Setting Chp. 11-13

Throughout the final chapters of the book, chapter 11-13, the setting is rather simple as it is only his jail cell, constant routines of his normal day of going to the cafeteria and yard. However as the book ends his final setting takes place in the window seat of a bus that is taking him back to the city.

Vocab. For Ch. 12-13

- Imbued : to inspire/influence thoroughly (pg. 238, paragraph 2). I wanted the group to discuss why he used the grass to compare with his survival in prison.
- Revelation : an act of revealing/disclosing (pg. 238, paragraph 3). I wanted the group to discuss how this act affected Baca.
- Brooded : thinking deeply about something that makes one unhappy/depressed (pg. 241, paragraph 1). I wanted the group to discuss why Baca felt this way after trying to drink his coffee.
- Paltry : worthless, ridiculously small (pg. 243, paragraph 3). The group should discuss why we think Baca feels this way about his life.
- Trepidation : nervous/fearful feeling of uncertain agitation (pg. 247, paragraph 1). The group should discuss why Baca feels so fearful if he's about to be free.
- Vulnerable : open to attack/damage (pg. 257, paragraph 5). Throughout the last couple of chapters, Baca repeats that he feels vulnerable. I would like the group to discuss why he feels that way if he's a grown man.

Ch. 10-11 Summary

In these two chapters, Baca writes more poetry and is down to his last months in prison. He is now 25 years old and writes poetry instead of resorting to violence to solve his problems. He met a prisoner named Chelo and started to hang out with him. Chelo taught him more about the Mexican culture and heritage. Baca used some of the information Chelo gave him and used it in his poems. At one point during chapter 11, there was a prison riot after a guard was killed. It only lasted a day because the National Guard got the prison back under control. While Baca and the other prisoners were lined up against a wall, his friend, Ray Ray, was shot and killed for not following the guard's orders. Baca dealt with his death by writing a poem about Ray Ray and sending it to his family. At the end of the chapter, Baca found out that his father had passed away and he wasn't allowed to attend his funeral. Baca was extremely upset and what upset him even more was that he couldn't bring himself to cry for his father. He felt numb and even stated that spending so much time in prison had killed a part of him. He later received a letter from his sister explaining why he couldn't attend the funeral.