 Pg 116 “as he grew older that admiration, instead of diminishing as he had expected, had become an obsession for which he sought remedy in simple and careless ways”  Pg 117 “loved young people and did not understand why his son did not see that”  Pg 118 “my beautiful son, don’t look like that It will wrinkle your face like a prune and your eyes will harden and break my heart”  Pg 122 “his protective feelings for the child perplexed and disoriented him because they seemed stronger than his desire for his wife”

 How do you think that Miguel Grande would react to Felix’s choice of words for describing his son?  What does “masculine beauty” mean? › Could this be an example of Padilla’s idea that Islas indirectly labels Felix as gay? Why or why not?

 Was Felix trying to conform into the norm of society by marrying and having a child? › Did he suppress his sexuality? Why would he expect it to diminish?

 Because Felix would never admit to loving a man, do you believe his “desire for his wife” has diminished because he is realizing his sexuality and true desire for men?  Is loving his children the first true love Felix has ever felt? (In a fatherly sense)

 According to Padilla: › “Jefe” means boss › “Joto” is to describe the passive sex role (pg. 28) The phrase “Jefe Joto” is a contradiction. You cannot simply be the boss and the passive participant.

 Latino culture believes that males who take the “active role”, or “the giver”, in sex with other males are considered heterosexuals (Munoz-Laboy & Yon Leau, 2010)  The passive male is considered homosexual › Active = Giver › Passive = Receiver

 Felix “Can have sex with men in private but keep his ‘masculinity’ intact in public so long as he upholds societal gender norms” (Padilla, pg 27) › At home and in the public eye Felix has the traditional masculine power. He is the Jefe (boss). › Why do you think Felix is given this nickname? › Do you think Felix is more of a Jefe or a Joto?

 Padilla says, “It suggests that Miguel Chico is gay through indirect references that dance around the subject without exploring his sexuality in any detail” (Pg 20).  What are some ways Miguel Chico has indirectly expressed his sexuality? › Examples from the book.

 “Explore the problem of a certain brand of masculinity and its manifestation in the family, an institution central to Chicana/o culture” (Padilla, pg. 24) › How has Islas done this so far?