Victor Martinez’s “Parrot in the Oven” which takes place on the Mexican-American Border. Manny Hernandez has an abusive father. One lesson in this book is that you can do anything you want to if you work hard for it.
In this story the theme is that if you make a mistake it doesn’t define you as a person. The author shows this by showing throughout the book Manny who is a good kid make some bad decisions that almost get him killed one time but when he gets home to his family he is still the same person.
At the beginning of the book the author shows that the characters keep a lot of secrets not only from the people they love but the people that want the best for them. For example at the beginning of the book Manny tries to hide that his dad is abusive from a teacher who just wants to know if there is anything he can do to help Manny because he sees that he is very smart but he seems to be distracted. Also his father lies to his mother on where he is at night and that’s a big problem to her so that leads to his brother joining a local street gang and lies to his mother and father about that. After Manny’s brother Nardo convinces him to go out and take some peppers with him he hides that from their parents as well. And finally and probably most important when he and his brother get shot at and almost taken to jail he lies to his mother about where they were when they could have died.
In the middle of the story the author shows that Manny’s situation might be getting go him a little bit. One example of this is when his father comes home drunk one day and threatens to kill his mother after this happens Manny is feeling very anxious and is worried for his mom as he waits for the police to take his father to jail but as they get there his mom tries to hide the family so that the police don’t take her husband away. But they see his mom running away with his father’s rifle and guessed exactly what happened and took him away to jail but not for abuse but for illegal possession of a firearm which had his father pretty heated. Manny is also thinks his mom should leave his dad but he also knows that will never happen even if he urges her to. Also his grandma dies so he and his whole family is devastated about that. Then the family finds out that Magda has been pregnant and they find out in the worst way possible when she gets super sick and has a super premature baby and they have to take her to the hospital, but no one at the hospital wants to help them and they end up leaving after they say she can’t see a doctor and she passes out.
At the end of the story the author shows that things can change if you want them to but you have to try to change it. Manny’s dad helps Magda when she is super sick from losing her baby and the hospital won’t help them. Then we find out that things are beginning to change for the better when Manny’s dad helps a moaning sick Magda which is not like him. Then he goes out and gets a job to help out the family more and Nardo gets a job as well at the pharmacy where Manny helps him with his deliveries when he gets introduced to Nardo’s bosses daughter and at first she doesn’t seem to care for him or like him but he talks to her which is out of his character because he is scared to talk to girls normally. So in the end the author shows that things can get better for Manny, his family and the way they live.
The counterargument is that just because they made a few good choices they are still the same in their heart. Someone might think this because at the end of the story Manny and his brother Nardo go back to their old ways and go out with his gang member friends and almost get shot and arrested. So if they are back to their old ways then it won’t matter what they did in the earlier parts of the book. But my opinion is that just cause you make one two are even more bad choices it doesn’t make you a bad person.
