26 pages • 52 minutes read
Gary SotoThe No-Guitar Blues
Fiction | Short Story | YA | Published in 1990A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Guitar/Guitarrón
Fausto’s desire for a guitar motivates his actions throughout the story and symbolizes success and the American dream for him. His desire for a guitar is sparked by seeing Los Lobos perform on American Bandstand, a symbolic blend of Mexican American culture and music and American opportunity. Seeing the Los Lobos guitarist play on TV, Fausto sees rock stardom as his ticket to fame and fortune. In keeping with typical American dream stories, Fausto tries to earn his guitar through hard work, attempting to mow lawns and rake leaves to make some money. When this doesn’t work, he tries his hand at trickery but feels rotten when it works. Though he gets the money for the guitar, he won’t sully the guitar’s symbolism by buying it with his ill-gotten money.
Integrity is also part of American dream mythology, so when Fausto shows it, he is rewarded with a guitarrón. A Mexican instrument, this gift is even more meaningful for Fausto because it allows him to blend his American dream with his Mexican roots. This symbolism is deepened when his grandfather, Lupe, teaches him to play the instrument—the name Lupe means “wolf,” connecting him directly with Los Lobos, which means “the wolves.” In the end, Fausto is on his way to achieving his dream thanks to his family and culture.
Food
Food is a motif in the story that establishes verisimilitude—a sense of reality—and represents love and connection. Throughout the story, Fausto’s mother cooks Mexican dishes—tortillas, chorizo con huevos, and his “favorite enchiladas.” As traditional foods, these contribute to the atmosphere in Fausto’s home and add texture to his cultural background. Additionally, his mother is always serving food when she’s engaging meaningfully with Fausto; she is rolling tortillas when she tells him “we’ll see” about getting a guitar (which he interprets negatively, though she does find him an instrument), she is cooking breakfast when she says she’s proud of him for going to church, and Fausto is eating her enchiladas when she reveals the news about the guitarrón. As such, food is connected with care and building Fausto’s self-esteem. This symbolism is deepened when Fausto receives a turnover from Helen—after hearing that Fausto lives on the poor side of town, she and her husband want to take care of him. Faust reflects that this turnover looks just like an empanada, representing cross-cultural connection and the idea that people aren’t so different from each other deep down.
$20 Bill
The $20 bill Fausto receives from the wealthy couple symbolizes guilt and sin. While Fausto already feels guilty about lying when he starts his ruse, the couple’s insistence that he accept $20 as a reward is the nail in the coffin. The minute Fausto looks at the bill, “he [knows] he [is] in trouble” (Paragraph 37). He specifies that he is not worried about his parents’ reaction to him suddenly having $20; he knows that he won’t be able to live with himself and his guilt over deceiving this couple. With the money in hand, Fausto cannot forgive himself for lying. Even his immense desire for a guitar cannot eclipse his shame. This ultimately leads to the story’s climax, during which Fausto donates the money to the church collection basket. At this moment, the bill becomes a totem through which he can absolve himself—a sacrifice he can make to God to right his wrongs. Once he gives up the bill, he experiences relief and a sense of exoneration: “He felt cleared of wrongdoing and was so happy that he played one of his best games of football ever” (Paragraph 55). This feeling is reinforced by Fausto receiving the guitarrón after donating the $20 bill to the church. Absolved of his sin, he is rewarded for his good heart.
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By Gary Soto
