Futile Rebellion (Analytical Essay on the Plum Plum Pickers)

In the passage The Plum Plum Pickers, the author Raymond Barrio suggests that immorality drives the lives of human beings. He creates the character Manual and Morales to symbolize the human beings in the 19th century. Manual, whose name if combined with his position, the word “worker”, would become the word “manual worker”. Morales, whose name originates the sounds of the word “moral” and “less”, giving the meaning of immorality. Barrio attempts to express his feeling that the world is becoming more ruthless, people are either destroyed or to be the ones to destroy. In the story, Manual is one of those who are being destroyed. He is asked to work all day long with almost no time to eat and relax. And Morales takes the advantage of him and other workers that he tries to request more money deducted from their earnings. Manual, feeling his anger, speaks up against Morales. Manual’s rebel is apparently a success, since others workers respect him and Morales gives up his request. However, Manual life is still controlled by Morales and the employers. Manual has no authorities. Therefore he has not “a way out”. Through the use of allusion, Barrio expresses his idea of immorality in humanity.

In the beginning of the story, Manual is described to be “trapped” in an “endless maze” of trees. Barrio uses the word “trapped” in order to emphasize the feeling of unfortunate, and the words “maze” to emphasize Manual’s “trapped” situation, aggravating Manual’s difficulties. Barrio points out that Manual can never get out of his difficulties. Also, the word “endless” means forever but contains no hopes for Manual’s case. Barrio points out that Manual can never terminate his agitation, which signifies that people who are destroyed can never end their sufferings.

Barrio uses a unique sentence structure, the one word sentence. He uses them to describe the previous sentences. The sentence “Locked.” following “There had to be a way out”, giving a sense that Manual’s poor working condition will never be solved. The sentence “Animal.” following “There had to be a respite” symbolizes that Manual works unceasingly that he even looks like an animal and is never treated better. The sentence “Savage.” following “Though he was perspiring heavily, his shirt is powder dry.” depicts the evil attitudes of Manual’s employers. Because no matter how hard Manual works, his shirt is still “powder dry”, alluding that the employers are still not satisfied. The word “Wreck” following “hot dry air is sucking every drop of living moisture from his[Manual] brute body” concludes that Manual is mistreated by the employers. The last sentences of the first paragraph “pleased to meetcha.” should be Manual’s saying to the employers. It alludes Manual and other worker’s manner facing the employers that they have to be polite and appear to be inferior. Barrio uses Manual’s weak position in the society to signify the mistreatments the destroyed ones receive.

Also Barrio uses one word sentence to describe the eating and relaxing time for Manual, “Lunch.”, “Midafternoon”, and “Ended!” Despite Manual’s hard working all day, his time for eating and relaxed is ironically short. He might even feel that time of working has never stopped. Barrios’ use the one word sentence tells the disappointment of being the destroyed people, since the time for enjoying and relaxing is always so short.

Starting from the second paragraph, Barrio uses long and rhythmic sentences to describe the situation rather using the one word sentence, “The endlessly unending piling up of bucket upon box upon crate upon stack upon rack upon mound upon mountain.” The word “upon” gives a sense that the amount of work for the workers is excessive, that the job is “endless” Even though Barrio uses a long sentence now, the feeling of “trapped” and “wreck” the one words sentences give still exist. His perfect use of rhythmic long sentence provides an agitated feeling, which signifies the long and boring life of the destroyed ones.

As the story processes, Manual recalls his time spent with Lupe, he was thinking of “sandy dreams”, “cool nights” , “cold drinks” and “guitar music”. All of these are in Manual’s dream now that he dreams to be freed one day to enjoy his life. However, he is actually doing a job that is “endless”. His employers will never cease to take advantage of him or relieve him. And not long, “tiredness “drained” his ability to dream. Manual becomes tired to think of the wonderful dreams in his mind. Manual’s physical and mental spirit died from an excessive amount of work, as well as the destroyed ones would suffer from work.

Manual and the other workers are later summoned in front of Morales after work. While listening to Morales’ request for more money off from each bucket, Manual abruptly spoke up against the Morales. In the middle of Manual and Morales’ conflict, Manual kicks over his bucket that the plums “rolled away in all directions around everyone’s feet.” Barrio describes the motions of the plum moving around “everyone’s feet” in order to trigger the motivations of other workers. Manual’s rebellious kicking leads others to go over to their buckets, and “took an ominous position over them”, scaring Morales that they would do the same as Manual. However, Morales and the employers would not care much. Especially the employers, they “wouldn’t give a damn…wouldn’t give a single damn” even though they heard Manual’s brave act. Manual will never be free from his work, no matter how hard he rebels. His life is controlled by Morales and the employers – the immorals. Barrio uses Manual’s final result for rebellion to emphasize the out come of human beings are determined by the immoral ones.

In The Plum Plum Pickers, Manual hated unceasingly picking the plums; he rebels for the deduction of earnings, and earns respects from others. His life, however is controlled by the immorals, Morales and the employers. Barrio uses Manual’s case to communicate the idea that immorality drives humans’ life. It determines their starting point; their process in life which may or may not contains rebellions, and their outcome of life.