Act 2, Scene 9:

This last scene is the best scene out of the entire play. At the beginning of it, it was chaotic. Everyone was talking to Henry at the same time. I hated that part but it kind of reminded me of my family conversations. We sometimes all talk at once, if it’s when we need to know something, or tell a person something. Even if they are talking with someone we need to get that piece of information in there, we find a way.
The ending of the play I enjoyed. Valdez is letting us pick our own ending to the play. He starts off with what the press said and El Pachuco or the narrator of the play says,

“That’s the way you see it, ese. But there are other ways to end this story,” on pg. 94.

On pg. 94, also when Enrique tells him not to go and has Henry by force, Henry is about to strike his dad but then thinks of his action and what it would do to the family.

“The realization that if he strikes back or even if he walks out that door, the family bond is irreparably broken.”

This shows how each Mexican, Chicano, or almost every Latino family has a close bond, but once a son or daughter brings trouble or shame on that family pride that we have as Latinos would not let us forgive them. Yes, the time may pass and the person is forgiven but that bond would never be the same. This was back in the days now I think we have become more be lenient unless the family is really traditional.
Henry chose to keep that strong family bond because that’s what helped him survive and that’s what we all sometimes need is our family.

Question: Instead of ending this story with a happy ending, Valdez creates problems just as Henry gets out of jail. Why do you think Valdez does this and what ending did you conclude from this play?

Act 2, Scene 8

At first I was confused of what was happening. I did not understand the beginning until I closely looked at the title of the scene, “Winning of the War”. At first I thought okay they won the war, the actual WWII but that’s not what this title is referring to entirely. They are also talking about the sleepy lagoon trial. Toward the end it gets clearer of what was happening. The way it shows is the dates that are getting closer to the winning of the war but also shows that Henry and his gang won the war that they have been fighting. The only line that did not make sense was the shredding of the newspapers. Then on pg. 87, “Freedom” is shouted out by everyone as the young men are returning to their homes. At first I was wondering why they are shredding the newspaper. Then I thought they were never really supported by the media yet they overcame all the obstacles that the media put for them. It made perfect sense, it was a way to say that they still won no matter what they did they overcame it. Then it made sense that Rudy would be the on shouting out the dates because he did join the marines and left the ways of the pachuco but why did he?

Question: Why did Rudy join the Marines? Why such a big change from his part?

Scene 7

Alice visits Henry, but he doesn’t welcome her with his arms wide open. As soon as he sees her he starts to question her loyalty why she is helping him and the rest of the gang. I didn’t like this scene very much because of Henry’s reaction toward Alice. He was in the right to know why Alice wanted to help but he didn’t have to get it out of her that way. Screaming and demanding an answer from her.
The quote on page 84, “Stop it Henry! Please stop it! ... I never have been able to accept one person pushing another around… because I’m a Jew, god dammit! I have been there…I have been there! If you lose, I lose.”
This quote demonstrates to us why Alice helps Henry out and her attitude towards the whole idea of zoot suiters. Since the start of the play I don’t know why Alice allies with the Pachucos but in the scene I understand. Alice is trying to help Henry out of the same situation she found herself in at the time (across seas). When Alice tells Henry that she is a Jew he sees why the appeal is so important to her why she needs him to help her win this.

In these past scenes we see that Alice and Henry are getting emotionally involved with each other. So it comes to no surprise that they end up kissing in this scene. But I don’t think this relationship would last long because Henry is just lonely comfort from someone it did not matter who at the time.

Question: Why did Alice not tell Henry her reason for helping him? Why did she take so long to tell him?

Act 2, Scene 6: L.A. Dance Scene

The scene starts off with a description of LA, dance scene. You see the Pachucos entering a club where the Navy is also present. The Servicemen then start to mess with the Pachuco girls and everything ends in a knife being pulled out. All this time el Pachuco and Henry are standing off to the side witnessing what is happening. When Rudy pulls the knife el Pachuco freezes the scene in order to take Rudy’s place, at this time the press has joined the action as well.
In this confrontation we learn how the Servicemen and press feel about the “Zoot suiters” and how when el Pachuco takes Rudy’s place arguing with the servicemen he is trying to demonstrate to Henry how he will never be free. To make him understand what is going on in his home town and maybe throughout the world. How people who don’t understand them will never accept them. So they will always have to continue on with their fight and freedom is not a choice because he needs to give up the pachuco way in order to have it. I really like the way this scene was written because we see how el Pachuco stands up to the servicemen and the press to expose what they have been doing expose what they have been doing in order to get the world against the pachucos.

The Pachuco pg. 80: “The press distorted the very meaning of the word “zoot suit” all it is for u guys is another ways to say Mexican.
But the idea of the original chuco
Was to look like a diamond
To look sharp…
Finding a style of urban survival
In the rural skirts and outskirts
Of the brown metropolis of Los,carbon."

With this we understand why or get the real meaning of the zootsuit, and how America transformed it. They were not here to cause chaos but to find themselves in this world.

On page 80 the press says, “You savages weren’t even wearing clothes when the white man pulled you out of the Jungle.” When I read this I was appalled because I understand or actually concluded why the press was against the type of clothing and the statement it made. They did not want the pachucos to move up in the ladder. They wanted to keep the zoot suiters in check because without them being degraded to the bottom of the economy, they wouldn’t have anyone to boss around you can say. The economy won’t work, it’s like the classes: nobles, merchants, and slaves, they could never move up a class no matter what they would always belong to the class even if they became rich that was their label. So that’s what they did with the pachucos they were furious because they wanted to make the statement that they were different. So the press making this comment wanted them to know that they were still savages in the world’s eyes. They had no clothes when they came to America, so the press and servicemen ripping off their clothes in that message that they are trying to make sure they will always know and keep in their head. Which I think is total bull because they never asked to be “saved”. They lived a better life caring for one another, they never knew greed or had any savage thoughts until the white men showed up.

Question: 1) Why do you think the Pachuco clothes were ripped off their body’s.
2) Why do you think the Pachuco took the place of Rudy in this scene?
3) How would have Rudy reacted differently?

Act 2, Scene 5 "Solitary"

The scene was rather simple to understand because it demonstrates a very intense confrontation that el pachuco has with Henry. The arguments that occurs through out the whole scene (pg's:76-78) is because Henry does not want to accept anything el pachuco has to tell him because all he wants is his freedom. In other words Henry is still hoping to be free, to see his family once again, but what el pachuco is trying to do is kill those hopes for Henry by telling him that he will never get out and to forget about everyone and everything he ever knew because they were not going to help him.

I really didn't like the part that el pachuco was trying to bring down Henry's hope of freedom but then I thought maybe he wasn't maybe he wanted him to see the reality of what was going on because if he were to get out of prison the world would not let him be free. That’s why el pachuco shows him what’s happing out in his home town...

Pachuco pg.78: “This is los, Carnal....

The Navy has landed, ese-

on leave with full pay

and war's breaking out in the streets of L.A.!”

he was is trying to shed light on the fact that he will never be free even if he is actually released from the prison where he resides.

Question: Was El Pachuco actually killing Henry's hope or was he trying to help him?