Narrator and point of view

“The Somebody” by Danny Santiago is a first-person narration told from the perspective of Chato, who is both the narrator and the protagonist. As Chato is still a teenager and refuses to give readers his real name, the question of his reliability comes into readers’ minds. Because Chato is insincere about his true identity, readers might find it hard to believe his story, as he might also be insincere about everything else. Still, Chato may refuse to give his true identity away simply because he does not have one and is on a journey of finding himself.

Another interesting element connected to the narrator is the fact that he seems to address the reader. The appellative “man” is used seven times in the story and makes the reader feel like Chato is talking to him: “I hope that never happens t...