Previous
To Have and to Hold
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Circuit, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Change and Instability
Immigrants, Discrimination, and Injustice
Childhood vs. Adulthood
Family and Community
Summary
Analysis
Papá has a bad back, and lately he spends all day lying down. He’s no longer able to pick cotton, and he worries that the family won’t have enough money saved at the end of cotton season to carry them through the winter. Roberto is the only one working in the fields every day. Mamá stays home to take care of Papá, Rorra, and Rubén. Torito, Trampita, and Francisco go to school on weekdays and work in the fields on weekends and holidays.
Throughout the novel, Papá has been pushing himself to work as hard as he possibly can, since he understands how crucial his earnings are for the family. As a result of this unceasing labor, he seems physically broken and incapable of working anymore. While Papá takes a step back from work, he seems to have passed the baton of responsibilities and work to Roberto, his eldest son. The younger children, on the other hand, seem comparatively sheltered from these worries, since they still get to attend school on weekdays.
Themes
One day, as soon as Francisco returns from school, Papá worriedly asks him if he is all right, saying that la migra (immigration officers) made a sweep through the camp that day. Papá was worried that they might check the school, too. Francisco is very nervous when he hears this, so Mamá comes over and hugs him.
As undocumented immigrants, Francisco’s family always faces the looming threat that they might be deported to a country they left a decade ago, which the children barely recall. In this way, undocumented immigrants never really get to put down roots—even if they’ve been residents of their new country for many years, but they’re constantly at risk of being arrested and deported.
Themes
Francisco remembers that when the family lived in Tent City, Santa Maria, immigration agents had made a sudden sweep of their camp. Armed men in green uniforms quickly jumped out of vans and looked for undocumented workers. Some of the workers ran into the wilderness to try to escape, but many were caught. Luckily, Ito had already helped Papá get a green card, and after checking this, the immigration officials didn’t ask for Francisco’s or Trampita’s papers—this was fortunate, since they had none. Mamá and Roberto had gone to buy groceries, so they missed the raid. They didn’t have visas or papers either.
While most of the undocumented workers at Tent City were hardworking farm laborers, just like Francisco’s family, the armed immigration officers who suddenly sprang up on them and hounded them treated them like criminals. This incident was so frightening to young Francisco that he seems to be scarred by it.
Themes
The evening after the immigration officials raid the camp, Papá tells Roberto and Francisco that they can’t tell anyone they were born in Mexico. Papá says that even their best friends might turn them in. Francisco is supposed to say that he was born in Colton, California.
In a desperate attempt to stay safe in the United States, undocumented immigrants like Francisco’s family resort to lies to cover up their true origins—and they also live in constant fear that even their closest friends might betray them. Their lives are stressful and insecure.
Themes
Get the entire The Circuit LitChart as a printable PDF.
That evening, Papá is very sad because he isn’t able to work and make money due to his bad back, nor can he protect his family from the immigration officials who threaten their future. Papá checks the family’s savings and says that they might not be able to make it through the winter unless he’s well enough to work. Roberto consoles Papá by telling him that he and Francisco will work instead.
Papá, as the family’s chief breadwinner and patriarch, considers himself to be responsible for the family’s safety and happiness. However, due to Papá’s bad back, Roberto and Francisco step in to fill his role. Though they are young—they are only teenagers—they already take on a big share of the work and the worries. As the oldest child, Roberto in particular seems to have had no childhood, since he always has taken on mature responsibilities because his family has depended on his help.
Themes
Mamá agrees with Roberto and says that they should leave Corcoran and head to Santa Maria right away, especially since the immigration officials might come around again. Papá agrees and says that they should go to Bonetti Ranch in Santa Maria. Most of the inhabitants of the barracks in Bonetti Ranch are Mexican laborers who have become citizens or who have immigration papers like Papá, so it’s relatively safe from immigration raids.
Once again, the family needs to move, but this time it is because they hope this will keep them safe from immigration raids. It seems like they are always moving to different places in search of a better life and more stability, but this has eluded them so far.
Themes
Francisco is very excited to be returning to Santa Maria, and he’s the first one to wake up the next morning. Roberto and Trampita are excited too, and Francisco imagines that this is how other kids must feel when they talk about going on vacation. The family packs their belongings into the car, and they set off. Papá can’t drive because of his bad back, so Roberto is driving. Francisco keeps poking him and telling him to go faster, since he’s so impatient to get to Santa Maria. Papá laughs and says that the last thing they need right now is to get a speeding ticket, since that will get them in trouble with the immigration officials.
Roberto, Francisco, and Trampita are the three oldest children in the family, and they are the ones who are most excited about returning to Santa Maria, since it is a city they know well and return to every year. It seems like they crave stability and familiarity as they grow older. This scene also illustrates how undocumented immigrants live in constant fear and danger—a small lapse like speeding on the freeway can have a huge impact on their lives by leading to their deportation.
