Parrot in the Oven: mi vida

His little sis, Pedi, is a brat and the favorite of the family.

Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida Summary & Study Guide

In addition to being neglected by his family, Manny also under goes severe emotional and physical punishment that he does not deserve except for the time he almost shot Pedi. Manuel Hernandez decides that he is tired of trying to please everyone and puts all his attention on females and wanting his first kiss. Giddens daughter Dorothy, until he found out she had a boyfriend. Thanks to a stranger, Manny finally discovers who he truly is and leaves his gang life behind for home. Martinez does a wonderful job, in describing what many Mexican American families goes through when a father turns to alcohol to self medicate.

He is also the one who holds the Hernandez family together.

Martinez also shows a glimpse into the gang life, and how easily one is tempted to find a family that will accept them for who they are. Apr 30, Nick rated it really liked it. In the story, fourteen-year-old Manny Hernandez is struggling in life to become someone. As hard as he tries it's hard for him because he has to live with an alcoholic father, worried mother, annoying sister and his older brother who can't seem to get a job.

In Manny's neighborhood you can't be a good kid like Manny. You have to be in a gang to be known. Manny has to experience many stressf "Parrot in the Oven" by Victor Martinez is an emotional story that sets out to portray life in the Barrio. Manny has to experience many stressful events in his young life. He is beated up by kids at school, his sister is having problems with her pregnancy which no one even knows about.

And his mother worries about his dad and the family all the time, and both his brother and father are out drinking day and night. As the novel progresses Manny tries to deal with his hardships in many different ways. He tries joining the boxing team, hanging out with older kids to try to make new friends, all of which never worked out for him. But when he decides to join a gang, things really take a turn for the worse. The author uses excellent characterization by explaining the way the narrator and many other characters live their lives and their different personalities.

Victor Martinez also makes the story clear and easy to understand for the reader, which makes the book more enjoyable. I would definitely teach this book in the classroom. Its a well told coming-of-age story that many young abults, especially those in high school, will relate to. As posted in [ http: I did not see anything special about the story. However, I do agree that Martinez does have a way with words. They were eye-catching and made you wonder. While there is a subtle storyline throughout, the overall picture is blurred.

There's that "missing li As posted in [ http: There's that "missing link" that prevents you from knowing each characters in the book. Simply, there's no depth other than with Manny. The book is told from Manny's perspectives. His dad has lost his job. He simply goes to the local pool hall and spends whatever money he can find and gets drunk. The mother is constantly cleaning the house. His older brother is never home and constantly has a new job. His older sister is secretive. His baby sister is simply a brat. Manny tells his experiences with school, White people, boxing, and the gang.

Most of all, he tells how these experiences impact his family and their world-view. It's nothing that you'd go around and recommend this book to friends. The only best thing is Martinez' ways with words. Feb 11, Veronica rated it it was ok. To be honest, I didn't care for this book. I read it because the high school class I observed this semester was studying it, but I struggled to enjoy it at all.

Parrot in the Oven covers about a year in the lift of Manny, a member of an immigrant family who lives in the projects. The story is told in a series of vignettes, like a bad version of House on Mango Street. Manny is not a particularly interesting character, and he lacks originality or a will to do anything. Usually, the story seems to To be honest, I didn't care for this book. Usually, the story seems to happen to him. The ending of the book is fairly interesting, with Manny joining a gang, but that does not make up for the rest of the book.

The title is based off of a folk tale, where a parrot would fly into the oven and the heat would turn up, and basically the bird willingly goes to its death. I see that Martinez used this as a metaphor for Manny's journey in the book his "death" being when he joins the gang? Martinez started writing, and the writing kept cooking, then it was overcooked, then it burnt. There are remnants of a good story, but overall, a very forgettable read. Take it or leave it, but mostly leave it. View all 5 comments. Dec 01, Christian Correia rated it really liked it. Where do I start off about this book.

It impacted me so much after reading it because of the message it gives at the end of the story. Throughout the story, it is the explaining the life of Manny and his connection with his family. The Hernandez family is the perfect description of a really messed up family. His dad is a drunk, his mom won't ever stop listening to him, his big sister has already been pregnant and she lost the baby, his big brother can't find a job, and they finally have a little Where do I start off about this book.

His dad is a drunk, his mom won't ever stop listening to him, his big sister has already been pregnant and she lost the baby, his big brother can't find a job, and they finally have a little baby girl. To top this all off, nobody in the family has a full time job that keeps a steady income.

