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| Plot Summary of And the Shadows Took Him |
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Atria, May 2004, 25.00, 352 pp.
ISBN: 0743466381
William Molina feels good that he is the first Hispanic-American to be promoted to management as a dispatcher in Fresno and shocks his wife Rachel, his teenage daughter Vero , and his two sons teen Billy and preadolescent Joey by taking them to dinner. The family has never been to a waitress based restaurant where a person serves the meal. Not long after that William knows he has obtained the American dream as he relocates to Oregon as a middle class worker.
However, Joey also realizes that leaving impoverished Fresno did not remove the stereotype label of Latino gang member. While Joey performs at his new school in the role of punk hood, William struggles with the darker side of the American dream that he finds lacks substance. Already known for his temper though he always controlled his fists, his anger may break his family apart if he does not learn to control his growing wrath.
This is an intriguing character study that takes an extremely dark look at the impact of the American dream on one's roots. The story line is driven by the five Molinas as readers get a close look at each of them and through them aspects of the Mexican-American culture. Daniel Chacon paints a deep tale that makes the case that assimilation is not all that it seems.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of And the Shadows Took Him |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- present (2000-2010)
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Inside culture (main char)
- Hispanic/Spanish
Other aspects:
- story of the poor
Culture clash?
- family young v. old guard
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society)
- American Pacific Coast
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Age group of kid(s) in story:
- high school
Parents/lack of parents problem?
- parental abuse
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- blue collar
Age:
- 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Hispanic/Latinic
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Pacific NW
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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