Act 2. Scene 9:"Returning To The Barrio"

This scene was full of suspense and just opening the eyes of many. The entire scene was just chaos and confusion with everyone, especially with Hank and trying to decide between Della and Alice. I thought that Hank was going to choose Alice, seeing as though Della was never realy there anymore, and she was frightened that things had changed. I felt bad for Hank because he had to make a big decison on the spot, and the pressure must have been intense, it would have been horrible to deal with.

"But I love you...(Both GIRLS turn, HENRY  looks at ALICE, then the whole group upstage of him. Still turning, HE looks at DELLA and goes to embrace her. The freeze ends and other people enter.)" pg.92

This specific quote was said by Hank when he finally got out of prison, it is a bit difficult at first to understand who he says this to, but as the play goes on, it is clear that he is saying this to Della. He says it after the confusion finally ceases and he remembers who he really loves.

This is important in understanding how Hank is. Alice was always there for him during prison, during his tough times, lonley times, and his uncertainty, but Della was there before EVERYTHING. This quote caught my attention because I really wanted to know who Hank was going to choose, Della, or Alice. Once reading this and reading about what he did after saying it, it ws clear that he had his mind made up and he was going to stick true with his "esa".

QUESTION:Was it hard to figure out who Hank was going to choose? Do you think that he made an honest choice, or was it because he was thinking about what was going on at the time of all the confusion?

Act 2. Scene 8: "The Winning of The War"

This scene had surprises, and it was short but held a lot of information. I would have never guessed Rudy joining the war efforts, he was down to continue in his brother's footsteps and become the next family Pachuco. The appeal was a success and that ending was, inspiring, and it showed that persistence is the key, and determination, and support as well.

"FREEDOM!!!" pg. 87

The People say this when they learn that the boys of the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial, were set free to live thier lives once more. They announce it to the world, to let everyone know that everything was solved and the boys were free once more.

This quote is specifically important because, the line before was left without ending, and it just gave everyone, the boys, the audience, that sigh of releif that they needed.

QUESTION: Was this the end of sentancing against the Pachucos, or just simply the beggining?

Act 2, Scene 7: "Alice"

This scene was very confusing; inevitable yet surprising. I knew that it was going to come the time that Hank was going to get lonely in prison and since Alice was the only female at the time that could visit him, seeing as Della was also incarcerated, it was getting heated, in the sense that Hank and Alice must have started to feel something for eachother if they were constantly fighting eachother, and the love that Alice had for Hank was begging to show. Aside from having feelings for each other the appeal was beginning to reach a breakthrough and various events were beginning to unfold.

"The appeal, the case, all the shit you do you think the public gives a goddamn?" pg. 83

Hank says this to Alice while he is still incarcerated and having difficulty deciding on whether or not to believe anything anymore, he is still trying to overcome his feeling of despair. I bleieve that Hank, at the time, was having a lot of trouble deciding wether or not what Alice and George were doing was to be trusted or not, and he said this out of uncertainty, seeing how all the Pachucos were being treated at the time.

 This quote is important in understanding Hank's view on how everything was begining to unfold. He still believed that there was no support, and that there was no hope for him and the boys, nothing was going to go thier way.

QUESTION: Did this sleepy lagoon case have a big part to play in the riots that were happening on the outside?

Act 2, Scene 6 Zoot Suit Riots

My overall impression of scene 6 was that it was okay, i did not like the end result. Just because primarily Mexicans, Filipinos and blacks wore the zoot suits it didn't necessarily mean that they were the only ones to wear them during that time. It saddened me and angered me to read that Pachuco was yet another victim of the harassment toward Pachucos. To be stripped down, and humiliated in front of all your "carnales" is simply unjust and demeaning. Overall this was the scene that got me the most angry because Pachuco was doing nothing but trying to clear up the names for Pachucos.

"You savages weren't even wearing clothes when the white man pulled you out of the jungle." pg.80

The press said this to the Pachuco when they (Pachuco and the Marines) were going to get into a fight, over some stupid nonsense that meant nothing, but that one fight, sparked an entire crime raid of riots against the Pachucos. The reason that this was said to the Pachuco was because

This specific quote is important because it signifies what the white people think of the minorites at the time, in which they feel as though they are superior than the Mexicans, Filipinos, and blacks and they feel as though they shouldnt have the right to "waste" fabric that is "rightfully" thiers. The quote shows the hate and the tension building between the Pachucos and the "whites". It very well does add to the riots, because with this attitude that the marines began to show as they returned from the war, it sparked a crime raid of fights, and violence in the streets of LA.

Question: Was it only the Marines that got into fights with the Pachucos, or was it just anyone who just simply did not agree with what was happening in LA at the time?

Act 2 Scene:5 Solitary

I really do like this scene in the sense that the troublesome battle begins between Hank and his Pachuco friend/side. Hank doesn't want to accept anything that the Pachuco tells him, Hank is still trying to believe that the case will prevail and that the appeal will end up on top and win. I especially like this scene because Hank is really trying to not fall into believing that all hope is lost.

 "Not to expect justice when it isn't there. No court in the land's going to set you free. Learn to protect your loves by hiding them in hate ese! Stop hanging on to false hopes. The moment those hopes come crashing down, you'll find yourself on the ground foaming at the mouth. !Como Loco!" Pg. 78

The direct person saying the quote is the Pachuco. The Pachuco tells Hank this while Hank is in prison. The reason why the Pachuco says this is so that Hank can begin to let go of everything he is being lead to believe and start to believe things he once believed, which is that there is no getting out for him, there is nothing left to hope for.

This quote is important because Hank learned to let go of what he once believed in and he now begins to believe in Alice, George, and his community to get him out. Hank changed while in prison, he began to want to believe more in the appeal and everything that was happening and let go of all of that hate, and the uncertainty of another Mexican Pachuco's fate.

QUESTION: In your opinion, why did the Pachuco constantly face a very hard road when it came to accepting what Alice and George were doing for Hank?