How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
As I gazed at the dead fish, the image of the goldfish flashed in my mind. I quickly ran to our cabin and got the empty Hills Brothers coffee can. I filled it with water and began picking up the dying fish from the mud puddles, putting them in the can, and dumping them in the creek. After a couple of hours, I was exhausted there were too many and I could not work fast enough to save them all. (5.19)
Francisco isn't about to take no for an answer, and when he sees those fish dying, he works as fast as he possibly can. Did you notice all the steps he took to help save the fish? He is one dedicated dude. But even with all that hard work, lots of the fish can't be saved—in this case, hard work just isn't enough.
Quote #5
They each took a row. I went ahead about a quarter of the way into Papá's row. I took my hands out of my pockets and started picking and piling the cotton in the furrow. Within seconds my toes were numb and I could hardly move my fingers. My hands were turning red and purple. I kept blowing on them, trying to keep warm. […] I could not go on. Frustrated and disappointed, I walked over to Papá. He straightened up and looked down at me. His eyes were red and watery from the cold. Before I said anything, he looked at Roberto, who bravely kept on picking, and told me to go over to the fire. I knew then I had not yet earned my own cotton sack. (8.33)
There's one thing Francisco wants more than anything: his own cotton sack. His dad says he's too young though, so he has to settle for putting his cotton into his family member's bags. When it's freezing cold outside and Francisco decides to pick cotton anyway though, you can bet he's trying to prove a point. Why do you think Francisco is so driven to get his own cotton sack? What does this tell us about his character?
Quote #6
That evening, and for several days after, I was too tired to play outside when we got home from work. I went straight to bed after supper. But as I got more and more used to picking strawberries, I began to play kick-the-can again. The game was always the same. […]
Work was always the same, too. We picked rom six o'clock in the morning until six in the afternoon. Even though the days were long, I looked forward to seeing Gabriel and having lunch with him every day. I enjoyed listening to him tell stories and talk about Mexico. (10.34-35)
When Francisco gets back to work after being at school for months, his body isn't used to all the fruit picking, so he's as sore as can be. Over time, though, he gets used to all the work, even if it sounds pretty monotonous.