Patron Saints of Nothing

Patrón Saints of Nothing

In the book patron saints of nothing ribay uses powerful imagery to describe the slums as jay walks through them in pgs 191-201. What is the authors purpose in describing this place? What is the significance of this setting and how does it impact jay?

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With the help of Mia’s professor, Santos, Mia and Jay visit the slums to locate the place where Jun lived for two years. They meet Reyna, the woman who was Jun’s girlfriend. She is still residing in the apartment where she says that she and Jun lived. Jay has trouble imaging his cousin living in those conditions.

As Santos, Jay, and Mia make their way through the slums, Jay is surprised there is not more misery. The people there are basically living their lives, doing the best they can and surviving. He thinks about his house in Michigan and realizes if it were in the slums there would be 40-50 people living in it.