LS 5653--MODULE 4: THE SKIRT

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Soto, Gary. 1992. THE SKIRT. Illus. by Eric Velasquez. Delacorte Press: New York, NY. ISBN: 0-385-30665-2

PLOT SUMMARY

Miata is always forgetting things. This time she has forgotten her folkloríco skirt on the school bus. She has to have the skirt for her dance presentation on Sunday. She doesn’t want to tell her mother because she will be scolded. So, Miata hatches a plan and solicits the help of her best friend Ana. The two friends, along with the boy who “caused” Miata to forget the skirt, sneak into to the gated school bus parking lot to retrieve the skirt. They have several suspenseful moments and are almost discovered. But they successfully gather the skirt. Miata is relieved! However, her mother has a surprise for her on the morning of the dance which could have saved Miata a great deal of stress. Miata’s mother gave her a new folkloríco skirt. As a gesture to bring the past and the present together, Miata wears both for the performance.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Mr. Soto has written a sweet and funny tale with THE SKIRT. This novel would be an excellent addition to any library collection.

The characters in this story are developed and likeable. Miata is an average young girl. She and her best friend are annoyed by boys on the bus. She tries to solve her problems without her parents, especially when she fears the consequence. Miata is not a perfect character. Despite her rationalization, she forgets the skirt on the bus. The reason she had it to begin with was to show it off at school. Instead of telling her mother the truth, she devises a plan to get the skirt back without adult knowledge. Although the plan is successful, it could have had dire consequences that Miata does not consider. Her best friend Ana attempts to talk Miata out of the plan. When she is unsuccessful, Ana gives in and helps Miata retrieve her skirt. She tries to be the voice of reason but gives in to her friend. Ana writes her name in the dirt on the side of a bus. She quickly erases her impulsive writing, but the readers see her more frivolous side.

A limited amount is known about Miata’s parents; however readers are aware that they are involved in Miata’s daily life. Readers see a meal the family shares. They partake of papas fritas, frijoles, salad, and steak. The description of the meal is half Spanish and half English. This could represent that the family is a combination of cultures. As the family eats, they joke with one another and share the day’s events. The term of “Mi’ja” is used also. This is an affectionate term for one’s child in Spanish. One can sense the togetherness and love at that family table.

Mexican American families are typically close knit. Family and extended family are an integral part of life. This is seen in THE SKIRT. The entire reason Miata must get the skirt back is to avoid disappointing her mother and the rest of her family at her dance troupe’s Folkloríco performance. Mr. Soto wisely avoids including stereotypes of Mexican families with the family in THE SKIRT. The Ramirez family has 2 children. The parents have steady jobs. Only the nuclear family lives in the house; there are not 25 relatives all living under one roof. The Ramirez family’s lifestyle reflects their Mexican heritage but also reflects a lifestyle many non-Mexican readers would relate to.

The plot of the story is a simple one. Yet it keeps the readers’ attention and interest. The basic plot is that Miata has forgotten her skirt on the bus and decides to rescue it. Her rescue mission is suspenseful but not going to produce anxiety in the reader. Will Miata be successful? Readers follow her to eventual success. Then Miata and the reader are greeted with a plot twist. Miata’s mother has purchased a new skirt for her to wear at Sunday’s dance. Her mother refers to the skirt she was working to get back as “that old thing”. She does not hold it in the esteem that Miata thought. The trouble the skirt caused is never revealed to Miata’s parents. As a final gesture to her mother and to the importance of the skirt, Miata decides to wear both of her skirts. The new one is on top. The old one is underneath. It is providing support and a foundation for the top skirt just like one’s family does.

The illustrations are very limited. However, the gray pencil sketch drawings are effective in relaying a message to the reader. They provide a straightforward view into the characters. Readers know what Miata, Ana, and the Ramirez family look like. This story is set in suburban California in the recent past or present day. The characters’ dress and the background illustration match this setting.

The simplistic illustrations provide faces to match the characters. They also remind the readers that not all Mexican faces look the same. Each character looks distinctive. Ana and Miata are the same age and ethnicity, but they are not drawn in an identical way. They are two separate characters and are drawn to reflect this. Even the drawing of the crowd at the Folkloríco dance is composed of individual faces.

The theme of THE SKIRT is the importance of family. All of Miata’s actions were driven by her desire to please her parents. Miata did not want her parents to be embarrassed if she was the only dancer without the proper skirt. Miata is not the only member of the family who sees the importance of family. Miata’s father had moved his family out of Los Angeles in search of a better, more relaxed life. He had grown up on a farm in Mexico and sought out that way of life.

Interspersed throughout THE SKIRT, Gary Soto has woven simple Spanish words into the text of this English story. None of the words are translated for the reader, but one can use context clues to decipher the meaning. A glossary is not needed when the word is included in sentences that explain the meaning without being redundant. For example, Miata refers to the family having carne del viernes. This meal is “their father’s reward for a week of hard work” (pg 21). Even without knowing Spanish, one could conclude that these words describe the standard dinner fare of Friday evening.

In the story, Folkloríco dance is part of the periphery of the story. The reader does not learn anything specific about how the dance is performed. Rather the reader learns that there is a specific costume that dancers are expected to wear and that this type of dancing can be a source of pride and esteem. Miata is not dreading the dance. She is excited about performing and making her family proud. She is respectful of the dance and what it means.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “…spunky and imaginative" heroine, Miata comes up with a clever plan to retrieve her beloved folklorico dance skirt.”

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This is a light, engaging narrative that successfully combines information on Hispanic culture with familiar and recognizable childhood themes…A fine read-aloud and discussion starter, this story blends cultural differences with human similarities to create both interest and understanding.”


CONNECTIONS

Students will participate in an author study. Each student should select a book by Gary Soto to read in addition to THE SKIRT.
Welcome To the Official Gary Soto Website!!

Students will research Folklorico Dances. Students will be placed in groups and will create a presentation for the class.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baile_Folklorico
http://kids.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=BalletFolk

Students will locate all of the Spanish terms in the text. Each term will be translated into English. Students will create a picture dictionary of the vocabulary.