Blog #5 - Always Running - A Fast Break for Luis

       I found another thing that I really like about Rodriguez's writing style: his abstract flow of words. One of the language tools we're currently honing in class is diction, and in a recent test we focused on how Rodriguez manipulates his words to perfectly describe the raw emotion in the memories displayed in the book. There are times where he tells things as it is, explicitly sparing no detail, but there are times where he uses abstract detail to emphasize a certain feeling in particular scenes. One of these moments that I'd like to focus on is at the end of chapter four.

       At this moment in time, Luis feels guilty about breaking up with his then girlfriend, Payasa, who subsequently got herself seriously injured while under the influence. Before going off to break into another scene, Rodriguez ends this section with Payasa's brother, Wilo, simply stating: "That's Payasa, man." The importance of this simple statement, which references the same statement said earlier in the chapter, is that it gives a sense of finality. Although it could be seen as Wilo comforting Luis, the way Rodriguez repeats this line, and makes it stand alone in it's own small paragraph, implies that he was trying to take blame for what happened. This sets up a more darker atmosphere for what happens next.

    After the break, Rodriguez explains how he attempted suicide. However, he doesn't tell you straight out. Within this moment, he compares the act with music that's getting "louder" and won't "let up". His words become abstract as he describes this memory, symbolic to how lost he's feeling. He soon gets snapped into life when he's saved by Wilo and Baba, which at that point, his words start to take back their literal form.
   
     The following paragraph describes how he's accepted back into the house after showing his mother a small bit of humility. Unlike the previous scenes, the sentences are shortened, and describe simple actions. These shortened sentences add a sort of relief of sorts, but still have a sense about them as if they were just dreams. By doing this, Rodriguez implies that despite this short break, he's still looking for his own worth. A search that will definitely call for more mistakes.