Post by Proxy for N Aldana

Chacon’s novel is one that I really enjoyed! I felt all these emotions coming out in me, because my father grew up in a similar Mexican family, and also didn’t receive love and affection from his mother. The life Joey leads is a sad one, always letting him down. His mother angers me to the core! Why did she choose not to hug her children? I didn’t feel she had any excuse not to be affectionate towards them. Especially since she had no problem with being affectionate with her husband! So why choose not to with the children? I believe a lot of the problems the children have stem from how they were raised by Rachel also. Vero just knew she would never accept her father’s ways. Why would she though! He never did anything to show her he cared about her, and she didn’t owe him anything. She had every right to leave, and Rachel should have never chosen her husband over her own flesh and blood! Vero couldn’t even count on her mother when it was about doing something about William’s ways. Rachel failed to do anything about William’s actions and mean temper. Billy had been William’s target for taking his frustrations out on, so I believe all those years of abuse got to him. He turned into this angry and emotionless teen. It was too late for him; William had got the best of him. So, now that Billy wasn’t the target anymore, Joey took that place. This led’s me to believe that is why Billy might have treated Joey badly as did William. He was no longer his father’s target, and Billy probably felt a sense of relief. The torment that Joey endures in this sad glimpse into his life is a heart wrenching one! Joey just wanted to be loved. He wanted to be accepted for who he really was, but was too scared to show it. William did nothing but constantly put Joey down, telling him he was stupid and worthless, dumb as the come. No wonder Joey had such troubled issues with acceptance from his peers. And, his mother didn’t make things better by just telling William to shut up, and not talk to the children in that manner. She enabled him to scar these children for life! She is just as guilty as William. I feel very passionate about Chacon’s novel because it allows people to see the terrible things that arise from emotionally and physically harming your children. As I previously said, this novel struck a sensitive spot in my heart. My father always tells me how he believed showing your children you love and care for them is so important! My father told me that he will never forget the way he felt growing up in that type of family, and that he would never be like that. He made a promise to himself that when he had children, they would be shown that their loved. I can say that he did a wonderful job, especially since he was not taught that from his mother and father. “and the shadows took him”, made me thankful for my parents and their love for me!