The Horned Toad

In "The Horned Toad" Haslam learns something new about his relationship with his grandmother which was the grandmother's wise advice that made a great impact to their relationship. At the beginning of the story, Haslam found the horned toad, the grandmother told him to put it down, because it spits blood. Then, as the story keeps going, the grandmother tells his grandson the reason of to why she lied to him about the horned toad. She stated this “Because the little beast belongs with his own kind in his own place, not in your pocket. Give him his freedom, my son" (Haslam 4). The quote makes an emphasis where the grandmother had to lie to his grandson about the toad, because he wanted to keep it, but the grandmother told him that the toad can't

The grandmother is a very cruel, bossy, and grumpy and the narrator was just a normal kid and was also frightened of his grandma. In page 3 of the story, it emphasizes their relationship at the beginning of the story between the grandma and the grandson in the following quote " In fact, nothing I did seemed to impress her, and she referred to me as el malcriado, causing my mother to shake her head" (Haslam 3). It is indeed that this quote refers to the relationship between the grandmother and the grandson which it pretty seems that they don't get along each other. To demonstrate, the following quote, it makes an emphasis about the grandma's attitude of the relationship between his grandson "Oh, so you wan' some candy. Go to the store an' buy some" (Haslam 4). To emphasize, the quote explains their relationship and also emphasizes her attitude towards the grandson, when Haslam asked for candy to his grandmother and she refuses to and tells him to buy

Furthermore, the stated quote emphasizes how their relationship made a shift "Somehow that day changed everything. I wasn't afraid of my great grandmother any longer" (Haslam 4). The quote stated makes an emphasis about the shift of the relationship between Haslam and the grandmother because now Haslam is not afraid anymore, does not avoid her, and talks more to her grandmother, and the grandmother is now a pleasant person than how it used to be before. To emphasize the shift between the grandma and the grandson's relationship, another stated quote says "No more did I sneak around the house to avoid Grandma after school. Instead, she waited for me and discussed my efforts in class gravely, telling Mother that I was a bright boy" (Haslam 5). To clarify, it further explains the shift in the relationship where Haslam had an improvement in his relationship with his grandma, because he does not avoid her anymore and they talk more than how they used to be. The Horned Toad symbolizes someone who has importance in your life. When Haslam was starting to get along with his grandmother, it became someone important in his life. When she died, Haslam told his parents "But Grandma has to go home, she has to! It's the only thing she really wanted. We can't leave her in the city" (Haslam 6). To finalize, Haslam said this because it makes an emphasis where Haslam learned the lesson