Economics

1. Setting

1.1. Glib: The setting of the story takes place in Los Angles. The author summarizes the setting by stating "Jake slouched in a clot of near motionless traffic, in the peculiar gray of concrete, smog, and early morning beneath the over of the Hollywood freeway on alvarado street"(Glib 1). Economically, the setting relates to busy LA, where the one percenters meet the low class citizens. This area is filled with money, and jobs. Jake is driving a vintage car, which in entails he has some money, though he is driving with stolen plates. Mariana is Spanish, and is middle class, just like most of the people in the US.

1.2. Erdrich: The setting of this story takes place in a reservation, Lyman's community isn't filled with wealth, so all the people living in it work constantly to live. Lyman provides proof by stating, "I was the first one to drive a convertible on my reservation, and of course it was red, a red olds"(Erdrich 1).

1.3. Espanada: The setting of the poem takes place in a pawn shop. Espanada gave the setting by stating "The apparition of a salsa band gleaming in the Liberty Loan pawnshop window"(Espanada 1).

2. Conflict

2.1. Glib: In the beginning of the story, Jake's car is the focus of his life, and he tries to live up to his car. After hitting Mariana's car, he quickly comes back to reality, and has to figure a way out of the situation, thus giving her completely false information. Mariana being the young girl she is, she's influenced and believes everything Jake tells her. Jake tells Mariana the following " As the conversation continues, Jake tries to test his luck, and hit on the girl, though he just hit her father's car. Jake tries to engage with Mariana by stating "Mariana, you are beautiful, he said in his most sincere voice, Call me, she said timidly"(Glib 1). Mariana comes from Venezuelan descent, by the details she gives to Jake about her father, you can tell he is somewhat old fashion. He has a tight grip over his daughter. Economically, Mariana's family is not rich, and seem to be working continuously to pay their bills. Mariana mentioned in the story that the car doesn't belong to her, but to her father, she did not buy the car, which gives even more suspicion that she doesn't pay for it at all and she cant support herself. Making matters worst, Jake told the helpless and highly influential girl false information. Putting her family in financial trouble.

2.2. Erdrich: Lyman describes his hardship and experience of working since he was a little kid. The conflict in the reading began when he and his brother spotted the convertible with a for sale sign on the window. After purchasing the car, they only enough money to buy gas for the drive back home. The journey with the car began during summer when they drove all over the state, later to find a girl stranded on the side of the road. The girl was named suzy, she was on route to Alaska, so the boys drove her there. As the journey continued they stopped along many destinations. Lyman and his brother didn't get along so well towards the end of the trip. They fought, and later got the car involved. The hardship of earning the money to buy the car, was all put to shame because Lyman drove the convertible into a river, never to be driven again. Lyman makes his final statement in the reading by explaining what happened to the convertible, "I put it in first gear and then i take my foot off the clutch. I get out, close the door, and watch it plow softly into the water"(Erdrich 8).

2.3. Espanada: The pawn shop looks very reminiscent to a salsa band. "The apparition of a salsa band gleaming in the Liberty Loan pawnshop window"(Espanada 1)

3. Character

3.1. Glib: Jake the main character of the story, is a young guy with a luxorious vintage 58' Buick. His car, ruled his image, Glib mentioned the image by stating "He'd probably have to change his whole style, Exotic Colognes, plush, dark nightclubs, etc"(Glib 1). When Jake hit Mariana, a young girl driving her father's car, his true colors came out, he gave her fake information throughout their conversation, and tried to hit on her. Glib showed Jake's personality by stating "He made up a last name and address and wrote down the name of an insurance company an old girlfriend once belonged to"(Glib 1).

3.2. Erdrich: Lyman the narrator of the reading, describes how he never had a problem making money. Lyman states in the reading "My one talent was I could always make money, I had a touch for it, unusual in a Chippewa"(Erdrich 1). By the age of 16 he was the owner of The Joliet cafe, so he knew how to manage money. Economically he knows his stuff, even though he wasn't formally taught. After his success at owning a cafe at 16, he was ready to buy something for myself. It happened to the first convertible in his reservation.

3.3. Espanada: The vast amount of musical instruments, being compared to the city morgue entails that these instruments are very valuable but dead to the community. "Golden trumpet, silver trombone, congas, maracas, tambourine, all with price tags dangling like the city morgue ticket on a dead man’s toe"(Espanada 1)