1. Ms. Walker
8th grade ELA
“Broken Chain” (Fiction: Short Story) Gary Soto Objectives: evaluate plot structure/development , the types of conflict & the way conflict is resolved summarize a story’s plot Write a summary )

2. Meet the Writer
Gary Soto (1952–   ) was born and raised in Fresno, California, the setting of many of his stories, poems, and autobiographical pieces. In his writing, Soto tries to re-create the sights and sounds of the Mexican American neighborhood in which he grew up.

3. Literary Focus: Conflict
Conflict: the problem in a story
External: a struggle against an outside force (Man vs. Man, Man vs. Machine, Man vs. Nature, and Man vs. Society)
Internal: a struggle within a character
(Man vs. Himself: A character might have to fight shyness, keep a terrible secret, or control fear.)
“Alfonso sat on the porch trying to push his crooked teeth to where he thought they belonged. He hated the way he looked.”
Alfonso has many conflicts. What internal conflict is revealed in the sentences above?

4. Question #1
Why does Alfonso try “to push his crooked teeth to where he though they belonged” and do “fifty sit-ups a day”? What do these actions reveal about his character?

5. Answer #1
Alfonso “hated the way he looked.” “He wanted ‘cuts’ like those he had seen on a calendar of an Aztec warrior…” His actions and thoughts show that Alfonso is discovering his sexuality. For example, he is obsessed with muscles so that “girls in cut-offs would notice” and he notices the cuts of the girl in the calendar in her thin dress. Most importantly, he is determined to be “better looking than average” and becomes self-conscious about his teeth to the point of infatuation.

6. Question #2
Explain one internal conflict and one external conflict that Alfonso faces. How are these conflicts significant to Alfonso’s identity?

7. Answer #2
External: Father and son with haircut (There is a generational gap between Alfonso and his father who is “puro Mexicano.”) and mother and son with braces. Both of these conflicts illuminate Alfonso’s differences in priorities between Alfonso as a developing teenager versus his parents’ more conservative views and concerns.
Internal: Alfonso is concerned about his appearance and wants to change how he looks. This shows that Alfonso wants to be noticed and attractive in a conventional way and be recognized by both male and female peers. This is shown in the quote, “to burn those already apparent ripples on his stomach to even deeper ripples, so…girls in cutoffs would notice. And the guys would think he was tough...”

8. Question #3
When Alfonso asks his mother if he can have braces, why does the author state, “he asked at the wrong time”?

9. Answer #3
Alfonso’s mother “glared at him” and gives him snide response that “money grows on trees.” Prior to her reaction, she was licking the envelope for the house payment, and the narrator reveals that she “clipped coupons,” “kept a vegetable garden,” and “ate a lot frijoles.” These details reveal that she is frugal and concerned about finances; therefore, braces are a luxury that they cannot afford.

10. Questions #4
Why does the author include brand names such as “Penney’s, Kmart” and “Montgomery Ward,” and specific cultures such as “Aztec,” “Chienese,” and “Chicanas” in the text?

11. Answer #4
These specific details show Alfonso’s understanding of what identity might be which includes economic, social, and cultural factors.

12. Question #5
Why does the author include Alfonso’s thought about the “dirty trick”? How does this detail relate to Alfonso’s identity and/or later developments in the text?

13. Answer #5
The author wants the reader to see that Alfonso is slightly empathetic, but also mischievous with the sentence, “Alfonso thought it was a pretty dirty trick but sort of funny too. He would have to try that someday.” This shows that he’s still working out what kind of person he wants to be as well as what’s proper for a gentleman. This ties in with the later event that Alfonso could have cut out on his date with Sandra but did not.

14. Why won’t Ernie let Alfonso borrow his bike?
Question #6
Why won’t Ernie let Alfonso borrow his bike?

15. Answer #6
The text says, “Secretly, however, Ernie was jealous that his brother, two years younger than himself, might have found a girlfriend.” Ernie’s remark that the same girl from Halloween might be Sandra could be part of his reasoning.

