1. “The Talk” page 574
By Gary Soto

2. Notes What type of tree is by the most beautiful girl’s house?
mulberry
In paragraph 1, what do they decide to no longer do (if girls are looking)?
spit
stuff their mouths full of food
How old are they during the incident/story?
12 years-old
What is the narrator’s friend’s name?
Scott
What makes the boys feel good in paragraph 3?
waiting for the beautiful girl and thinking about seeing her;
dreaming of holding hands and walking down the street together
Who is the narrator going to marry?
a brown girl from the valley
What will she like?
cats and the ocean, and looking at the stars
What will his wife do?
cook and clean

3. 9. Who is the narrator’s friend going to marry?
a girl with strawberry-blonde hair
10. What will his friend’s wife enjoy?
swimming in the dirty lake
11. What will his friend’s wife do?
work
12. What will the narrator do for a living?
carpenter
13. What will the narrator do in the evenings?
drink Kool-Aid, play with the dog, and then have Pop Tarts and hot chocolate
14. What will his friend do for a living?
work in refrigeration/air conditioning
15. How many children does his friend plan to have? 3
16. What type of house does his friend say he will have?
ranch house on the river

4. 17. What is the beautiful girl doing? What did they notice about her?
drying her hair, reading;
that she looks sad
18. What is the cause of the boys’ anxiety?
their looks; they think that they are ugly
19. What do the boys realize in the end?
20. What could be the author’s message (the theme) of this essay?
that as we grow up, we realize that our looks do not dictate our happiness...