Chapter 2: Blue-Collar Oakland, Jungle Jim's, and Ralph The Lumper Summary and Analysis

The Barger family split their time between Modesto and Oakland. When he was born, Sonny's father, Ralph Barger, Sr., was a road worker. Since his father's job kept him away from home for long periods of time, Sonny, his mother Kathryn and his older sister, Shirley Marie, traveled between Modesto and Oakland like gypsies. Sadly, when Sonny was just four months old, Kathryn ran off with a bus driver and never came back. She left him with a babysitter who turned him into child services when Kathryn failed to show up. His father and sister later tracked him down and claimed him. Sonny's father was a functioning alcoholic who always held down a job. He had a large variety of jobs as a laborer over...