Mr. Blessington Character Analysis

Mr. Blessington is a white, prejudiced English teacher who oppresses Latinx children (including Julio, Sapo, and Blanca) by dismissing Latinx culture as inferior. He thinks that Latinx students are destined to wind up as criminals and prostitutes. He also abuses his power and gets away with being violent in class, knowing that the administration will never believe a Latinx student’s word against his. Sapo drops out of middle school after getting into a physical altercation with Mr. Blessington. His descent into a life of crime after Mr. Blessington’s abuse highlights the demoralizing oppression that Latinx children face in schools.