16. Question #7
How do Alfonso and Ernie act after Ernie refuses to let Alfonso borrow the bike? Why?

17. Answer #7
Alfonso and Ernie are fighting: “Ernie punched Alfonso in the arm, and Alfonso, his eyes wide with anger, punched back”. They also fight over the tortilla. Also, the detail that “On Monday morning, they hurried to school on their bikes, neither saying a word, though they rode side by side,” shows an awkwardness in their now-strained relationship.
Alfonso is upset because Ernie refused to lend Ernie the bike while Ernie is upset because he thinks his younger brother might have found a girlfriend before him. Moreover, Alfonso is upset because he doesn’t have a bike for Sandra.

18. Question #8
Describe Alfonso’s reaction to his bike chain breaking. Why does Alfonso react the way he does to the bike chain?

19. Answer #8
“The chain snapped in another place and hit him when it popped up, slicing his hand like a snake’s fang.” Alfonso overreacts by throwing the chain twice. He is on the verge of tears, and he curses himself and yells at his bike.
Alfonso is frustrated by things that are out of his control and lashes out at things that are within his control. The quotes which show this include: “He cursed himself for being stupid, yelled at his bike for being cheap, and slammed the chain…” and “Frustrated and on the verge of tears, he flung the chain as far as he could.”
Some students might connect that this is similar to how Ernie acts toward Alfonso when he asks to borrow Ernie’s bike.

20. Question #9
Ernie has a change of heart and decides to loan Alfonso the bike. What does this change of heart reveal about Ernie?

21. Answer #9
First Ernie says,” we got the frogs,” which would lead the reader to assume that since he no longer needed the bike and felt bad for Alfonso, he gave it to him. After this, Ernie says, “She’s not the one who messed with Frostie and me.” Ernie might have given Alfonso the bike because he was concerned about Sandra being the same as the girl from Halloween. However, his attempt to conceal his identity by looking through the hedge and the fact that he showed up at all, reveals that he knew it was not the same girl all along and just says, “She’s not the one . . .” to save face.

22. Question #10
At the end of the story, how have Alfonso’s priorities changed? Has he gotten everything he wanted?

23. Answer #10
Alfonso is no longer as concerned about his appearance because this small, brief relationship with Sandra makes it less important.
Alfonso does not look any different from the way he does at the beginning of the story; however, Sandra rides with him on Ernie’s bike and holds his hand and this make him forget that he does not like the way he looks. In a way he does get everything that he wants.

24. Thinking Critically
1. Explain how Alfonso feels about not having a bike for his date. Give details from the story that show his feelings. (analyzing a character- characterization)
2. Which of the following conflicts is internal and which are external: (conflict)
a. Alfonso hates how he looks.
b. Alfonso is shy.
c. Ernie will not lend his bike to Alfonso.
d. Alfonso’s bike chain breaks.
Which of the four conflicts, do you think, is his greatest challenge? Why?
3. How are Alfonso’s feelings similar to the feelings described in your Quickwrite response? (compare)
4. Identify one of the problems that Alfonso has in the story.
(For example: worrying about his appearance or not knowing
what to say to Sandra)
What practical, encouraging advice would you give him?

25. Summarizing a Story Who? Where/When? Why? How? = What?
Who are the characters?
Look for names of characters. How are they described?
HINT: Alfonso: unhappy with his appearance
2. Where/When?
Where/When does the story take place?
Sometimes a story doesn’t directly state the setting.
Use inference skills to figure out where/when it takes place.
HINT: Prince, Los Lobos, Sacramento…)
3. Why?
Why does the conflict, or problem occur? **What is the conflict?**
Sometimes a story has subplots, or minor plots that occur.
When this happens, there are multiple conflicts.
Complications arise as the character takes steps to resolve the conflict.
HINT: Alfonso’s internal and external conflict or Ernie’s internal conflict
4. How?
How is the conflict resolved?
How is the problem dealt with? What is the result?
These question words EQUAL = WHAT? What happened in the story?
**Remember to state the title and author in the summary.