Jordan's Books

INCLUDED IN THIS BLOG POST IS THE INTRODUCTION TO THE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STORY THE CIRCUIT, WHAT I THINK THE AUTHOR WANTS US TO LEARN FROM THE STORY, HOW THE CHARACTER REMINDS ME OF MYSELF, AND WHEN I DECIDED IF I LIKED THE BOOK OR NOT.

The Circuit is an autobiographical story by Francisco Jimenez about his early years, when his family came to California from Mexico. They moved around a lot, working at different farms, struggling with money problems, living a difficult life.

I feel that the author wants us to learn how hard it is to be a migrant child, and that there are some people who have very difficult lives. I also feel the author wants us to learn that everyone deserves to live wherever they want, and we are all equal. I assume this because he deliberately placed in the story that he had to recite a part of the Declaration of Independence that says that everyone can pursue happiness, can pursue a better life, and everyone is equal. Most of all, though, I believe the author wanted us to learn that even if you were a migrant child, even if you have had a hard life, you can still make something of yourself. You can still do what you want.

The character, Panchito, reminds me of myself in the way that I want to be useful to my family, like he does (he wants to help them working in the fields, I... don't know how I would actually help them...), but he would prefer to go to school, and not have to work (I would also definitely prefer not to work, like him. All I actually do for my family is chores, but I like to assume I'm helping them.). 

I decided around the fifth time Panchito’s family moved that I did not like this book very much. It made me feel sad that he could not have what he wanted all the time--and what he wanted was to go to school, and stay in one place.  I just genuinely felt bad for Panchito’s entire family through the whole story.

Final analysis: The Circuit is a book that kept me entertained for the first hour or reading, but then I got tired of Panchito and his family moving all the time and not having enough money. It's just not the kind of book that appeals to me--I think fiction is much better. That's just my opinion, but I do recommend keeping an open mind when reading. Just because I didn't like The Circuit doesn't mean someone else wouldn't.