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It seems like nothing could go right for this family has nothing right going of them. Manny throughout the book loses faith in his family and tries to find love somewhere else in the outside world but who would want to date someone with such a messed up life. In response to this he decides to join a gang because you are guaranteed to make out with a girl.

Overall, this books ending was amazing which gave it its rating of a 4. The only reason why it wasn't a 5 was because it was not interesting in the beginning which lost my interest. Oct 14, Erin rated it really liked it. One of my graduate school professors thought that my students would really like this story, and that they would be able to connect to it as a result of the Latino main character.

The teenage male protagonist is engaging, and this novel depicts his "coming of age" struggles to which many of my students could connect.

Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida

Some of my Latino students did not like Parrot in the Oven, however, because they felt that it only told the "typical South of the Border story" in which immigrants cross the Mexica One of my graduate school professors thought that my students would really like this story, and that they would be able to connect to it as a result of the Latino main character. Some of my Latino students did not like Parrot in the Oven, however, because they felt that it only told the "typical South of the Border story" in which immigrants cross the Mexican border into Southern California and work as agricultural laborers.

I found this comment heartfelt and incisive.

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While this novel tells an important story of some Latinos' lives, it is equally important to remember that this is not the story of all Latinos in America. Nov 02, Marco rated it really liked it. Parrot in the Oven by Victor Martinez is a harshly realistic book about the struggles of growing up in poverty in California. It follows the life of a fourteen year old Mexican boy, Manny, who lives in a housing project with his alcoholic dad, his mom, his teenage brother and sister and little sister.

He does well in school, but faces many obstacles. His dad is unemployed and his mom works hard to even put food on the table. His brother gets into some trouble and his sister has a miscarriage aft Parrot in the Oven by Victor Martinez is a harshly realistic book about the struggles of growing up in poverty in California. His brother gets into some trouble and his sister has a miscarriage after becoming pregnant. Manny becomes a helper on the school boxing team and enjoys it, but he believes joining his friend's local gang, the Vato Firme, will get him girls and respect.

After a close call with the police, he realizes being a gang member is not the way he wants go. This book focuses on the challenges of growing up in poverty and learning what is really important in life. This is an interesting and captivating book that discusses important issues and I definitely recommend it. Oct 18, Linda Lipko rated it did not like it. Dealing with the very difficult subject of abuse, alcoholism, neglect, poverty and the hardship of the Mexican American culture is a lot of material to cover.

While the writing is good, the plot is missing. The storyline skips around like a rabbit jumping on hot pavement. Fourteen year old Manuel has a story to tell. He is very weary of a mother who is passive, a father who is physicall It is difficult to believe that this is a winner of the National Book Award and the Horn Book Fanfare Honor list. He is very weary of a mother who is passive, a father who is physically and emotionally abusive and also refuses to find employment, a brother who is a smooth talker who is shiftless, a sister who becomes pregnant by a man who won't take responsibility, and a community that exhibits bullying, violence and fighting as an everyday occurrence.

It is sad that the author cannot seem to tell a cohesive tale. Jan 21, Drew Baldwin rated it it was amazing. This book is a great book. It about the this boy who wants to be more then his father and brothers. His father is a drunk and gambles all there money away his brother can't keep a job. His mom is the strongest person in this book she keeps the family together and keep the house clean. The part I hated the most about this book was when he watch his father try to kill his mother.

I strongly recommend this book to any one that like book about a kid and his dreams. I had to read this for school, and I absolutely despise this book. It was a plotless mess that I don't quite understand why this book won an award. It doesn't have that quality that wowed me or made me think. It was quite cheesy and bland. The characters didn't have many layers, and the similes and writing were extremely juvenile and messy. Definitely wouldn't recommend this one, which is a shame. I am very sad that the highest I can this book is one star, and that's for it being diverse. Oct 22, Bianca Ramirez rated it really liked it.

This book was kind of intersting. It as abaut Manny's the main character life. He wanted to be someone in life. His dad always told him that he was worth a penny. He wanted to prove his dad wrong. His dad had lost his job and he drank alot. Manny was from a mexican family and I am too. This book had things that I did not expected. The reading wasn't so hard you shoul check it out.

