickers. When Barrio says “He felt alone. Though surrounded by other pickers.” he uses irony to create his idea of Manuel being treated like an animal. Tamed animals are usually lonely even when surrounded by people because they are used to roaming around the wild. Manuel relates to them in a way that he feels enclosed in a cell while picking plums. One wouldn’t expect Manuel to feel lonely since he is surrounded by his fellow workers. Manuel’s situation relates to oxen in a way that he also works for long hours doing manual labor. Manuel’s name is significant to the story because it is similar to the word manual. He does manual labor throughout the story. When he rests under the tree branches, Barrio shows how Manuel’s working conditions are similar to those of an animal. Animals usually rest underneath tree branches. The story’s antagonist Roberto Morales treats his workers like animals. When Manuel falls and splatters his fruits onto the ground, Morales responds to the situation by saying “What-samatter, can’t you see straight, pendejo.” Pendejo is an insult to Manuel. Morales is basically referring to Manuel as a stupid person. Raymond Barrio uses one word sentences to help create the passage’s meaning. Words such as beast, brute, savage, predator, and animal are used in the exposition. They all have a similar meaning that refers to a nonhuman creature.
The rising action begins when Roberto Morales walks in. He is a two-faced person. He puts on smile when doing the most provoking things to his workers. He works for the gueros. They don’t even care about what he does to get the workers to do their jobs. Even though he treats them like animals, as long as they get the job done. The gueros did their part of the bargain and didn’t cheat anyone. “Their only crime; their only soul was that they didn’t give a shit how that migratory sum lived. It was no concern of theirs. Their-” The gueros seem to have nothing wrong on their hands except for letting Morales treat the workers like animals. They have no concern towards the workers. The workers are like animals to them, they only do what they are told. Barrio ends the rising action with the word “Their.” When Barrio uses “Their,” he is saying that what goes on with the workers should concern the gueros. He doesn’t seem to view the workers as animals.
The climax of the passage begins when Morales says “Now. I must take two cents from every bucket. I am sorry. There was a miscalculation. Everybody understands. Everybody?” He puts on a smile when saying that. When he smiles, Barrio uses Irony to create meaning. The situation is ironic because one would expect something good to come out of Morales’ mouth but instead the complete opposite happens. He says his going to take money from his workers’ bucket even though he had promised no to. Once again, he treats his workers like animals. Almost all their work was for nothing. They feel like dogs after “realizing that he had the upper hand.” Dogs obey their masters in all situations. Manuel steps up to face Morales and reminds him of how he promised not to take anything from them anymore. Morales doesn’t want to hear anything Manuel has to say so he responds by saying “I said to cents, hombre. You got a problem or what?” Morales is saying that Manuel should just do what he has been told to. In other words, he is trying to say that animals don’t resist their masters’ orders. Their conflict erupts when Manuel “clumsily tipped over his own last bucket of cots.” Manuel is trying to show that Morales has no power over him. Morales gets angry and tells Manuel to pick up all that he splattered. In response, Manuel kicks over another bucket of cots. Manuel stands up for his fellow workers when he resists Morales’ orders. He believes that it is important to stand up in society in order to live in pride and honor.
The passage’s resolution starts off when Morales says “All right. All right, men. I shall take nothing this time.” Manuel’s hard work to save his money finally pays off. Not only does he save his own but also his fellow workers’. Not until now, “He had never won anything before,” possibly because he was viewed as an animal. He is no longer an animal in the eyes of Morales, he is a human being. “Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride.” The line suggests that all men are to live in honor and pride “Or else they are dead before they die.” Manuel was dead, at least not until he experienced the honor from his fellow workers and the pride received after standing up to Morales. He can now live in honor and pride after earning his fellow workers’ respect.
Judith Desir
January 28, 2006
English Period 1
Plum Plum Pickers Explication
In the passage The Plum Plum Pickers the author Raymond Barrio suggest that being human means to stead up for what one believes in and not to follow the cookie image of society and to be a leader. Barrio establishes this by having the protagonist Manuel steps up to the antagonist Roberto Morales. In the beginning, Manuel was part of the cookie image of the plum pickers. Barrio uses imagery to establish his point and to show the reader how the plum pickers were treated by Roberto Morales, who was the boss and how later things changed. Manuel along with his fellow plum pickers were treated like animals, slaves, and had no respect from the boss.
In the beginning of the short story, the plum pickers are immigrants who are over worked and underpaid and who were also badly treated. The working circumstances that they had to deal with were oppressive. The workers were treated like animals and not as humans. They were trapped, tortured, and ridiculed by Roberto Morales, who was the man in charge. “Just like the blackest bars on the jails of hell…There had to be an end. There trapped. Animal. Beast. Savage.” The migrant workers had no option but to be plum pickers and the boss knew that and decided to take advantage of them. The working conditions were terrible and the workers felt like they were locked up in a cage or jail cell. Barrio uses imagery to reveal the emphasis of the working conditions to the reader. Manuel was one of the plum pickers who were mistreated. Manuel which sounds like Manual, which means machine. He was worked like a machine; an object that had no feeling or intelligence. Manuel was one of the plum pickers who later showed strength and courage.
