Trash

Throughout the novel, trash is symbolic for a number of things, including human beings, and how people transcend the socio-political barriers erected by their association with it. Raphael, Gardo, and Jun are synonymous with trash, as they are dumpsite boys who have been confined to that role by society and they are not expected to be able to transcend that role in their life. As such, they are certain expectations that go along with being trash, as someone who spends the entirety of their life, from childhood to adulthood, sifting through garbage and trying to find something worthwhile. Despite the presence of charitable organizations, such as the Mission School, dumpsite children are not expected to accomplish anything of note in their life, nor are they considered to be intellectually capable of competing against more powerful, more socially robust individuals and institutions.

Yet, despite the position prescribed...