Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-7

Chapters 8-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-14

Chapters 15-17

Chapters 18-20

Chapters 21-22

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 4-7Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 4 Summary: “Trigger”

The following morning, Danny is standing outside his house in the cold, waiting for Marcus. When Marcus asks what the words “BIENVENIDOS A NUESTRA CASA” written on Danny’s doormat mean, Danny translates them as “Welcome to our house” (33) and explains that his grandparents are from Colombia. Surprised that Marcus doesn’t speak Spanish, Danny tries to talk to him about Puerto Rico. Marcus shuts the conversation down, telling him “to stop asking questions” (34).

At school, Stephen is hanging out by Marcus’s locker. When Marcus comes within earshot, Stephen starts talking to his gang about Charlie, questioning why he gets to start school later than everyone else. Stephen turns to Marcus and says, “So Gigantor [...] Where’s your brother?” (35) while mocking the hand gestures that Charlie sometimes makes. Marcus tries not to react, but Stephen, playing to the crowd that gathered, keeps agitating him, eventually calling Charlie a “re—” (36). Marcus, his anger boiling just below the surface, cuts him off with, “Don’t you dare say that word” (36). Danny steps in, telling Marcus to ignore Stephen. When Stephen refers to Puerto Rico as “another country” (36), Danny is unable to control himself and says, “Puerto Rico is part of the United States, you ignoramus!” (36). Stephen, seeing an opportunity, leans in close and whispers to Danny that he is just like Charlie, “Both a couple of….” (36). This word is the trigger that sends Marcus into a blind rage; without a second thought, he punches Stephen hard, knocking him into the lockers. The students scatter. As a teacher looks from Stephen to Marcus, Stephen “smirks through bloody teeth” (37), pleased with his successful baiting.

Chapter 5 Summary: “Trouble with a Capital T”

Melissa and Stephen’s parents are called into an emergency meeting with Principal Jenkins, Stephen, and Marcus. Mr. Hobert refuses to sit down, and Mrs. Hobert angrily demands the severest punishment for Marcus, all the while stroking Stephen’s head. Stephen tells his side of the story: Marcus was picking on a sixth grader, and Marcus punched Stephen when he tried to intervene on the younger student’s behalf. He also tells the principal that Marcus takes money and phones from younger students. When Principal Jenkins asks Marcus for his version of the story, Marcus is overwhelmed and remains silent. Mr. Jenkins gently asks Marcus if Stephen’s story is true, and Marcus shakes his head and says no. Ignoring Mrs. Hobert’s angry interruptions, Principal Jenkins coaxes Marcus to speak. He explains his businesses and shares that he is collecting the money for his family’s “Cookie Monster Cash” (43). Marcus’s mother, who was unaware that he was adding money to the family’s emergency fund, tears up, quietly saying, “No, baby. No” (43). Mr. Hobert is impressed by Marcus’s ingenuity and warms to him. Then, Marcus explains why he punched Stephen: “He called my brother and this other kid the R word” (43). Stephen vehemently denies this. Principal Jenkins calls in Danny, who confirms Marcus’s version of events. Marcus is suspended, and Stephen—to his mother’s horror—is punished with a week of detention and community service. Principal Jenkins keeps Melissa in the office to discuss Charlie and Marcus. He knows that Marcus is not a bully, but he worries that his desire to protect his brother is jeopardizing Marcus’s schooling. He gives Melissa a brochure for “The Academy for Exceptional Students” (46), which he recommends for Charlie. Melissa is offended and storms out. She goes to get Charlie, who is confused about the unexpected schedule change, and the three of them go home.

