The Dream

Danny Santiago’s “The Somebody” is a short story about a young man by the name of Chato de Shamrock from the Eastside of old Los Angeles, who quits school and wants to become a famous writer. He writes on buildings, fences and sidewalks to receive attention and his dream is to become famous in L.A.. Santiago shines a light on everyday struggles and hardships in the less fortunate parts of world, such as ghettos and slums.

The story is written from the first person perspective of Chato, so it is easier for us to step into his shoes and we are being led through the hardships of the young man’s tale as he runs from the Sierra Street gang and turns his back on people that want to help him. The reason why Chato wants to be famous in L.A. is because he has felt lonely ever since his gang broke up and the members moved away. He also feels like he receives a lack of attention and is disregard at home. He even adopted the pseudonym last name ‘Shamrock’ in order not to be traced back to his family. Chato’s loneliness forces him to depend only on himself and leads to his determination to start fresh.

It is a very interesting short story which instantly gripped my attention and I found it very interesting. I believe teenagers would like this short story because it makes them appreciate the positive things in their life, it really is an eye-opening story. It is well written and one immediately feels drawn into it.

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