Language
The language used in “The Somebody” by Danny Santiago is Standard English, and it is very easy to understand. Given to the fact that the narrator is a teenager of Mexican origins who was involved in a gang, the story also contains several colloquial words such as “holler”, “dump”, “punk”, but also words in Spanish, such as “que” ("how") - "que cute"- or the Spanish “of”, translated as “de” – “de Shamrock”.
The short story contains narrative and descriptive passages, as well as dialogue that makes readers better understand the dynamics between characters. For example, the dialogue between Chato and his father shows that the man mocks his son and his dreams:
...
There are several linguistic and stylistic devices which the author employs in the text, so we recommend you focus on some of them when you analyze it:
- Imagery
- Similes and comparisons
- Metaphors
- Rhetorical questions
- Symbols
Similes and comparisons
Several similes and comparisons help readers better visualize the way characters look or how the setting is portrayed.
...
Symbols
The very name of the main character, “Chato de Shamrock”, symbolizes Chato’s alienation from the real world. On the one hand, he refuses to give out his real name because he partially does not connect with it. He is alienated from his father and, implicitly, he refuses his name. On the other hand, he is still very immature, does not know the ropes of the real world and, consequently, he cannot find his true identity.
...
