Plum Plum Picker

Cathy Pham
Ryan Gallagher
English 12 C.P
20 October 2010


In Plum Plum Picker by Raymond Barrio, he suggests that when people is in a bad situation they tend to blame someone else for it. This short story display many negative thoughts and shows the level of authority. Raymond Barrio point of view is that rich people have no sympathy, money is very tight, and social pyramid.
The author portrays the white rich people as idols. They have their own rules and sit in "their cool filtered offices" while smoking a "cigars." Manual, the protagonist sees this as a selfish act. He is working outside in the "hot dry air," with nothing to drink and lunch break is as fast as a blink of an eye for him. He is q very hard working man and deserves a little bit if the lavish life style.
Manual is described like a poor Mexican peasant. He works continuously in the "hot dry air" and dangerous "endless maze of apricot trees." He explains to us that he is a "beast" because he works long hours and little money. This also shows that he is treated like an animal. Manual review that he is very dedicated and works for very penny he makes. Morales job is to eyeball the pickers. He has an easy job and he gets paid probably double the pickers. When Morales asked for "two cents" back Manual was very upset because he worked long exhausting hours to earn two pennies.
The social pyramid is demonstrated quite clear in the story. He talks himself as an "Animal," and animals are usually poor and has many high authority then them, which we call an low paying employee. Morales is a middle class gentlemen that has only one higher authority, which we call a Manager. He is a "Mexican general" which reviews that he is living stably. The "guero" are the rich white people that have lavish homes, no one to boss them around, drive nice cars, they are entrepreneurs. The "guero" is at the top of the social pyramid.
In Plum plum picker, Raymond Barrio, shows that reality and life can be very exhausting. There are always a boss, manager, and an employee. Life can very repetitive and only the employee can improve. This also shows that we must go into a career that we love otherwise we will suffer our whole lives. This story is perfect for a reality check.