Barrio Boy: Analysis of Major Characters
"Barrio Boy" is a semi-autobiographical narrative by Ernesto Galarza that explores the life of a young boy navigating the complexities of migration, family, and identity against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the subsequent journey to the United States. The major characters in the story include Ernesto himself, a curious and resilient boy whose experiences shape his understanding of work, community, and culture. His mother, Doña Henriqueta, is a strong figure who fosters a sense of adventure despite their challenging circumstances, teaching Ernesto literacy and instilling values of respect.
Ernesto’s uncles, José and Gustavo, each contribute uniquely to his upbringing; José embodies a spirited, rebellious nature while Gustavo represents stability and support. Their interactions underscore themes of family loyalty and the hardships of immigrant life. Additionally, the novel introduces key figures like Don Catarino Lopez, reflecting traditional family structures, and supportive community members such as Mrs. Dodson and Miss Ryan, who aid Ernesto in acclimating to American society. Overall, the character dynamics in "Barrio Boy" encapsulate the immigrant experience, highlighting resilience, adaptation, and the importance of education in overcoming obstacles.
Barrio Boy: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ernesto Galarza
First published: 1971
Genre: Novel
Locale: Mexico and California
Plot: Social realism
Time: Late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
Ernesto Galarza (ehr-NEHS-toh gah-LAHR-zah), a child of single mother, Doña Henriqueta, who moves him from place to place to avoid the Mexican Revolution but, nevertheless, manages to give him a sense of security. Ernesto's earliest memories are of Jalcocotán (Jalco), a Mexican village where he, his mother, and his mother's brothers, José and Gustavo, moved after her divorce. the four move in with their Lopez relatives. As a toddler, Ernesto learns the importance of work by running errands and looking after the family's chickens. When armed soldiers visit the village, Ernesto's mother flees with her son, José, and Gustavo, first to Tepic, then to Acaponeta, then to Mazatlán. From his mother, Ernesto learns to read and write. After an arduous journey by train to the United States, Ernesto and his mother rejoin José and Gustavo in Sacramento, California. In the multiethnic barrio, Ernesto finds odd jobs that introduce him to various Americans, including Hindus, Chinese, and people of other nationalities. Ernesto learns English in first grade and becomes a translator for barrio residents. Doña Henriqueta re-marries, and the family buys a house in an American neighborhood. After Gustavo and Henriqueta die of influenza, Ernesto moves back to the barrio with his Uncle José. Ernesto is fired as a farmworker when he files a complaint about polluted water in the migrant camp. the novel's ending suggests that Ernesto will continue both his schooling and his activities as a labor organizer.
Doña Henriqueta (DOHN-yah ehn-ree-KEH-tah), a single mother. She was divorced by her husband when her son, Ernesto, was an infant. With the baby and her brothers, José and Gustavo, she moves in with her sister's family in Jalco. She helps to support the family as a seamstress. As they travel from place to place to avoid the Mexican Revolution, Henriqueta makes her young son feel that each move is an adventure. She teaches Ernesto to read and write and insists that he respect others. In Sacramento, Henriqueta marries another Mexican immigrant. When the family buys a house in an American neighborhood, she feels isolated. Henriqueta and her second husband have two girls and a boy before she dies of Spanish influenza.
José Galarza (hoh-SEH), Doña Henriqueta's brother, twelve years older than his nephew Ernesto. José likes to joke and is impatient with authority figures. In Jalco, he makes up comic versions of the Latin liturgy, ending his career as an altar boy. When the family's beloved Nerón gets rabies, José kills the dog with a stick. José must hide from the rurales when they come to Jalco searching for recruits. As the family move from place to place, José displays great ingenuity in finding odd jobs. While an employee of the Southern Pacific Railway, he takes Ernesto for a ride on a handcar. When José shouts “Viva Madero” at a group of men, they respond with shots. In Mazatlán, José is hired to build stone markers. To avoid paying him, the foreman tries to murder José on the way home. José's confrontation with the patrón precipitates the family's flight to the United States. José takes care of the family when they are stricken by influenza. After Henriqueta dies, he and Ernesto return to the barrio. He provides his nephew with food and lodging on the condition that Ernesto pay for his school expenses.
Gustavo Galarza (gews-TAH-voh), Ernesto's uncle and Doña Henriqueta's brother. Gustavo precedes the family to Tepic and sends for them when he has found a job and lodging. He and José move ahead of the family to Mazatlán, where the brothers find work with the Southern Pacific Railway. In Sacramento, Gustavo dies of Spanish influenza.
Don Catarino Lopez (kah-tah-REE-noh LOH-pehs), the husband of Doña Henriqueta's sister (Ernesto's Aunt Esther) and father of two sons, Jesús and Catarino, Jr. For Ernesto, Don Catarino is the embodiment of the authoritarian jefe de familia (head of the family). When Henriqueta and her brothers and son move northward, the Lopez family remains in Jalco. the Lopezes sail to San Francisco in an attempt to rejoin the rest of the family in Sacramento, but they are detained at Angel Island because of an irregularity in their papers. They return to Jalco.
Mrs. Dodson, the owner of the boardinghouse in the Sacramento barrio where Doña Henriqueta and her family live. She helps the family navigate an unfamiliar culture and introduces young Ernesto to the victrola, pancakes with Karo syrup, and comic strips.
Miss Ryan, Ernesto's beautiful, energetic first-grade teacher. She gives Ernesto private tutoring in English, praising each step in his mastery of the language.