First novel

Published in 2003

Won the Branford Boase Award

5 Archetypes:

Loner Hero- El Gato is the hero in this book but he is more specifically in my opinion the Loner Hero because most of his growing up is done isolated away from others. He learns skills of the game and of life on his own and prefers to do so. "I just got pushed farther and farther out to the edge of the game...I decided to give up soccer...And it was giving up soccer that made me a soccer player." (Page 5)

Fallen Mentor- The Keeper is the Fallen Mentor in this story because he wants for El Gato what he and his teammates tried to accomplish in the past but never did. "I cannot be wrong about you..if i am wrong about you we are all stuck." (Page 63)

Wise Old Man- Uncle Feliciano is the wise old man because he always seems to know what El Gato is up to and gives him meaningful advice on tough decisions in his life. "Trust the forest...respect it. You are not exploring it...it is exploring you." (Page 23)

Gossip/Networker- Nobody takes a better place for this archetype then the reporter Paul Faustino. He thrives on juicy stories, famous people, and his career. "Faustino was already thinking. He was thinking about lost sales. He was thinking about a lost bonus, about losing his job. He was thinking about lawsuits." (Page 205)

Addict- El Gato's father can be categorized as the workaholic. He doesn't realize the effect it has but feels like he has no choice. He has to run the family. "He said that he had never missed a day of work in his life-which was probably true-and didn't intend to start now." (Page 176)

5 Universal Themes

Love and Hate- The love one has for something and how hard one is willing to work for it. Examples relating to Brazil include sports, family, the earth (rainforest destruction) etc.

Good/Evil-When one lives a life of goodness they will be rewarded. Brazil is a place where hard work and dedication is a main factor to sucess.

Inoncence and Experience- Everybody goes through the journey of life beginning with innocence and ending with experience.

Life and Death-One musn't waste time doing something they don't enjoy because life is short.

Society and the inividual- One must decided what is right for them and what is right for society.

5 Allusions-

World Cup/European Cup-

Occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition. Trophy of course is awarded. "Every soccer player in the world wanted it...The World Cup." (Page 2)

Holy Virgin-

Mother of Jesus "praying to the Holy Virgin"(Page 97)

Rio De Janiero-

2nd largest city in Brazil "They were favorites to win the World Cup in Rio De Janeiro in 1950" (page 216)

El Gato-

His nickname. Spanish for "The Cat", "El Gato excused himself..." (Page 33)

Tarzan-

Boy raised in the Jungle, movie, "playing a part in a Tarzan movie" (Page 120)

15 Examples of Imagery

1) The description of the rainforest, personification, page 10:

It would send long green fingers across the cleared spaces to climb up walls and lift the roofs off our houses 2)Description of dripping blood, simile, page 70:

I saw the blood in the air, droplets of blood like a string of red beads

3)Description of the cheering from the crowd, metaphor, page 97,

The loggers in the crowd let loose a storm of whistles and screams

4) Description of one of the men, "sight" page 120

His jacket it seemed to me was woven out of light. He wore a silky black polo-neck sweater, and his black trousers were tucked into calf-height brown leather boots.

5)Description of Jungle, "sound", page 202

Howling, birdcalls, the vibration in the air of millions of insects, the fierce irresistable wind hurling through the trees

6)Personification/Alliteration page 202

The storm was saying GATO! GATO!

7)Description of the World Cup, hyperbole, page 2

Every soccer player in the world wanted it

8)Simile, page 38

So now again he'd snap, like a rope carrying too much weight.

9)Description of the Jaguar, sight, page 65

I saw how she carried her beauty while i stuggled not to wet myself from fear. I saw how she carried the broken light of the forest on her fur, the dark markings against the plae gold and i saw that these markings gathered themselves like the petals of black roses.

10)Alliteration 118-

Hey! Hey! Wipe your greasy hand before you shake this man!

11)Simile, 211

...but then a smile lifted into it like a rising sun.

12)Personification 88

The sunlight bounced off his perfectly bald head

13)Hyperbole, 85

On the long journey back in the truck i fell asleep...

14)Personification 85

Because of the racket from the other workbenches and growling from the generator, i did not hear the tractors returning from the forest.

15)Description of fly and spider, sight, page 46

One of those flies that storms conjure up was struggling in the sticky threads of the web, and the spider was making her way swiftly toward it. Her legs were tiger-striped in bands of brown and ginger. I wondered whether i was the spider or they fly.