In the rising action of the short story, the reader finds out that Roberto Morales used to be one of the plum pickers. He was oppressive and had no morals, which refers to his name Morales. He was a sell out to his own people. The immigrants thought that the white people were more honest than Morales. “They were honest, those gueros…The only crime; their only soul grime indeed was that they just didn’t give a shit how that migratory scum lived.” The plum pickers thought that the white guys were honest but they just didn’t care how they were doing, they just cared that the work got done.
This part of the short story shows who Morales really was. He was once a plum picker and knew what and how the plum pickers felt. He was a dishonest boss who took advantage of his workers. “Despite his crude, ignorant manner, showing that he was one of them that he’d started with them that he grew up with them, that he’d suffered all the sordid deprivations with them…” Morales was once like the plum pickers who had the opportunity to grow and so bigger things. He used his power for evil and took advantage of his people.
Morales was a dishonest person who tried to take money from his employees. “Now I must take two cents from every bucket. I am sorry. There was a miscalculation. Everybody understands. Everybody?” He slid his eyes around, smiling, palms up.” This is where Morales tells his employees that there was a miscalculation on his part and because of this; he would have to take two cents from everyone’s pay. This shows that he was a dishonest, self-fish, and self-centered person. When he is speaking to his workers, he speaks to them like humans. For the first time, he refers to them as humans by using the word “everybody” and not “animals”. He knew they were humans but chose not to treat them like humans. He doesn’t think about his workers and how this could affect them. This leads up to Manuel’s rebellious action towards him.
This is the most electrifying part of the story. Manuel separates himself from the masses. He becomes a human being with a voice and is determined to be heard. “You promised to take nothing!”…Everyone turned in astonishment to stare at Manuel. “I said two cents, hombre. You got a problem or what?” “You promised.” This is where Manuel step up for what he believes in and questions the boss. He is upset that Morales would take two cents from everyone’s pay after he promised. His outrageous action causes the other plum pickers to look at him in shock. Morales response was cold and degrading. Manuel demonstrated an act of courage and braveness. He was no longer going to be treated like an animal.
He was going to do what he felt was best for him and his fellow plum pickers. He was going to show Morales to treat others with respect even if they were under class because they had feels just like he everyone else. “Then, with his last remaining energy, Manuel lifted his foot and clumsily tipped over his own last bucket of cots. Roberto Morales’ eyes blazed. His fits clenched. “You pick them up, Gutierrez”…Then an astonishing thing happened. All the other pickers moved toward their own buckets…an ominous position over them…All right. All right, men. I shall take nothing this time. Manuel felt a thrill of power course through his nerves”. Manuel stood up for his human rights and tipped over his bucket of plums; and because of his courage, the other plum pickers had the strength to stead up against Morales. Morales, never thinking that the plum pickers would ever disobey him, got scared and decided to give the plum pickers back for what the worked so hard for. Manuel’s act of courage, earned his respect from Morales and his fellow plum pickers. He felt the feeling of power go through his body and was satisfied of his accomplishments. He stopped following the cookie image of society and became his own person. He became the leader for the plum pickers. When Manuel stood up to Morales, it was as if the animal was released from his cage. He realized that pride is more important than his job and because of this realization, he became fearless.
At the end, the workers are now considered human with feelings and it was all for Manuel. His rebellious actions helped him experience a sense of pride and honor. He has earned his respect. “He had salvaged his money savagely and he had earned respect from his fellow slaves…Manuel had wrenched Morales’ greedy fingers away and removed a fat slug of a purse from his sticky grasp…Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride. Or else they are dead before they die”. Manuel has worked hard for his money and has earned respect from his fellow plum pickers. He realized that being human and being men is to knowledge a sense of honor and pride. If one doesn’t do so, one is dead before they are dead. This means there is no point of leaving. Manuel now understands that being human means to stead up for what one believes in, not follow the cookie image of society, and be a leader.
In the passage Plum Plum Pickers, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that men are built to experience much pride and honor. Manuel is a young man with a lot to give but he doesn’t understand that he needs to have much pride and overall honor to conquer the main stage in him and that is a good life for himself. He is a very young not well educated young man, which does not understand what he needs to do to better him. Raymond states this because the picking that Manuel does is just a waste of time and his self a steam is very low because he does not understand the meaning to be a man and that’s fighting for what you really should be doing and pride and honor is a symbolization of a true man.
