My Circuit Essay
Labor and hard work is a common thing in the world. Sometimes labor is smaller work wise, for example doing chores for a year or two as a punishment, but labor for some people is harder, like working in fields for most of your life. When people have to work at a young age to make money for their family they learn that life isn’t always fair. That they have to keep their minds positive because thinking negative is not going to make anything better. In The Circuit, by Francisco Jimenez even though Francisco has had a hard life, he keeps his head held high and perseveres through the challenges. For Francisco’s family hard work is not an option, labor is not an option. Francisco and his family move from place to place to work in fields day after day but Francisco always tries his hardest to only move forward and not backwards.
Francisco has to work at a young age, and even though it can be hard to work and sometimes painful he tries to keep on going.When it was terribly cold out and Francisco was freezing and getting frost bites head to toe, skin turning blue, he keeps on working to get money for his family. He knew his family needed the money and the job that is basically labor is the only way to get it. In the story, when Francisco was working there was a fire were all the other workers were keeping themselves worm. Francisco insisted to keep working but his dad insists he goes to the fire. Francisco went.“They each took a row. I went ahead about a quarter of the way into Papa’s row. I took my hands out of my pockets and started picking and piling the cotton in the furrow. Within seconds my toes were numb and I could hardly move my fingers. My hands were turning red and purple. I kept blowing on them, trying to keep warm.” cotton sack This quote connects to my thesis because it’s talking about Francisco having to do difficult things, he is working hard and freezing to death and he’s only just a kid.
Francisco had a pretty hard time in the first grade. He could not speak English and he had no friends except for the class pet. But he survived and ignored the negative as much as he could.When he was sitting in class not really understanding the lessons he was having trouble but he pushed out the bad thoughts and focused on something more positive that he understood. The class caterpillar. He thought of the caterpillar as a friend so he wasn’t as lonely.In the story Francisco is alone and is hanging out with the class caterpillar which doesn’t really bother him. But it can be lonely to not have any real friends or speak to little people because he doesn’t know English.“Often during recess I stayed with the caterpillar. Sometimes it was hard to spot him because he blended in the green leaves and twigs. Every day I brought him leaves from the pepper and cypress trees that grew on the playground.” pg.20 inside out Though being alone with a caterpillar can be hard and sad Francisco makes the best of it and haves fun. He’s keeping his head held high through out his hard first grade experience.
Francisco and his family don’t have much money so they don’t have much gifts of the simplest kind which can be disappointing, but Francisco doesn’t throw a fit doesn’t argue or complain. All that Francisco wants for Christmas is a blue ball which isn’t much to ask for, but Francisco’s family can afford it or much presents for his many siblings. Instead of the ball Francisco gets a bag of candy, he is disappointed but doesn’t show it and ignores the Christmas gift. In the story Francisco is hoping to get a ball for Christmas and overhears his dad having a conversation. “When I heard Papa say we’re broke to I panicked. My hope for getting a ball of my own that Christmas faded-but only for a second.” pg.52-53 It was a challenge to stay positive like Francisco is when he overhears his dad saying that he’s broke but he didn’t let the hope of him getting a ball fade for too long.
In The Circuit life challenges teach Francisco how to be stronger and a better person. Some expected challenges he doesn’t want to believe ac cure in his life and some unexpected challenges: Working at a young age, struggling in first grade, not being able to afford one simple gift. With these hard times through his journey in The Circuit Francisco took it in the best he could and thought positive which helped him survive through life. Like Francisco all humans have challenges and challenges make them realize that being bad, angry or negative doesn’t change the fact that nothing is going to change and you can either make the best out of it or the worst.