Chapter 6 Summary: “The If Factor”

Marcus goes to his room and lies on his bed, going over the scant memories he has of his early childhood with his father. His mother interrupts Marcus’s thoughts, telling him that she must take a week off work because of his suspension. She should be mad at him, but she isn’t. She understands that Mr. Jenkins is right: Marcus has too much responsibility for a 14-year-old boy. Melissa knows she works too much, and she is determined to make some changes. First, she wants to regroup as a family. When Melissa asks Marcus where he would like to go for a family trip, he chooses Puerto Rico without hesitation. Initially, Marcus’s suggestion annoys her, as she is unwilling to contemplate seeing his father. However, she warms to the idea when she realizes that they could stay at no cost with her Uncle Ermenio in Old San Juan. Since she already has access to free flights through her job with the airline, having free accommodations would make the trip affordable. Marcus is excited about the possibility of seeing his father, imagining a loving reunion and possibly getting financial help for Charlie and the expensive new school. Marcus asks his mother to email his father. She reluctantly agrees to do so but stresses that this trip is not about finding his father. Rather, it is a “reset” to allow the three of them to “spend time together as a team” (55).

Chapter 7 Summary: “Pressing Send”

Even though he is suspended, Marcus walks the kids who already paid him to school the following morning. Melissa worries that he will get into more trouble, but Marcus reassures her that it is just for one day and that he has to honor his commitment. First, Marcus picks up Danny, who is surprised and happy to see him. Danny tells Marcus that he started a petition to get Marcus back in school, and all the sixth graders already signed it. The other students on his route run out to greet him, asking questions about the punch. To their delight, Marcus talks to them. One of them says, “I feel so important all of a sudden” (61). Marcus tells them to meet him a block away from school at the end of the day, and he’ll walk them home. This will ensure that he doesn’t break the rules of his suspension.

The weekend marks the start of spring break. After dinner and a joyful buildup, Melissa tells Marcus and Charlie that she has three tickets to Puerto Rico. Charlie is initially disappointed that the trip is not to Disney, but he quickly recovers and studies the itinerary, jumping up and down with excitement. Marcus begs Melissa again for his father’s email address. She finally gives it to him, along with a stern reminder that this trip is not about his father. Marcus goes to his room and turns on his computer. He is unsure of what to write: “How do you start an email to a father you haven’t seen in ten years?” (65). After several false starts, Marcus writes a short introduction and the flight details, hoping that his dad will pick them up at the airport, and presses send. Marcus checks his inbox every time he goes to his room, but his father doesn’t reply.

The day before they leave, Marcus goes to Danny’s house to tell him about the trip. Danny has been to Puerto Rico and shares advice about what to pack. He lends Marcus his parents’ camera, which Marcus gratefully accepts. At home, Melissa opens a box containing Marcus’s father’s driver’s license, photos, and other personal items. She sadly tells Marcus that his father left without warning, calling her from Puerto Rico and “halfheartedly” (70) suggesting that she join him. She tries to get Marcus to understand why she doesn’t want to see him, but Marcus is convinced that there must be a miscommunication. Marcus, upset, takes the license and leaves the room. Charlie is too busy learning everything he can about Puerto Rico, including salsa dancing, to pay much attention to the contents of the box.

Marcus packs his backpack, lies on his bed, and thinks about his father. He looks at his father’s ID: MARCUS ANTONIO VEGA. They share the same first and last name, are about the same height, and have the same eye and hair color and unsmiling pose. Marcus checks his email again but finds nothing from his father. He composes another short message, telling his father that he is taking his ID to Puerto Rico, and maybe they can meet so Marcus can give it back to him. Marcus hesitates but presses send.

Chapter 4-7 Analysis

Danny is one of Marcus’s foils, and his character is fleshed out in Chapter 4. Of Colombian ancestry, Danny can relate to Marcus because he has a Puerto Rican father. The two students resemble each other, and Danny is also perceived as different from the other kids. Unlike Marcus, Danny is chatty, speaks Spanish, and is keen to talk about their heritage. He demonstrates genuine interest in Marcus and his life. This confuses Marcus, who is not used to other students’ showing much interest in him. Danny is deeply proud of his Colombian roots, in contrast to Marcus, who hasn’t learned Spanish or given much thought to Puerto Rico or his connection to his heritage. Danny, like Charlie, clearly discerns right from wrong. He is unable to ignore injustice. Therefore, despite being much smaller than Marcus, it is Danny who first stands up to Stephen, calling him an “ignoramus” for not knowing Puerto Rico is part of the US.