Symbol:

The symbol in Keeper, is clearly the Keeper himself. He is a spirit of course but he is also what motivates El Gato to think for himself. He seems to always be with him but really he is not. El Gato grows up experiencing his own failures and his own climb to success.

Chapter 21 and Chapter 22

Paul is shocked at the news, but even more shocked to find out that he is serious. He asks the world's greatest soccer player why he would give up the greatest sport in the world. El Gato says he owes a great deal to the forest. Paul definetely has his exculsive interview now. The book would wait. El Gato notices a photo of a soccer team from the past and notices The Keeper in the photo. He learns that they were on their way to a game but their plane crashed and never made it. El Gato then returns to the clearing bring the Cup with him somehow knowing what would happen. Then the Keeper, and all of his teammates come out of the forest and gather together as if taken a team photo. They then vanish and finally rest in peace. El Gato walks away.

Chapter 20

In this chapter El Gato explains to Paul that he does not want him to publish his story in his newspaper. Instead he wanted Paul to write a book. A book of his journey. He didn't want some interview in a paper he wanted a life story in a book. Paul is very opposed to his idea because he needs to return with an exclusive interview. When he asks El Gato what he could give in the interview that will not be published in the book, El Gato announces that he is to retire.

Chapter 17 through Chapter 19

El Gato describes his life in San Juan as a good dream. He is not homesick like some of the other players. He also goes on to describe some of the players that envied him to the point of where his life was at risk. El Gato explains that he plays with the DSJ for 2 more years and gets the title National Player of the Year. He later signs with Unita, an italian team and wins the European Cup. Paul shows El Gato a picture of him winning the Cup, but Gato becomes very angry with him. He is sensitive to it because his father passed the next morning after he won the Cup. His father was killed in an accident at the lumber mill. They two then begin to review video of El Gato winning the Cup. El Gato explains bit by bit what he did and how he felt.

Chapter 12 through Chapter 16

El Gato begins to gain a lot of respect from the other workers and boss. The games also become more intense, and he starts playing teams with more recognized players such as La Ladron, The Thief. In the game with La Ladron however, he is defeated. Even though this game is a defeat he is highly acknowledged and is later invited to play for the DSJ. Deportivo San Juan. It's probably the only thing he's ever dreamed of but his mother tells them no because she believes her son wants to be a scientist. His father disagrees, and tells them that his son is fit to be a mechanic. They then come to the conclusion that they should sign the paper because of the money that came with it. They feel very guilty, however, with the decision and El Gato sees for the first time how much his father really loves him. El Gato practices with the Keeper one last time before he leaves. He tells Paul it was the last he ever saw of him.

Chapter 6 through Chapter 11

Through these chapters the Keeper continues to work with El Gato. Teaching him how to move his body, how to focus on the ball, how to read other players. Gato becomes wiser. and much stronger. El Gato begins to view the Keeper as the father he never had. He tells Paul of how he seemed distant from his workaholic father. Yet, he had much respect for him because he kept the family going and tried to provide them with their necessities. Eventually, his father gets him a job in a tool shop at the lumber mill. He was very pleased doing so because it showed that he was respected. He introduces Gato with his boss Senor Hellman. Hellman is immediatley impressed with Gato and his large physic. Hellman is also coach of one of the company teams. The company organizes small soccer teams and games. El Gato joins in one of the games and gains everyones attention with his new skills and quick speed. Hellman becomes very interested in Gato and encourages him to keep playing. And so he does...

Chapter 4 and Chapter 5

El Gato went back into the forest the very next day. The Keeper was there and this time El Gato decided to stay. El Gato had many questions but asked just one. "Why have you brought me here?" The Keeper replied, "To keep goal." He wanted to play soccer! And so they did. El Gato quickly learned he was no competition for the Keeper. He was effortlessly making all his shots into the net, so El Gato gave up. The Keeper begins to point out his mistakes and explains to him what makes a good goalkeeper. He explains they have a lot more control then they think. The Keeper continues to work with him. Paul Faustino, the interviewer begins to question whether he is being told the truth. El Gato reassures him that they are friends and would never do anything to ruin his reputation. So they continue the interview. He tells Paul the his mother became suspicious of his adventures so El Gato began collecting plants, insects, etc. He then starting drawing them in notebooks. His mother was proud, His father didn't think too much of it.