The Plum Plum Pickers

In the story, Raymond Barrio suggest that people can give others courage and be a hero. The author uses Manuel, the main character of the story to show that we should and can stick up for what we thing is right. In the story Manuel is described as a hero and having a lot of courage for standing up to himself and standing up for the other Mexican pickers as well. The author also describe Manuel as a leader and we should be all like him.

The story is about a group of Mexican migrant workers laboring in the fields of California. The workers works for long, hard hours for little payment, little break time and no respect. In the first paragraph of the story the author mentions “the jails of hell” this describe how the workers are struggling and it feels like hell. Also in the first paragraph the author constant use of words like “brute, wreck” those words are referring to the sun and the effect it has bearing down on the workers, that is one reason why the story takes place in California.

The imagery on the story not only helps clear a mood in the first paragraph but it also develops a conclusion about the characters such as the use of words like “beast, predator” make the workers feel as animals and they have no concept of what is human because the way they are struggling and the way they are being force to work long hours and little break time such as the second paragraph, the author wrote “lunch” as one paragraph because the author is trying to explain to the audience how short their break time is. And also in the second paragraph the author gives a lot of information about Manuel relaxing witch means they have been working for hours and no break time. With so many struggling and long hours of work in this case the author can also suggest how money is very important to them and to some people in life and how people would do anything to get money such as working and struggling for long hours.

The main characters name is Manuel witch can be interpreted a representation of “Man” or “Manual” that is involve with farm working. Another character in the story is Roberto Morales who is in charge and the boss in the field. In the story Morales is described as “ a gentlemanly, friendly, polite, grinning, vicious, thieving brute....” that sentence goes from being nice to being mean witch shows how Roberto is a fake and the bad guy. He comes in the story smiling and acting nicely to everyone but what he really wanted was their money. His last name “Morales” says it all which comes out to sound the real word the author wanted to write “Moral Less”

the main situation that proves how Manuel is the hero that saves other pickers from Morales greediness is when Morales comes to take “Two cents” from everybody buckets. Manuel steps in and purposely kicked everyone's buckets. Manuel had showed strength and courage making it clear to Morales and the other workers how brave he is. After trying to show bravery and being a hero, Manuel felt like a “winner” Manuel reflects that there would have to be some kind of punishment, but he knew from now on he would be looked at as a human being rather than an animal or a machine they thought he was. Again the author suggest that people can force other people to do stuff by giving them courage and confidence and that people should stand up for themselves and stop being treated like an animal.