73 pages • 2 hours read
Andy MulliganA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
“My name is Raphael Fernandez and I am a dumpsite boy.”
Raphael identifies, first and foremost, as a dumpsite boy. The first line of the book provides immediate perspective into his reality. In the beginning, he does not describe himself as unhappy with the situation: He is resigned to it but cheerful. By the end of the novel, he has come to understand that he and the people of Behala deserve more from their identities. The fact that they can tolerate their situations does not mean that they should.
“You live day to day and hope you don’t get sick. Your life is the hook you carry, there in your hand, turning the trash.”
“He can be mean, it’s true—but then again he’s taken more beatings than me so maybe he’s grown up faster.”