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The train symbolizes the paradoxical relationship between power and control in the novel—namely, that the more the characters try to gain control, the less true agency they end up with. When Uno brings Danny to the spot by the train tracks for the first time, the boys feel that they absorb the power of the train as it passes over them, and Uno compares the train’s power to a spiritual force. Meanwhile, Danny struggles with control over his pitching, and he’s only able to pitch well consistently after Uno tells him to remember what it’s like to feel the power of the train —in other words, to stop trying so hard,.. For Danny, the “power of the train” is within himself, but when he tries to seize control of a situation in order to please or impress others, he loses that power. He can access the power he wants when he lets go of this need and has confidence in himself instead.
The Train Quotes in Mexican WhiteBoy
The Mexican WhiteBoy quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Train. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Uno Gets Another Drunken Tongue-Lashing
Quotes
My pops is into God, man. Jesus up in heaven and all that. And maybe he’s right. But sometimes I think maybe God’s down here. In regular everyday stuff. Like the power of a train.
Related Characters:
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Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Mexican WhiteBoy LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Train Symbol Timeline in Mexican WhiteBoy
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Train appears in Mexican WhiteBoy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Uno Gets Another Drunken Tongue-Lashing
3. Uno brings Danny to a place by the train tracks. A while ago, he painted a line on the ground a distance away from...
(full context)
...plant in the city—Senior says he did it once. Then Uno and Danny hear a train coming and rush under the bridge.
(full context)
...the boys each embrace a pillar, squeezing around them with their whole bodies. As the train screams across the bridge just above, Uno and Danny shake as its intense power passes...
(full context)
Danny’s Return to the Mound
...he’s trying too hard, that the game isn’t about Danny, and that Danny has the train's power within him. On the next pitch, Danny lets his mind go blank, and he...
(full context)
The Last Hustle of the Summer
1. Later, Danny and Uno are on a train traveling along the coastline. Out the window, Danny sees all the affluent, mostly white towns...
(full context)
...two strikes down, Danny throws a perfect fastball. He thinks about the power of the train and feels full of life as he pitches. Kyle fouls this pitch, too, and then...
(full context)
A New Light on the Recycling Plant
1. Uno and Danny are at the spot near the train tracks, playing Uno’s game and hitting the sign with rocks. Danny hits five out of...
(full context)