Dec 02, Joceline rated it liked it. I liked this book because it was interesting. I like it because it talks about a boy who has choices to make in his life by being a follower in which is by getting jumped in, in a gang or by not being a follower just him. View all 4 comments. Sep 22, Karen Betancourt rated it liked it. I think that people who like to read about people with Hispanic heritage and like reading about people going through tough times.

Jan 16, Ana Martin rated it liked it. He is not an immigrant, but his parent are. The best school was were all of the rich kids went. Manny lets one of his teachers Mr. Hart tells Manny that if he does move to one of the other schools he will need money because he will have to buy his supplies.

Hart takes Manny home and intentionally passes through the school which is located with rich people live and he does this so that Manny can see what it will be like because Manny comes from a poor family and Mr. Hart does not want him to struggle. Manny is not accepted to the school, so he has to stay in the school that he was already in. His mom is the one responsible in the house. Somebody called the police and since Manny and his family were undocumented immigrants they ran to their house and decided to hide.

The cops did see the gun and took him to jail for a while. Magda was the person who helped her mom with the money by working doing laundry, and one day she wanted to go out with her boyfriend and asked Manny to take care of their sister Pedi. His dad hears noise and goes to check and realizes that Mada had a miscarriage but he takes care of her. Manny's dad and his brother get a job, Manny helps nardo out.

Manny joins a gang. He gets beaten up to join the gang. He follows Eddie in on adventure in which Eddie decided to robs a lady getting into a car but Manny does not follow him. He goes back to his house after all of that and realizes that who he wants be is his family not that gang he was with. I did like the story because it shows how his family changes for the good even though most of them were in the wrong path and it also shows how they struggle because they don't have enough money and in the story they show how it is hard to be an immigrant and so many things they have to face with society.

Jan 16, Cozbi rated it it was amazing. This novel is really interesting because it tells multiple stories in the novel, each chapter is like a new story. It really makes you think about your family and how strong the connection in a family can be after overcoming some rough patches in the family. The main character Manny is always trying to keep his family together.

His dad is a person who is constantly drunk. In the first four chapters, he is introducing his family. There have been so many things that have happened so far like Manny This novel is really interesting because it tells multiple stories in the novel, each chapter is like a new story.



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There have been so many things that have happened so far like Manny transferring schools because his mom believes that education matters. Another thing that happened is that one of his teachers gave him twenty dollars for school supplies but his dad takes it as drinking money. On the other hand, his father believes that it is not important. The reason why I say he is keeping his family together is that his dad in the last chapter I read was about to shoot the mom because he was drunk and he is overwhelmed. He grabbed the gun because he saw a half opened flyer on the table and he thought it meant that his wife was going to leave him and that was the last straw.

Manny is trying to convince his dad that it is not the right thing to do because it will land him in jail. So far in the novel, every chapter has been like a mini story. For example, where I first left off it was talking about how the dad got his rifle to shoot the mother. When I continued to read he had gotten so close to shooting her but Manny warned her and made her run but the dad found out and ran after her on the street.

The neighbors called the cops and they went back inside and pretended nothing had happened but that did not fool the cops. The dad was very attached to his rifle and did not want it taken away but the cops wanted to take it because it was owned illegally and when they took it he was arrested. He was allowed out but paying a bail. He promised his wife he would find a job instead of just looking for one and he promised. The chapter Family Affair and in this chapter Magda lost her baby. She started to feel sick and her mom had an instinct that it was that.

They drove to the hospital and did not want to tell the dad as he would get upset. When they arrive at the hospital there is a waiting period because there were people ahead of them. Then Magda has to go to the bathroom and she fainted and after that, they found out that she was having a miscarriage. They went home and she had a higher fever and they were debating on taking her to the hospital again but the dad sees that she is sick and dunks her in the bathtub.

Towards the end of the book, Manuel joins a gang. He is trying to hide this from his family. His family never finds out he was in a gang. But while he was in a gang he had joined because it meant kissing a girl and beating people up. But once he saw a fellow gang member Eddie rob a lady and steal her purse he decided he did not want any part in gangs after that. He sits down and watches his sisters peacefully sleep. When he does this he is analyzing his life and what he appreciates having. Jan 17, Marialina rated it really liked it. In the Book, Parrot in the oven the main character Manny is a young boy who is raised by an alcoholic father and his mother.

His father had lost his job so did his older brother. So far I like how the main character, Manny is hardworking knowing his family struggles and at least tries to help out even if the money he earns is not a lot. After Manny stopped working with his uncle, he and his older brother b In the Book, Parrot in the oven the main character Manny is a young boy who is raised by an alcoholic father and his mother.

