Kentucky Club Sparknotes

In the book Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club, the author Benjamin Alire Saenz forms a setting that appears in all seven stories, which is El Paso and the city of Juarez. The city of Juarez was known for raping, killing, and drug usage. The Kentucky bar is located in the city of Juarez where most people love to stop by to get drinks although being one of the most dangerous places in the world. There are various dualities in “everything begins and ends at the Kentucky Club” such as love and hate, individuals and family.

Love is considered to be one of the most powerful emotion. This emotion may lead a individual to be overjoyed or very unhappy. We see how all the protagonist in each of the stories strive to maintain affection.

It is easier to hate than to love. People tend to hate because it’s the easier way out. “She unbuttoned my shirt, laughed because I was wearing a T-shirt underneath, and when my shirt was off, she tried to take off my T- shirt. I stopped her. “Not my T-shirt.” (Saenz 60). Nick Guerra in “the art of translation” had scars on his back and because of that he felt insecure every time he had to show his body. The main character had shame, embarrassment, and disgust. “Tengo odio en mi Corazon” (Saenz 65). He had so much hate inside of him because of the boys that scarred him and he felt he couldn’t easily trust and couldn’t love. For this reason, he treated the girl that loved him in a fucked up manor. Instead of trying to love the woman back he chooses the easy way out which is to push her out of his life and he just didn’t care. Having low self-esteem can prevent people from loving and being loved. For people who deep down don’t like themselves, it’s easy for them to hate. In “brother in another language” Charlie does not feel the love that most children do. They feel somewhat abandoned and unloved. Charlie in “Brother in another language” feels so much hate for his own father. Charlie doesn’t want to have his mother in his life anymore and he states “I never want to see you again” (Saenz 114). Charlie only had his parents in whom he despised and they were unable to show him what love was and how to love

“No movie has ever been made that could heal the wound of a boy who was born to parents who never loved him” (Saenz 166). Conrad in “chasing the dragon” along with Carmen grew up with their parents, and they weren’t treated like kids and ever given affection. Not knowing what love really was they both decide to create their own individual paths. Carmen gets addicted to drugs, while Conrad gets addicted to sex. There was no one out there telling them what was good or bad and they created their own