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In the short story "The Hammon and the Beans," Americo Paredes portrays the sufferings and sorrows that powerless and poor people undergo in America. The tragic character of the story is Chonita, who was born of a poor family. Her family lives in a vacant lot that the narrator's grandfather lends to them (63). Her mother does chores for the narrator's family, and her father is a "laborer, who clears brush and builds irrigation ditches" (64). What is worse, her father is a heavy drinker (64). Not only her poor home background, but also the political situation and her ethnicity make her life tougher.
In the story, the setting and background, Fort Jones, highlights a political dispute: "It was because of the border troubles, ten years or so before, that the soldiers had come back to old Fort Jones" (63). The Fort Jones post acts as the town's clock, and the commoners' life patterns are organized by the clock. In other words, they are under the control of an external power. The clock tower's presence symbolizes America's imposition of cultural and political influence on the border town.
During the ongoing border conflict, powerless commoners struggle in poverty. "A big frame house painted a dirty yellow" and "Chonita's bare dirty feet" symbolize this poverty. The author, Americo Paredes, maximizes his portrayal of the miserable life of the commoners by showing how the Americans openly display the goods and luxuries the poor commoners cannot obtain: "Hey bud, pass me the coffee!" "Give me the ham." "Yeah, give me the beans!" (405). While the soldiers eat ham and drink coffee, which is an item of preference, Chonita does not even have an essential food such as beans.
Chonita, who suffers from hunger, becomes the object of jokes because of her ethnicity and limited English. "Speech! Speech!" "Let Chonita make a speech!" "Talk in English, Chonita!" (64). This work is unique because it highlights the linguistic power that native speakers have over non-native speakers. Chonita's voice, her main means of communication, becomes a joke for the neighborhood children. Without a voice, she is without power. This alienates her from the other English speaking children.
Afterward, Chonita, whose lack of food becomes life-threatening, cannot go to a hospital, and she meets an early death. The political situation, her ethnicity and her socio-economic background make Chonita feel the sorrow of powerlessness. Chonita begs soldiers for meals, and her family works hard to survive in their poor circumstances, however, various situations do not permit their happiness or even survival in the case of Chonita.
In the story, the setting and background, Fort Jones, highlights a political dispute: "It was because of the border troubles, ten years or so before, that the soldiers had come back to old Fort Jones" (63). The Fort Jones post acts as the town's clock, and the commoners' life patterns are organized by the clock. In other words, they are under the control of an external power. The clock tower's presence symbolizes America's imposition of cultural and political influence on the border town.
During the ongoing border conflict, powerless commoners struggle in poverty. "A big frame house painted a dirty yellow" and "Chonita's bare dirty feet" symbolize this poverty. The author, Americo Paredes, maximizes his portrayal of the miserable life of the commoners by showing how the Americans openly display the goods and luxuries the poor commoners cannot obtain: "Hey bud, pass me the coffee!" "Give me the ham." "Yeah, give me the beans!" (405). While the soldiers eat ham and drink coffee, which is an item of preference, Chonita does not even have an essential food such as beans.
Chonita, who suffers from hunger, becomes the object of jokes because of her ethnicity and limited English. "Speech! Speech!" "Let Chonita make a speech!" "Talk in English, Chonita!" (64). This work is unique because it highlights the linguistic power that native speakers have over non-native speakers. Chonita's voice, her main means of communication, becomes a joke for the neighborhood children. Without a voice, she is without power. This alienates her from the other English speaking children.
Afterward, Chonita, whose lack of food becomes life-threatening, cannot go to a hospital, and she meets an early death. The political situation, her ethnicity and her socio-economic background make Chonita feel the sorrow of powerlessness. Chonita begs soldiers for meals, and her family works hard to survive in their poor circumstances, however, various situations do not permit their happiness or even survival in the case of Chonita.