Circuit Essay
Lots of people experience loss. Whether they lose a person, animal or even an object, it can be hard. There are two ways to take loss. It’s okay to be sad, but you can sulk about it or you can look on the bright side of things. In The Circuit, by Francisco Jimenez, Even though Francisco experiences a lot of loss he always looks on the bright side.
Francisco didn’t get what he wanted for Christmas but he was able to find a happier side to the story. Francisco wanted a ball for Christmas. He was very disappointed when he got a bag of candy instead. Then he saw mama with the gift she wanted and he realized, I should feel happy for mama. At the end, Francisco realized how he can be happy for others. “Searching for words to tell mama how I felt, I looked up at her. Her eyes were full of tears. Papa, who was sitting next to her on the mattress, lifted its corner and pulled out from underneath the white embroidered handkerchief.” Pg. 56. Francisco’s disappointment made it easier to be happier for others. This is because his disappointment wasn’t as strong as his love for his mother. Since, Francisco didn’t get what he wanted he could pay attention to others. Losing this made him find the bright side for someone else.
Francisco lost his librito but he was able to keep it in his heart. In the fire, Francisco’s librito burned with the house. He got very disappointed and tried to run back into the house to save it. He didn’t though. He was disappointed at first but then Mama talked to him and made him realize not all was lost. “And then, for a long time, I thought about my librito and what mama had said. I could see in my mind, every word, every number, every rule, I had written in my note pad. I knew everything in it by heart. Mama was right. It was not all lost.” Pg. 112. This quote relates the thesis because once Mama told him that it was not all lost he realized he still had it in his heart. He is looking on the bright side of losing it.
Francisco collected coins and his sister spend two of his favorites on gumballs. Francisco’s dad told him about how he has some old coins. Francisco decided to start a coin collection. He really expanded on it. His two oldest ones were his favorites. One day, his little sister Rorra asks for one or two of his pennies. She doesn’t realize they are antique. He says no. Later, he realizes those exact pennies are missing. He asks and figures out Rorra used them to buy gumballs. He was so mad at first but then his mom talks to him. “So you see, mi’jito, Rorra is more important than the pennies. Don’t be so hard on your sister.” Pg. 108. This helps him realize to look on the bright side. “The bright side” of this situation is that he still has a little sister even though he might not his coins.
Francisco goes through a lot but finds a way to find the happier side of all situations. Francisco loses his pennies when his sister uses them, loses his librito in the fire and the last example is different because he never had it in the first place, but I still consider it a loss; his ball that he wanted for Christmas. These three examples support my thesis because it proves that Francisco was able to move on. This connects to modern day. For example, when we lose our stuff we get very annoyed but, lots of illegal immigrants or people living in poverty lose things-and people-everyday but have keep moving on.