Study Questions: Looking In from the Outside

Remember, you can write an essay on any of these questions, or on something else related to these readings.

1) Questions to Urrea’s “Whores”:

a. What catches your interest in this story? What impression does it leave?

b. What is the relationship between father and son?

c. What roles do the women in the story have, and how are they described?

d. What is the relationship between the narrator and the “boys?”

e. Why do men bring their sons to the “whorehouse?” Why does the cop not protest?

f. What kinds of things do the men do in “El Club Verde”? Or, how is masculinity established in this setting?

g. How does the narrator’s sense of masculinity differ from that of his “friends”?

h. What contradictions in masculinity does this short story explore? In the character of Blondie and Gilberto, the narrator’s father, the Bull?

i. What is the relationship between Bull and the narrator? How does this role change? What is Bull afraid of?

j. How does the narrator get revenge over Bull?

k. Could a situation like this happen in the United States? If so, in which milieu? If not, why not?

2) Questions to Peter Bacho’s “Wedding”

a. What sentiment does this story leave in the reader? Can you say what causes this sentiment?

b. What’s the relationship between Uncle Leo and Buddy, the narrator?

c. Why does Uncle Leo leave, after his young girl friend has exploited him?

d. What was the situation of Filipino men in the United States in Uncle Leo’s generation? Why did he not want to marry? What kind of work did they do? Why was Alaska attractive?

e. Why does Uncle Leo come back to say good bye to Buddy?

f. Is Uncle Leo a loser? Is he a loser in the eyes of Buddy?