Bodega Dreams

 

Bodega’s dream was El Barrio’s dream because the novel consists of people from different cultures and backgrounds that shared a common goal which was to live better lives and achieve their own American Dream. Bodega’s dreams were strange in that he would finance a welfare state in Harlem with drug money (Quiñonez 2000). He believed that every great fortune was raised with crooked money and he happens to be the first person in his family to raise the fortune. Bodega hands out money for tuition, rent, and anything else that anyone needs and only asks for loyalty in return. Chino who is a character in the novel and grew up in Spanish Harlem tells of his story and how he has struggled to achieve the American Dream. According to Chino, living in Spanish Harlem was not easy more so when you are trying to fit in El Barrio, and you are surrounded by tough people. He met his best friend Sapo when he was young and back then, Sapo had Chino’s back in fights. When they grew up, chino felt obligated to return the favor by helping his best friend Sapo. Chino attends a school outside of El Barrio but Sapo drops out and eventually works his way up working with Bodega.

The illegal aspects of Bodega concern Chino to the point that he refuses to work for him in the beginning but he is intrigued by the promise of a better future in Harlem. He gets married to Blanca after high school and when Blanca becomes pregnant, Chino worries about their future. That is when he realizes that Bodega is interested in Blanca’s aunt Vera, he thinks of an opportunity if he could be able to bring them together (Quiñonez 2000). This could put him in a position to get a bigger apartment. He learns that Vera is visiting New York City and in return, Bodega offers a two-bedroom apartment at half the rent. As Vera’s visit approached, Chino became more drawn to Bodega’s world and meets Bodega’s business partner Nazario who is his lawyer.

When Vera reconnects with Bodega, they seem interested in recapturing the past and ignore the fact that Vera is married. Chino is therefore eager to cut ties with Bodega but there always seemed like he owed him a favor and he couldn’t walk away. Chino’s new apartment was set on fire and he needed to find another house that could only have been made possible by Bodega. It is said that the fire was started by Fischman who is Bodega’s rival. Chino at some point realizes he is in too deep and couldn’t leave because he knows too much. Blanca ends up leaving him and move in with her mother because of Chino’s lies and secrets (Quiñonez 2000). Vera and Bodega agree to talk to Blanca on behalf of Chino if he agrees to be present when they tell Vera’s husband that she is leaving him. When things did not go as planned, Vera shoots the husband and when Bodega is on his way to turn himself in for the murder, he is shot dead. Chino learns that the whole thing was a setup and Nazario had planned it all. He turns everyone in except for Sapo to the police. Chino begins to live out some of Bodega’s dreams for a better Harlem by giving the vacant bedroom in his apartment to two Puerto Rican immigrants. The residents of El Barrio honor Bodega at the end of the book.

 

 

 

 

 

References

Quiñonez, E. (2000). Bodega dreams. New York: Vintage Contemporaries.