After Manny stopped working with his uncle, he and his older brother both worked in a job, picking up chili peppers outside in the heat. After a couple of days, Manny decided that he wanted to transfer school and hoping it was a better environment and with the support of his mother he did. Then one day after school Manny ran into one of his old teachers who had offered money for school supplies and a ride back home.



Manny was afraid his father would see him with the teacher, and when he had arrived home he realized his father had caught him and took the money the teacher had given him to use on alcohol. Manny had gone through many struggles during these past chapters. After days without his father, Manuel got news that his grandma had passed away. Since his Manuels dad was back he returned to his addiction and left the house and with Manuel's curiosity, he had finally gotten the chance to use the gun and he almost shot his little sister.

Manuel also transferred back to his old school with his friends he knew. And with friends with bad influence surrounding him and repeatedly getting bullied at school and by his mean neighbor he decided to join the boxing team at school. Manny had also found a job in a pharmacist. Manny also has a crush on a girl named Dorothy and his friend convinced him to join a gang wear he can get confident talking to girls and be accepted.

So for joining his gang Manny has been in some bad influences and he has been stealing things from cars, wallets, purses and more. Eddie who is Manuel's bad influence friend tells him to run away but he realizes that he doesn't want to become a bad person anymore, and changes. This book is not something that I would have personally would have chosen to read but it's good to read different stuff sometimes.

Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida Summary & Study Guide

I still likes this book it was very intresting knowing about Manuels life and how he lives. Jan 16, Monica Lopez rated it liked it. There is two brothers, one is named bernardo, but they call him Nardo, and the other one is named Manny. He wanted a new Baseball glove. He and his brother worked in the chili fields. The migration police came and the migrants went crazy and started running so the police knew they were migrants, so started catching them.

Manny also has an older sister and she has a There is two brothers, one is named bernardo, but they call him Nardo, and the other one is named Manny. Manny also has an older sister and she has a baby named Pedi. Manny was going to transfer schools. One of his teachers wanted to help him so he gave Manny a 20 dollar bill.

One day he got his gun and was looking for her because he wanted to kill her. The police went to their house and asked questions. Later on he got out and then went to get his gun back. Manny and Nardo went to grandma's house to clean her garden. Magda left Pedi with Manny so she could go with her boyfriend. Manny was wondering why his dad did all of the sacrifice to get his gun back. This study guide contains the following sections: Mi Vida by Victor Martinez. In Parrot in the Oven: Manuel, who is also known as Manny, is a young boy growing up in the projects.

He lives with his parents, one brother, and two sisters. His father says that Manny is like a parrot in an oven who sits in the shade and complains about the heat. Though the saying is usually indicative of a person who is stupid, Manny's father is using it to describe Manny's trusting nature. Manny sometimes exhibits a deep understanding of others; but, he also gets into a dangerous situation by trusting too much. Manny's father has been out of work for some time as the story opens.

Manny's mother, Rebecca, hates that her husband is willing to refuse help while his family is in such a serious situation. When Manny's father is floundering with no real direction in his life, he often goes to Rico's Pool Hall. Rebecca compares that to pouring milk down the drain, meaning he is wasting money the family needs for necessities. At one point, Rebecca forces Manny to go with her to make Manny's father come home.

She embarrasses her husband in front of the men he considers to be his peers and the fight erupts into violence. Manny's father chases his wife with a gun, and the police arrive to arrest him. Rebecca seems glad to have her husband arrested; but, she's excited when he's served his time and returns home. They pledge to do better toward each other and their responsibilities. Manny's father does find a job. Manny has an older sister named Magda.

Magda works hard at a laundry on a job she hates. She is interested in boys, though her mother tries to keep her from having a boyfriend. One day, Magda arrives home in serious pain, and Rebecca realizes that her daughter is having a miscarriage. Manny is worried about his sister.

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He sees the tiny fetus that is born very premature and dead on the bathroom floor. They go to the emergency room where they are forced to wait for a long time along with others in dire need of medical attention. It's obvious that the system is overtaxed and the people in need of health care are paying a heavy price. Later, Magda is feverish and ill, but Rebecca says there's no money to take her back to the doctor. Manny's older brother is named Bernado, whom everyone calls Nardo. Nardo is known as a lazy person because he tries to get out of work when he can.