Going through the story Raymond Barrio uses one word sentences which makes the reading very interesting. These one word sentences are what describe him. Animal, brute, beast, predator, savage, locked and wreck are all the words that he uses in the one word sentences. These all bring feeling and a self image when reading these words and Raymond Barrio really thinks Manuel relates to this. The feelings also are brought to me because with the one word sentences you have a pause and that gives many thoughts and diversity with in you. When Raymond said the words wreck and locked it is how Manuel feels about the job he has and the other five words really is the characteristics of being an animal which must mean he thinks he is an animal.
There are more characters that are in the story of the Plum Pickers, Raymond Barrio introduces Robert Morales the reader finds out that he is the antagonist. Robert Morales is the person which makes the story have the rising action because the way he treats Manuel and the way he acts in the story. There is also a weird understanding of the name Morales because the author wanted a name to come and be known as the antagonist because Morales can also mean with no moral. Raymond Barrio gives specific conflicts which make it seem that Manuel and Robert will not get along, like when Robert is introduce he is the one with all to say and Manuel is always mostly quiet when he is around.
At a certain time of the story when all the rising action has been produced by the antagonist and the protagonist the climax is brought up. Manuel the protagonist the person who is confused about life the person which does not stand for himself has a wake up in life. Manuel starts getting images and thoughts of becoming one self and in all a man. He speaks out when he is being treated bad by Morales and that gives a good example that he has had enough of all the mistreatment he has been receiving from the antagonist. The image Manuel gets is about the animals around another animal and that animal becoming a man. Also the pride and honor which now he realizes that is the key to surpass his child hood become a man.
In Raymond Barrio’s The Plum Plum Pickers, Manuel is a laborer who must pick plums, prunes and apricots in a blistering hot field hour upon hour during the day to make a living. Barrio suggests that being a man counts for something and that Manuel isn’t just a laborer in a field. He implies this especially in the last passage when he writes “And that was-that a man counted for something. For Men, Manuel dimly suspected, are built for something more important and less trifling than the mere gathering of prunes and apricots, hour upon hour, decade upon decade, insensibly, mechanically, antlike. Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride. Or else they are dead before they die.”
Barrio uses techniques, such as one word sentences for example, throughout the story to make a dramatic, jumbled effect. In the first passage of the story, Barrio writes “No mater which way he turned, he was trapped in an endless maze of apricot trees, as though forever, neat rows of them, neatly planted, row after row, just like the blackest bars on the jails of hell.” This sentence makes the reader understand that the narrator is miserable and feels tortured amongst the apricot trees. Many people feel that apricot trees are beautiful and serene, yet Barrio gives the audience another opinion, as if to say that if someone is forced to be around these trees and fruits all day, it can begin to feel very much like one is trapped and truly resemble a jail cell. He continues to write, “There had to be an end. There had to be. There- trapped. There had to be a way out. Locked. There had to be respite. Animal. The buckets and the crates kept piling higher. Brute. He felt alone. Though surrounded by other pickers. Beast.” Barrio’s one-word sentences throughout this first passage suggest that he is trying to generate confusion and bewilderment in his reader. The common factor noticed between the random words seems to be that they all have animalistic qualities. Words such as animal, beast and brute show this comparison. This shows that the narrator, Manuel, feels like he has no free will whatsoever, and like he is being giving commands like an animal would be given. Barrio continues to write, “Though he was perspiring heavily, his shirt was powder dry. Savage. The hot dry air. The hot dry air was sucking every drop of living moisture from his brute body. Wreck. He stopped and walked to the farthest end of the first row for some water, raised the dented dipper from the brute tank, drank the holy water in great brute gulps so he wouldn’t have to savor its tastelessness, letting it spill down his torn shirt to cool his exhausted body, to replenish his brute cells and animal pores and stinking follicles and pig gristle,” The word ‘brute’ seems to come up quite often in this passage. Brute is most commonly associated with having “characteristics of animals” or to have “animal qualities or desires”. It is understood that the random words can be connected to animalistic qualities, so having the word brute come up often makes perfect sense. Barrio wants to ensure the understanding of how Manuel is feeling, and that he does feel like an animal. He also connected Manuel’s body to that of animal’s, saying, “ to replenish his brute cells and animal pores and stinking follicles and pig gristle, a truly refined wreck of an animal,” He then ends the entire passage with another one-word sentence, “predator”. Predator is definitely associated with people’s thoughts of animals, so this was no oversight for Barrio.
Johanna Rodas
English 12 CP
Plum Plum Pickers Essay
The short story Plum Plum Pickers by Raymond Barrio is about a man named Manuel doing as he is told and never standing up for himself. Until one day a man by the name of Roberto Morales the owner or manger tells the employees that their was a mistake and he will be taking two cents from every employee after they did all the hard work.
