Jesse

Jesse is the 17-year-old protagonist of Jesse, whose first-person perspective propels the story. Despite being young, Jesse deals with adult problems. He drops out of high school, enrolls in junior college, and moves out of his mother and stepfather’s house. Jesse is close with his 21-year-old brother Abel, with whom he moves into an apartment. They attend school and work together, as well as support each other through life’s challenges. Jesse looks up to Abel and loves him yet is surprised whenever he extends generosity. This demonstrates that Jesse struggles with low self-esteem.

Jesse is lonely and stressed, but his faith in God helps him maintain hope and the belief that his life is unraveling for a reason. He is a gentle, good-natured boy whose stresses do not prevent his genuine gratitude for life. Jesse’s character arc examines how external conflicts and formative relationships transform him into a more confident young man.

At the beginning of the novel, Jesse is concerned that racist attitudes about Mexicans “stealing” jobs from Americans might be true. But with schoolmate Raul’s influence, Chicano rallies, and the merits of his own hard work in the fields, Jesse develops a sense of pride in his Mexican American identity. Poverty fills him with shame, but he learns to recontextualize it in terms of his hard work, which is built on honesty and responsibility. Jesse continually tries to find community, yearning for a social life. In trying out different friendships, such as Raul’s activist group and high school friend Luis, Jesse discovers that solitude serves him for now, as he needs to focus on his wellbeing.

Though having a social life is still important to Jesse, experiences with Raul and Luis show him that he has to first be himself, which is, in essence, conservative, shy, and productive. When his beloved brother leaves for the Vietnam War, his life becomes difficult but he learns to believe in himself. Jesse internalizes Abel’s belief in him and dedicates himself to school and work. Though Jesse’s situation becomes less stable in some ways, his characterization grows stronger through key relationships, perseverance, and acceptance of himself as good enough.