Themes
As they get closer to Santa Maria, Francisco becomes even more excited, since he knows where they’re going to live for the next several months. He’s also looking forward to reconnecting with his classmates from school—he hopes they’ll remember him, since he hasn’t seen them since June. Francisco begins to cheer loudly as they cross the bridge into town, and Mamá and Papá laugh at him. Francisco points out the landmarks in town that he remembers, like the school and the gas station.
Santa Maria is a city that Francisco is familiar with, since the family spends a few months of every year here while they pick strawberries at the Sheehey Farm. Francisco’s joy at returning to this city shows how much he craves stability and familiarity in his life—he is truly exhausted by the constant moving and the new places and schools he constantly has to get used to.
Themes
As Roberto turns into Bonetti Ranch, Francisco sees that nothing has changed from the previous year. They’re greeted by the stray dogs that sleep under the dwellings, and Roberto swerves to avoid potholes. The barracks are in disrepair, as usual. The family rents out the same barrack they lived in the previous year, and they begin fixing it up to make it more habitable. They have electricity and running water, even though they can’t drink the water since it smells bad. They buy drinking water from the gas station.
Even though the barracks at Bonetti Ranch certainly aren’t comfortable or clean, Francisco loves living here anyway, because it is unchanged from the previous year. Francisco really appreciates his surroundings staying the same, since it gives him a sense of stability amid constant change.
Themes
The following week, Francisco and his siblings enroll in school. Francisco is now in eighth grade, and Roberto is in 10th. Trampita and Torito resume elementary school. Francisco doesn’t feel nervous about returning to school, since he knows most of his classmates from the previous year. Most of the kids have grown a lot, but Francisco hasn’t—he’s one of the smallest kids in class.
Again, Francisco is pleased to be in a familiar place among familiar people. He feels very secure in Santa Maria compared to the times when he had to attend new schools in unfamiliar cities.
Themes
Francisco enjoys math and is very good at it. His math and science teacher, Mr. Milo, gives the class a test every Thursday, and the student who scores highest has the honor of sitting up front for the rest of the week. Either Francisco or Sharon Ito, the sharecropper Ito’s daughter, always end up winning this spot. Miss Ehlis teaches the class English and social studies. English is Miss Ehlis’s favorite subject, and Francisco still struggles with it.
Francisco gets to attend school only for a few months a year, since he has to work in the farms during harvest season. As a result, he struggles with English, since the only time he gets to practice it is when he is at school. However, he is excellent at math, which shows his natural aptitude and intelligence. He constantly practices math and memorizes math facts even when he works in the fields, and this seems to be paying off. Francisco’s success shows that education can be an equalizer: Francisco and Sharon Ito come from very different economic backgrounds, yet Francisco’s academic excellence puts him on the same footing as her. It seems like a good education can pave the way to a bright future for Francisco.
Themes
Meanwhile, Papá’s back isn’t improving, and he’s getting increasingly frustrated about it. One day, Mamá takes Roberto and Francisco aside and tells them that Papá will most likely be unable to work in the fields anymore. They will have to think of some other ways to make money. Roberto says that he’s been thinking of getting a job in town, which might be a good solution to their problem. Francisco loves this idea, since it will mean that they won’t have to move anymore. Roberto says that he’ll ask Mr. Sims, the elementary school principal, for help finding a job.
If the family no longer has to earn their living as itinerant farm workers, they will be able to settle down in Santa Maria. Thus, if Roberto succeeds in finding a job, it will mean that the family will finally have the stability that Francisco craves.
Themes
Mr. Sims agrees to keep an ear out for a job for Roberto. In the meanwhile, Roberto and Francisco work in the fields after school and on the weekends. Some days later, Mr. Sims reaches out with a potential job for Roberto and sets him up with an interview with the owner of a shoe store. On the morning of the interview, Roberto tells Francisco that he really hopes he gets the job, because he’s tired of moving around so much. Francisco agrees—he feels the same way. Roberto says that if they don’t get deported, he’d like to settle down in Santa Maria. Francisco likes the town too.
Mr. Sims, the elementary school principal who gave Francisco a coat when he was a first grader, seems to be a kind man whom Roberto trusts will help them and also not report them to immigration officials. Mr. Sims’s compassion has the power to change the lives of the whole family. And yet, the threat of being deported always looms over their lives, since Roberto’s plans include the caveat “if they don’t get deported.” Even when happiness and security seem to be within their grasp, anxiety still hounds them.
Themes
After the job interview, Roberto is in a foul mood. He tells Francisco that the interview wasn’t for a job at the shoe store—it was for him to mow the owner’s lawn once a week. The money from this will certainly not be enough for the family. Francisco is furious to hear this, and Roberto cries in disappointment. However, he says that he’ll go back to Mr. Sims and ask him for help finding another job. Roberto throws his arm around Francisco and tells him that everything will work out.