In the passage when Manuel feels trapped with no way out, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that Manuel feels insecure, he is trapped because he doesn’t know how to stand up for himself. Manuel is described as a quiet man that does as he is told. Manuel needs to grow some courage to speak what’s on his mind. If he doesn’t he will always feel trapped with no where to go. “No matter which way he turned, he was trapped in an endless maze of apricot trees.” This quote shows a lot of how Manuel feels. To be trapped in a maze could make you go crazy because it’s difficult and confusing. You have to guess your way out. Manuel wants and tries to stand up for himself but doesn’t know how or when to do it. The maze is a confusing and difficult thing to solve. “There had to be an end. There had to be. There trapped. There had to be a way out. Locked. There had to be respite.” This second quote shows that Manuel wants to escape the maze and start speaking what’s on his mind. It seems as Manuel has been trying to figure out the way out of feeling trapped. Manuel knows with the right push he will be able to say and act what’s on his mind.
In the passage when Roberto Morales tells the men that he will be taking back two cents from every bucket, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that Roberto Morales was being unfair with the employees. He made them do extra work, in the hot beaming fields for no reason because he is taking back the two cents they earned. “Now,” announced Morales at last, in his friendliest tone. Now I must take two cents from every bucket. I am sorry. There was a miscalculation. Everybody understands. Everybody? He slid his eyes around, smiling, palms up.” This quote shows that Roberto Morales apology wasn’t sincere. Roberto knows that he is the big man in charge, so whatever he says goes. The employees are intimated by Roberto Morales actions and sayings. It seems as if Roberto Morales is getting a joy out of the miscalculation because the workers did extra work and they are not going to get paid for it. Roberto Morales tells the employees he is sorry but he is smiling with his palms up. It shows he is amused about the situation because he is not the one losing out in money. You can tell that Roberto Morales thinks very little about everyone in his surroundings. Roberto Morales shouldn’t be so mean and greedy. If he cared about others he would know that they worked hard out in the hot sunny fields to get there jobs done. Roberto Morales needs to learn how to communicate with others without being so harsh. It is unfair that he is taking back the money that the employees earned. They worked extra hard to make money to feed and provide for their families. Roberto Morales needs to open his eyes and see what he is doing is selfish, he miscalculated not the workers.
In the passage when Manuel finally grows the courage to show Roberto Morales that he has had enough of his mistreating the author Raymond Barrio suggest that the main character Manuel has finally got that push to speak up for himself. Manuel has found his way out of the trapped maze he felt in was trapped in. “Manuel lifted his foot and clumsily tipped over his own last bucket of cots. They rolled away in all directions around everyone’s feet.” This quote shows that Manuel grew some strength, to basically told Roberto Morales he was done with all his hardships. Manuel was very slick with it, he made it seem like an accident but he kicked another bucket. So that Roberto Morales knew he was for real. By Manuel kicking the buckets, it proved to him standing up to Roberto Morales. Now Roberto Morales knew he didn’t have the upper hand on everyone that worked for him. Manuel felt relieved by just kicking the buckets. Manuel knew he just stood up to the man he is been waiting to stand up to. Manuel grew up in a level of respect because no one was going to stick up for him but himself.
In the passage when Manuel feels that he has conquered victory and respect from everyone the author Raymond Barrio suggests that Manuel finally conquered the nerves to put Roberto Morales in his place. Manuel earned a lot of self respect for himself because he wanted to let Roberto Morales know what was on his mind but he couldn’t until he kicked the buckets. Manuel was shocked that he grew the strength to do that, he was overwhelmed. “He had never won anything before. He would have to pay for this, for his defiance somehow, again, later. But had shown defiance. He had salvaged his money savagely and he had earned respect from his fellow slaves.” This quote shows that this was a big victory for Manuel because standing up for him was like winning a prize. He won the battle between Roberto Morales because Morales never had anyone someone speak to him or do what Manuel did. Through it all Manuel earned respect from his fellow salves. Respect from salves were only giving to the ones ahead of them in society. By his words of achievement you can tell that Manuel is a low average person that doesn’t get involves, he is not very outgoing. By Manuel confronting Roberto Morales with his anger shows that he explained what was on his mind. He was tired of people like Roberto Morales thinking they are better then everyone else. The employees were surprised on Manuel that he gained respect from them. Always say what’s on your mind. Don’t hold back.
The point of the short story Plum Plum Pickers by Raymond Barrio is that always say what you feel or want. Don’t be afraid to speak what’s on your mind. Everyone going to feel intimated by someone some point in their lives but don’t be afraid to let them know what you feel or want to do. Everyone has the freedom to speak up. We have the rights to talk or feel or do whatever we want. “Men are built to experience a certain sense of honor and pride.” This quote shows that our pride and honor is speaking what’s on our minds. Standing up for ourselves.
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