Jay's Tips - Model for Tortilla MVP - Candido's Attitude

Estimados Estudiantes,

To help you with your MVP essay, I just pounded out a four-paragraph model.  I hope it helps.

I provided you with my step-by-step process.  Below I copy and paste everything together.

This is what I would do:

I. Introductory Paragraph

1. Introduce your MVP (5-6 sentences)

• Summarize and important scene, character, idea - You decide

Jay’s Example:  Candido had a macho attitude.  Most readers might say he also had  lot of bad luck.  I think it was his attitude that may have caused a lot of his bad luck.  When I say “macho,” I mean he was hard headed.  All he could think of was making money.  As bad as things got for him, he wasn’t going back to Mexico.  It’s like his manhood depended on making it in the U.S. 

2. Transition Sentence (1-2 sentences)

• Explain why this selection is important to you.

Jay’s example: Candido may have been proud of how hard he worked, but it didn’t get him anywhere, did it?

3. Thesis (1 sentence)

• Make your argument. What’s the big deal?  (Jay’s Tip: Think Cause and Effect)

Jay’s Example: His macho attitude built him up and tore him down.

 II. Causes –

1. Topic Sentence - Express the importance of your choice (I sentence)

Jay’s Example:  Right from the first few pages, you could tell that was guy who wasn’t going to change.

2. Explain/Develop – Provide your personal reflection

Jay’s Example:  I mean, he was macho.  He was going to do things the way he knew to do them, and to hell with everything else.

3. Illustrate – include an example from the text that supports your topic sentence

Jay’s Example: He lived with his wife in a canyon to save money.  He didn’t think about her.  He thought about himself.  Why couldn’t she be as tough as him?  When he was hit by a car and couldn’t work, he had trouble allowing his wife to go to the labor exchange.  In his mind, he was the earner of the family.  He himself – the man– was supposed to take care of the family.  But if he couldn’t get off his back, how were they supposed to eat?

4. Conclude – what’s your opinion?

Jay’s Example:  I’m not sure if his macho attitude had anything to do with his growing up in Mexico.  Many of the gringos also showed the same type of stubbornness.  But, his attitude definitely affected everything he did. He was always butting his head instead of using it.

 III.  Effects

1. Topic Sentence – Express the results/consequences associated with your choice.

Jay’s Example:  To no surprise, things only got worse for Candido.

2. Explain/Develop – Provide your personal reflection

Jay’s Example:  Not only did things get worse for him regarding work, his marriage was falling apart, and he didn’t even know it.

3. Illustrate – include an example from the text that supports your topic sentence

Jay’s Example:  Never in the book, does Candido behave with any real tenderness to his wife.  He’s more interested in showing his strength than he is in showing his love. He thinks of himself as a man’s man, right?  What type of man leaves his young wife alone on a street corner or at the bottom of canyon?  In his mind, he was always taking care of business.  He didn’t think about really taking care of his woman.

4. Conclude – what’s your opinion?

Jay’s Example:  In my opinion, Candido was as bad as the worst gringos in the book.  He was a hater.  He hated everything about Delaney.  He hated everything about the people who lived in the gated community.  They had something he would never have.  In the end, he must have hated himself.  That’s real macho.

 IIIII. Conclusion - Why is anyone going to care about your selection?

Jay’s Example: We shouldn’t think of Candido’s attitude in fictional terms.  His behavior is something we see in our everyday lives.  The more people think they are right, the less they learn from their mistakes. At a certain point, we all need to open our eyes and our hearts.  It doesn’t matter what side of the wall -  if we think we are right, and everyone else is wrong, we will find ourselves all alone.  That’s why for me, Candido’s macho attitude is my MVP.  I didn’t like it, but I learned from it.

Bad Attitude - by J. Lewenstein

Candido had a macho attitude.  Most readers might say he also had  lot of bad luck.  I think it was his attitude that may have caused a lot of his bad luck.  When I say “macho,” I mean he was hard headed.  All he could think of was making money.  As bad as things got for him, he wasn’t going back to Mexico.  It’s like his manhood depended on making it in the U.S.  Candido may have been proud of how hard he worked, but it didn’t get him anywhere, did it?  His macho attitude built him up and tore him down.

Right from the first few pages, you could tell that was guy who wasn’t going to change.  Like I said, he was macho.  He was going to do things the way he knew to do them, and to hell with everything else.  He lived with his wife in a canyon to save money.  He didn’t think about her.  He thought about himself.  Why couldn’t she be as tough as him?  When he was hit by a car and couldn’t work, he had trouble allowing his wife to go to the labor exchange.  In his mind, he was the earner of the family.  He himself – the man– was supposed to take care of the family.  But if he couldn’t get off his back, how were they supposed to eat?  I’m not sure if his macho attitude had anything to do with his growing up in Mexico.  Many of the gringos also showed the same type of stubbornness.  But, his attitude definitely affected everything he did. He was always butting his head instead of using it.

To no surprise, things only got worse for Candido.  Not only did things get worse for him regarding work, his marriage was falling apart, and he didn’t even know it. :  Never in the book, does Candido behave with any real tenderness to his wife.  He’s more interested in showing his strength than he is in showing his love. He thinks of himself as a man’s man, right?  What type of man leaves his young wife alone on a street corner or at the bottom of canyon?  In his mind, he was always taking care of business.  He didn’t think about really taking care of his woman.  In my opinion, Candido was as bad as the worst gringos in the book.  He was a hater.  He hated everything about Delaney.  He hated everything about the people who lived in the gated community.  They had something he would never have.  In the end, he must have hated himself.  That’s real macho.

We shouldn’t think of Candido’s attitude in fictional terms.  His behavior is something we see in our everyday lives.  The more people think they are right, the less they learn from their mistakes. At a certain point, we all need to open our eyes and our hearts.  It doesn’t matter what side of the wall -  if we think we are right, and everyone else is wrong, we will find ourselves all alone.  That’s why for me, Candido’s macho attitude is my MVP.  I didn’t like it, but I learned from it.