All of us pass through adolescence before reaching adulthood. It is a crucial stage in everyone’s life that plays a big role in the adult life. “The Jacket” is a representation of Gary Soto’s adolescent life. It is a short story depicting his hardships as an adolescent as he battled with peer pressure and low self-esteem or lack of confidence caused by the ugly green jacket. The jacket serves as a symbol of his personal battles, growth, maturity, and his readiness to face the cold and harsh challenges in his life. The narrator strongly claimed that his clothes have failed him when he recalled the green jacket he wore on his fifth and sixth grade. He believed that instead of looking like a champion, his day-old guacamole colored jacket has embarrassed him that lead him to think it has failed him (Soto, 473). He had actually hoped and requested to his mom a different jacket. It is the kind of jacket that the bikers wear which is black leather and silver stud with enough belts that will make him look brave. But disappointment struck him when he found an ordinary green jacket instead. He stared at the jacket and wanted to cry because to him it was ugly and so big. Moreover, he knew he will have to bear with the fact that he will be wearing that ugly jacket for a very long time. For a brief moment he was still in denial and was expecting it was his brother’s jacket. Acceptance came later since he has no other choice but to wear it. With a heavy heart he slipped into his jacket and decided to head out of the house. On his way out he played and teased his dog Brownie, who in return bit him and accidentally ripped a portion of his left sleeve. It was his first unlucky day and he started thinking things happen because of his claim that t... ... middle of paper ... ...roach to writing Sentences and Paragraphs. 2nd Ed. Chris Juzwiak. Boston. 2009. 473-475. Print. Kiran-Esen, Binnaz. "Analyzing Peer Pressure And Self-Efficacy Expectations Among Adolescents." Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 40.8 (2012): 1301-1309. Academic Search Premier”. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Sae-Young, Han, and Kim Yeon-Hwa. "Interpersonal Rejection Experiences And Shame As Predictors Of Susceptibility To Peer Pressure Among Korean Children." Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 40.7 (2012): 1213-1231. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Singleton, Laura. “Developmental Differences And Their Clinical Impact In Adolescents.” British Journal of Nursing 16.3 (2007): 140-143. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Nov 2013. World Health Organization. “Health Topics: Adolescent Health.” www.who.int.com n.d. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Gormly, Kellie B. "Peer Pressure - for Students and Adults - Can Be Positive." TribLIVE.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
Gary Soto was born into a poor Mexican American family in Fresno, California. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford expensive clothing. It could be a big disappoint, to not have things that people want to have, especially when they can’t afford it. In “The Jacket”, he focuses on what he had to wear during his middle school years in this case his jacket. He portrays that the jacket, his mom bought him as a failure to him. He realizes that wearing the jacket made him have a rough childhood in school. As a matter of fact, growing up can be difficult because everyone is different. In my case, I remember that I too wore the same jacket for two whole school years in sixth and seventh-grade because my mom felt like I had to follow the dress code for sweaters which had to be blue. Although, I wore that sweater every day, I wouldn’t consider wearing that blue sweater a failure to me because it didn’t fail me to have good grades or great friends, but it did affect me by having some lack of confidence. The
In the “Jacket” by Gary Soto, illustrates the theme of alienation by showing his depression through an ugly green jacket which he subsequently thinks everyone doesn’t like him for. In the beginning of the story the main character which I assume to be Soto, describes how big of an effect a jacket has on a kid in a school. “I remember the green coat that I wore in fifth and sixth grade when you either danced like a champ or pressed yourself against yourself a greasy wall, bitter as a penny towards the happy couples.” This is a great way to start out the story right into it they’re setting the point of how important having a nice jacket in this school is. From personal experience appearance makes a big difference at school, If you start to dress
It is a fact of life that no one can remain young forever. Some teenagers cannot wait to grow up and get out on their own away from childish rules and parental limitations. For other teenagers the thought of the adult world conjures images of negativity and responsibilities such as going to work everyday, dealing with undesirable people, and being part of a stiff society. However, mediums do exist between these two contrasting worlds. Unfortunately, Holden Caulfield, an adolescent struggling with growing up in the novel The Catcher in the Rye, is not aware of these mediums. To him the two worlds seem to be as different as heaven and hell with no purgatory in between. Holden has no positive adult role models, his only concern is preserving innocence and the only people he truly cares about and respects are children. Holden Caulfield fears the transition from child to adult in J. D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye because childhood is so inviting and adulthood is so ominous.
