ONeil 1

Jeffrey ONeil

Professor Orta

ENG 123

4 December 2017

Life Changes

Brando Skyhorse, an author and native of Echo Park, Los Angeles writes with

the purpose of bringing awareness to the many societal flaws immigrants are faced with

in his novel The Madonnas Of Echo Park. Through eight related short stories Skyhorse

depicts the struggle with identity both men and women immigrants go through while

attempting to live the American lifestyle. In each chapter the narrator (main character)

demonstrates a different archetype which is defined by Carl Golden in his article, The

12 Common Archetypes, as Basic human motifs with each type having its own set of

values, meanings, and personality traits (Golden 1). Skyhorse uses each narrators

archetype to portray the overarching theme each chapter consists of. For instance,

Freddy, the narrator of chapter six falls under the self type category as The Jester, one

who seeks to live life daring and in the moment.Through Freddys chapter, Skyhorse

specifically uses plot and point of view to allude to the theme. With the sequence of

major events that occur in the chapter along with Freddys first-person narrative, the

reader is led to the overall conclusion that life happens quick. If one is not willing to

make the certain changes it takes to keep up they will simply be left behind.

The Jesters beliefs involve living life with pure enjoyment. Boredom and a

stagnant lifestyle are the biggest fears for The Jester. they are also be known as the
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fool or trickster in society. Throughout the chapter Freddy demonstrates the attitude

and traits that resemble those of The Jester. From early in the chapter his tone is witty.

He uses spanish swear words and comical sayings in like kick-the-spic bonanza

(Skyhorse 105) in his storytelling that reveal a sense and level of humor to the reader.

But it isn't until the chapter progresses where we learn about Freddy in a broader

perspective that correlates his beliefs with that of The Jester. In one instance, Freddy

goes from ranting about the disliking he has towards straight jobs due to the lack of

excitement, to explaining how his hustling roots came about. From there he talks about

running away as a kid, describing himself as crazy...never stopping to think things

through past tomorrow (108). This self characterization Freddy gives himself

accompanies The Jesters core desire which is to live in the moment. His infatuation

with the crime ridden lifestyle continues as he discusses the excitements that come

from living a crooked lifestyle. There is no direct line to becoming the perfect con man,

no end of your apprenticeship, no place where you can look down from a comfortable

perch and take a breather. Instead, there are a series of shortfalls, switchbacks,

missteps, and flubbed cues, navigating a world of mazes...That's what I love about it

(Skyhorse 108). In addition to this quote, it is made clear Freddys main drive in life is

the excitement of things. Instead of seeing the world for what it is, he sees it as a

playground of self stimulation with no regard to rules. This adrenaline junky personality

Skyhorse depicts in Freddy best categorizes him as The Jester archetype.

Plot and point of view play a key role in expressing the overall theme of chapter

six. Skyhorse designs a downfall in the sequence of events Freddy encounters that
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eventually leads him to the bitter realization that change is necessary. In the beginning

half of the chapter Skyhorse uses first person narrative to construct a definitive structure

to Freddys personality. This unlocks insight to Freddys past that is vital in supporting

Skyhorses message. For instance, being aware of Freddys recent release from prison

gives the reader some knowledge behind the type of person he is as well as why he

feels detached from his hometown. It is made clear from the beginning that Freddy

thinks highly of himself from the way he describes his past. Although as he returns back

to his home after 12 years behind bars he realizes a lot has changed. where are the

chicanos? (113) is one of the first things he says as he makes his way through his

hometown to his ex-wifes place. He goes on saying I remember or, I thought

multiple times in the next few paragraphs whenever there is something different with the

town he used to live in. The turn of events that Skyhorse infuses in the chapter starting

with Freddys discovery of his ex girlfriend Cristinas death, demonstrates the quickness

of pace in which life moves at. It is from then on Freddy begins to realize that everything

in the town is different and everyone he used to know is gone. He finally comes to the

realization that he needs to bring change to his life after he tries hustling a guy at one of

the neighborhood bars. It isnt until he is beat up and sleeping on the street when he

then decides to leave his old life behind and try something new. The series of events

along with the first person narrative Skyhorse portrays in the chapter brings to life the

true meaning of Freddys journey. We get a glimpse of his old life compared to what he

returns to after 12 years and can see in many different occasions how time has affected

him from experiencing old life again. Now, Freddy is an unknown character in his old
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town. Nobody recognizable or close to him remains and it's all due to the fact that he

was unable to change at a time in his life where society demanded it in order to stay

relevant.

The overall theme is often rarely exposed in the text of a literary piece. It is

usually composed through the literary devices the author decides to include. In The

Madonnas Of Echo Park, Brandon Skyhorse uses literary devices such as plot and

point of view to configure a powerful theme in chapter six. He even delves deeper into

assigning Freddy traits and characteristics that resemble The Jesters archetype.

Freddys motto, core desire, goals, strategies, weaknesses, and talents all play a role in

revealing the overall theme: Life continues without those who could not make change

within their lives. While freddy seeked change all along, he was enable to make the

change due to his fears of living a boring, or, original lifestyle.

Citations

Skyhorse, Brando. The Madonnas of Echo Park. New York: Free Press, 2011.

Print.

Golden, Carl. The 12 Common Archetypes.