Despite his youth, Roberto has been patient and stoic throughout this novel, even in the face of anxiety and grueling work. However, he breaks down and cries for the first time in this passage, which shows how disappointed he is that he is unable to find a job that will give the family security. So much of the family’s future depends on Roberto, and he is feeling the pressure. Earlier, Papá was the main breadwinner, and the stress of this role affected his physical and mental health—now, Roberto is in that same position.
Themes
On Monday at school, Miss Ehlis passes out copies of the Declaration of Independence to Francisco’s class, saying that she’d like them to memorize a section of it. She says that students who’d like extra credit should recite it in front of the class, but that others can recite it to her privately. Francisco wants the extra credit but is too embarrassed about his accent—his classmates laugh at his “Mexican pronunciation,” and he worries that the whole class will laugh if he recites it in front of them. So, his only option is to recite it privately to Miss Ehlis.
Francisco’s classmates probably don’t realize how much of an impact their jokes about Francisco’s “Mexican pronunciation” have on him, but he finds this very hurtful and is embarrassed by his accent. This even holds him back academically, since he is missing out on the opportunity to earn extra credit. This seems especially unfair since his accent is in no way a reflection of his academic capabilities.
Themes
After school, Francisco finds Roberto waiting at home with some good news: Mr. Sims has offered him a janitorial job at the elementary school. Mamá proudly announces that it is a year-round job. Papá says that getting an education certainly has its advantages, and that he and Mamá unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to go to school. Francisco tells him that he’s nevertheless taught them a lot, and Papá looks happy.
Mr. Sims comes through and helps Roberto out with a job offer, which shows how he is willing to go out of his way to help the family. His kindness has a huge impact on their lives. Papá is proud of his son but also seems to regret his own illiteracy. Francisco thinks that Papá is being harsh on himself and kindly compliments him, which shows Francisco’s compassion.
Themes
After dinner, Francisco begins learning the section from the Declaration of Independence that Miss Ehlis wants the class to memorize. The first line of the section is, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal….” Francisco looks up the words he doesn’t know in the dictionary, and he decides to learn one sentence a day so that he’ll know it very well by Friday.
Francisco is very hard-working and plans out his work carefully. This makes it seem doubly unfair that he cannot get extra credit for this assignment, since he works very hard yet faces discrimination from his classmates because of his accent.
Themes
On Wednesday, Roberto picks up Francisco from school in the car, so that Francisco can help him clean the elementary school. The first room they clean is the same one that was Miss Scalapino’s first grade classroom, and it brings back many memories for Francisco. As Francisco works, he memorizes more lines from the Declaration of Independence. These lines speak of how all people have “certain inalienable rights,” which include “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
As Francisco cleans Miss Scalapino’s first-grade classroom, Jimenez reminds readers of how much Francisco has changed and grown since then. As a first grader, he didn’t know any English and had to repeat the first grade—but now, he is one of the highest performers in his class. Despite the many challenges Francisco faces as an undocumented immigrant, his determination and intelligence help him push through. It seems like a meaningful coincidence that he is memorizing the section about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” from the Declaration of Independence at this time since his life in the U.S.—especially the education he's receiving here—seems to be opening up many opportunities for him.
Themes
By Friday, Francisco has successfully memorized the entire section from the Declaration of Independence that Miss Ehlis has assigned to the class. He struggles to pronounce the word “inalienable,” so he practices saying it several times on his way to school. The morning starts out well, with Francisco scoring highest in his class in a math test and getting to sit in the coveted seat at the front of the class. After lunch, Francisco once again recites the entire section from the Declaration of Independence to himself and feels confident that he knows it well. He takes a seat in Miss Ehlis’s class and waits for the recitation to begin.
Francisco is self-conscious about his pronunciation since his classmates mock his accent, which is why he practices certain words several times. In order to overcome his struggles with English, he works very hard and rehearses. In this way, it seems that immigrant children like Francisco have to work twice as hard as their peers, since they face discrimination and ridicule merely for their race or nationality.
Themes
As Miss Ehlis is taking attendance, the principal enters the classroom, accompanied by a man in a green uniform. Francisco feels panicky when he sees the man and wants to run, but he feels frozen to his seat. Miss Ehlis accompanies the immigration officer to Francisco’s desk and, places her hand on his shoulder and says, “This is him.’” Francisco gets up and accompanies the man to his car, which is marked “Border Patrol.” They head to Roberto’s school to pick him up too.
Francisco seems to be on the verge of academic success and personal happiness when his life is upturned. The threat of deportation has always hovered over him and his family, and it is heartbreaking that he has to once again endure a huge life change just when his family was getting ready to settle down in one place, like he had always dreamed they would. As undocumented immigrants, Francisco and his family seem destined to lives of instability and poverty with no way out. The words from the Declaration of Independence that speak of equality and the rights of all people to “liberty” and “happiness” do not seem to apply to people like them.
Themes