Stephen is a stereotypical school bully who verbally abuses other students and takes great pleasure in manipulating others. For example, he continues to taunt Marcus until he snaps. Although provoking Marcus causes him physical pain, “Stephen smirks through bloody teeth” (37). This is in stark contrast to Marcus, who is not a bully but believes that everyone assumes he is because of his intimidating size. Consequently, Marcus tries to avoid confrontation, knowing that any infraction will be amplified because he is bigger than his peers. This resistance infuriates Stephen, who sees Marcus as a challenge. He mimics Charlie, calls Marcus names, and mocks his poor coordination but doesn’t provoke a physical reaction from Marcus until he crosses the line and uses a slur to mock Charlie. Stephen is aware of the offensiveness of his language choice because he says the word so quietly that only Danny and Marcus hear it. Stephen’s power is illustrated by the fact that the students who witness the provocation say nothing to the teacher about it. This interaction also highlights The Power of Words. In this case, one word triggers a response that affects an entire family and has potentially devastating consequences.

Marcus has dealt with people jumping to conclusions based on his appearance for years, and the language that Stephen’s mother uses is indicative of this. Stephen’s mother refers to Marcus as “a brute of a boy” (39). When Marcus explains that Stephen is the bully, she calls him a liar, adding “You’re the one! Look at how big you are---” (42). While she says this, she strokes Stephen’s hair and coddles him, protecting him from the threat she judges Marcus to be. However, not everyone prejudges Marcus. The students that he walks to school idolize him and feel special when he talks to them. Mr. Hobert does not believe Marcus is a bully and is impressed with Marcus’s ingenuity after he listens to his explanation of the ways he earns extra money for his family. When Danny lends Marcus his parents’ camera, Marcus is surprised: “I’m not used to someone giving me something just because they want to. Usually there is a transaction. I get something, they get something. Fear is generally a factor. This is a first” (69).

Marcus is an introvert, unlike his extroverted brother, who is happy to jump into any new adventure once he learns its details. Marcus dwells on the family’s finances and fixates on finding their father before leaving for Puerto Rico, while Charlie spends his time learning about Puerto Rican culture. As the trip unfolds, Marcus learns lessons about trusting and embracing other people from Charlie; he begins to realize that he does not always have to be in control of every situation.

The strength of Marcus’s relationship with his mother is shown by her unwavering support of him following the incident with Stephen. Melissa knows that she should be “pretty mad” (50) at Marcus, but she acknowledges the family’s challenges and understands that Marcus is shouldering too much responsibility for his age. Prior to the meeting at school, Melissa did not know that Marcus was putting his earnings in the family’s emergency fund jar. This underscores Marcus’s generosity and his lack of interest in highlighting his good deeds. Despite his closeness to his mother, Marcus believes that she simply hasn’t been clear enough with his father about their difficult financial situation. He is convinced that his father will help them when they go to Puerto Rico and ignores his mother’s observation that “your father has had plenty of opportunity to help and he hasn’t, Marcus. Not once” (52). However, Marcus thinks that he can clear up the “huge miscommunication” (70) that happened between his parents, revealing that he is unwilling to believe that someone who seems so similar to himself could simply abandon his family.

The theme of The Power of Words is highlighted when Marcus tries to compose his first email to his father. Marcus realizes that he doesn’t know what to say: “How do you start an email to a father you haven’t seen in ten years?” (65). Marcus knows that whatever he writes will be his father’s first impression of him in a decade. The power of the written word is underscored by the anxiety that the absence of words causes. Marcus’s father doesn’t respond to his emails, so Marcus constantly checks his inbox and worries about what the deafening silence means. He makes excuses to justify his father’s silence: “Maybe he’s just busy. He might have the e-mail and decide that he doesn’t need to respond. He’ll just show up” (67). The silence casts doubt and confusion on Marcus’s tenuous belief that his father is a good and caring man and foreshadows the disappointing nature of their reunion on the island.