Genre
Novel
Setting and Context
Set in Spanish Harlem
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is tense and the mood is fascinating
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Chino.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is when Chino impregnates Blanca, limiting their chances of continuing with their college education.
Climax
The climax is when Chino is introduced to Bodega's criminal gang by Sapo.
Foreshadowing
Financial difficulties in his parenting endeavor foreshadow Chino's involvement in criminal activities.
Understatement
Chino and Blanca understate parental responsibilities when they get married.
Allusions
The story alludes to underworld criminal activities in Spanish Harlem.
Imagery
The description of the burning of Chino’s apartment depicts sight imagery.
Paradox
Bodega and Vera's husband's death is paradoxical.
Parallelism
There is parallelism between criminal activities and peer pressure among the young people in Harlem.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
