Sanchez
The short story "Sanchez," written by Richard Dokey, is a story about
Juan Sanchez and his family. "Sanchez" is told in many different settings,
which are all unique and represent various feelings that Dokey portrays to
his readers. The settings are described realistically; they affect Juan and
Jesus in personal ways. The settings vary from a small village in Mexico to
the Sierra Nevada in California.
At first the story is set in Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley. Jesus,
Juan's son, got his first job in a cannery called Flotill. Stockton is shown
to be a working town where Juan had lived before. To Jesus, Stockton is his
future and his hopes are large enough to shield him from the "skid row"
section of town. Jesus was to live in a cheap hotel while he worked in the
cannery. The hotel was described as stained, soiled, and smelly (151).
Jesus is proud of his room and his job, but Juan only sees them as
disappointing. Stockton, for Juan, brings back memories of hard work and
time away from his wife, La Belleza. La Belleza was the prime focus of
Juan's life and if he was away from her, he definitely wasn't happy; this is
why Juan has bad feelings for Stockton. From the hotel, we, as readers, are
taken through the town of Stockton. There are torn buildings and rubble all
over the place. A "warm and dirty" pool hall was Jesus' "entertainment"
(152). This smoky pool hall was recreation for Jesus but Juan only seemed to
be disgusted. To Jesus the pool hall was a place to relax while he wasn't
working in the cannery. Next, Juan and his son parted because Juan was
feeling tired from the events of the day. Juan got in his car and returned
home to Twin Pines to reflect on his past.
Twin Pines was where Juan and his wife had lived for about six years, but
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