Explore the following questions in your essay:


On pages 143-146, what does the dialogue between John Grady and Don Hector reveal? What is Don Hector saying to John Grady through the stories he tells? How does the pool game act as a metaphor for the forces/traditions John Grady Cole is tampering with by pursuing Alejandra? What does the passage suggest about what Don Hector already knows? Is it a warning, an explanation or an apology?


Use the following structure in your essay:



Introduction: (1 paragraph) Your introduction should set the context for the passage: when it takes place in the narrative and in what setting, and should end with your thesis. Your thesis should respond to the essay questions.



Section 1: ( 2-3 paragraphs) What does the passage reveal about the danger of John Grady’s romantic vision of life? What is Don Hector saying to John Grady through the stories he tells? How does the pool game act as a metaphor for the forces/traditions John Grady Cole is tampering with by pursuing Alejandra?

(Work through the passage from beginning to end, pulling out at least 4 – 5 key words/phrases and analyzing how those words and phrases shed light on the realities of the situation.)



Section 2: ( 1- 2 paragraphs) What key aspects of John Grady’s character and experiences have brought him to this point? Focus on one or two aspects, so that you can thoroughly explore how those qualities and/or experiences anticipate his willful disregard of the warnings he is given.



Section 3: (1 paragraph) Is a warning, an explanation or an apology? What questions emerge from this moment in the story?