Countless individuals can relate to what Gary has gone through, and what he thought of certain objects he had, in specific that jacket. All Gary ever wanted was a jacket with black leather, belts around it that can tie down a whole small town, and studs on it. A jacket reminiscent of those the bikers wore. The story itself is thought-provoking, delightful, impressive, as well as breath of fresh air. Gary at one point stated that he would rather be cold in frigid weather than suffer the agony of wearing that hideous jacket. Who wouldn’t want to die of hypothermia on account of an atrocious jacket that mortifies you just by one look, simply for it being a total eye sore. What makes this story an interesting one is that he conveys his emotions and thoughts in a story-like manner despite it being an autobiography. From the start, Gary comfortably described downhill roller coaster of emotions and events in regards to that unsightly jacket. In defiance to what Gary had told his mother, she went and bought a jacket, not considering style, or taking into attention the details Gary gave of his ideal jacket, as a substitute of that amazing jacket he desired, he received a
When somebody is being unappreciative that makes someone feel bad . In “The Jacket” by Gary Soto there is a little boy who is being very unappreciative of a jacket his mom got him and it probably makes her feel really bad about her jacket decision for her son.
Students encounter many complications during their school career. Some students are smart, but just don’t apply themselves, or have similar hardships that are going on in their lives. These can be fixed if one can find motivation and confidence. In the story “Zero,” Paul Logan coasts through high school and college. Logan doesn’t know the tools to succeed in school, which causes his grades to fall. In the story “The Jacket,” Gary Soto explains how the way one dresses can influences how they feel about themself. Which in this case he gets an ugly jacket; which causes him to be depressed and his grades to fall. Albeit Logan and Soto went through similar hardships, they both succeed with motivation and confidence.
As the writer gave freedom to her son, he tore a binder paper from the notebook, and he started writing about any story he wanted. Moreover, she was startled when she saw his story about The Boy In The Red Sox Shirt and Baggy Jeans. It was about a fourteen-year old girl, who
In "The Jacket" Gary Soto uses symbolism to reflect on the characterization and development of the narrator. Soto seems to focus mainly on a jacket, which has several meanings throughout the story. The jacket is used as a symbol to portray poverty, the narrator's insecurity, and the narrator's form of self-destruction.
Bee, H. and Boyd, D. (2001). Physical and cognitive development in adolescence. Lifespan Development. 3ed., 292-293.
Gecas, V. (1989). The Social Psychology of Self-Efficacy. Annual Review of Sociology. 15, pp. 291-316.
Carl Pickhardt, Ph.D. "Surviving (Your Child's) Adolescence." 12 December 2011. Psycology Today. 7 May 2014 .
... instead of following the majority. The issue of peer pressure can relate to teens, as they are in constant pressure to be ‘cool’ or to be in the ‘in’ group. It does not really promote individualism, so people cannot develop their own ideas but rather follow the leader of their group.
On the 9th of November, I interviewed two college students about how they was peer pressured as an adolescent. Kelsie Brooks, a sophomore at East Tennessee State University, she experienced peer pressure when
The concept of self-efficacy is grounded in Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory. Bandura (1994) defines perceived self-efficacy as “people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce efforts” (p. 71). In essence, one having strong self-efficacy experience increase in motivation, accomplishment, and personal well-being ( Bandura, 1994). Those with a low sense of self-efficacy, on the other hand, often suffer stress and depression; unbelieving of their capabilities and often succumbed to failure (Bandura, 1994).