Breaking Through

Francisco is motivated to achieve “A” grades due to his desire for a college scholarship, but his typing class proves difficult, as he is graded on accuracy as well as speed. He realizes that he needs more practice in order to excel in the course; of course, a typewriter is a luxury that his family cannot afford to give him. While cleaning the law offices of Twitchel and Twtichel one evening, Francisco notices an old typewriter in the storage room. One of the partners, Bob Twitchel, offers the old machine to Francisco when he notices the boy’s interest in it. Recalling his father’s advice “[…] to avoid owing anybody anything, including favors” (93), Francisco arranges to buy the typewriter from him for five dollars. When he brings it home and his speed improves, his mother notes that he has “[…] fast fingers from picking strawberries and cotton” (93). 

Francisco earns good grades in all subjects except English at the end of his freshman year, but his sophomore English teacher, Miss Bell, effects a sea change in his attitude about reading and writing. Affable, but known to be a difficult teacher, Miss Bell assigns vocabulary, spelling words and poems to be memorized weekly. Ever industrious and creative, Francisco writes the poems on notecards and attaches them to broom handles so that he can memorize them as he works as an office cleaner after school. Despite his efforts, he continues to struggle with reading comprehension and is distracted by worrying about his father’s physical and emotional well-being.

Miss Bell’s great gift as a teacher is her capacity to instill the elements of critical thinking in her students. When describing an assignment, she tells them that “[…] I want you to analyze it” (96). Although Francisco tries very hard on his assignment, he still is given a grade of “C,” but Miss Bell indicates that he is making good progress. He develops the excellent habit of analyzing each correction that she makes in an effort to avoid making the same mistake on subsequent assignments.

When asked to write an autobiographical story, Francisco creates a narrative regarding his little brother, affectionately known as “Trampita” (Little Tramp). As an infant left to sleep on a mattress in a tent with Roberto and Francisco while his parents worked at a canning factory, Trampita had rolled out of an opening at the bottom of the tent. Upon their arrival home, his terrified parents realized that he had disappeared as his older siblings slept. Papa found the baby, purple with cold from having been outside for many hours. He had cried so much and for so long that “[…] he hurt his navel” (98) as Francisco explains to his teacher when she questions him as to the outcome of the story.

Miss Bell is fair-minded and gives Francisco the opportunity to correct, revise and re-submit his work. She advises him that “If you’re able to overcome difficulties like the one you describe in your paper and you continue working as hard as you have, you’re going to succeed” (99), and suggests that he read The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, for his book report. Although initially worried by the length of the novel, Francisco is soon enchanted by the story of poor, itinerant farm workers. He identifies with the book from the moment he reads the title: the word “grapes” recalls his time picking the fruit in Fresno, and “wrath” reminds him of the loss of a special notebook in a house fire. Most significantly, Francisco relates to Steinbeck’s story of the Joad family–the parents remind him of his own, despite the fact that they are English-speaking. He notes that he “felt for them” (102) and identifies with the hardships and injustices that they experience. He notes that “I got angry with the powers who mistreated them and was glad when Tom Joad protested and fought for their rights” (102). Francisco earns a good grade on his report, develops a lifelong love of reading, and demonstrates a sense of compassion for others.