Smart Gringo

One thing that is amazing about this memoir, is the change in setting. More than that, it is how the author adjusts his attitude towards things every time he encounters something new. It can be intimidating to be a foreigner in latin america, especially an american. Chase Boudin is open to anything and through his travel, he encounters new situations that not only shape him as a person, but give an interesting dynamic to his memoir.

Boudin has a way of writing that is understandable for anyone to relate to the text. To achieve this, He uses an informal register. By writing in an informal register, he is able to add spanish words, give his own opinion, and fully explain latin America. Giving his own thaoughts and opinions is crucial since this is how a foreigner is viewing things as opposed to a latino.

A clear example of this is the protest  in chapter two. Here, Boudin narrates what he sees through his foreginers eyes. This means he takes in more details than someone who is used to these protests and only gives an over view. Some details he gives are the molotov cocktails " assembled from beer bottles filled with gasoline" (page 33) or the appearance of the police " dressed in Olive green, with body shields and gas cannons." (Page 33) It is details like these that keep the reader hooked and interested in the text.

Boudins word choice is very simple and I haven't come across any words that I would consider challenging. Boudin also uses the original spanish he hears and then translates it into english. it is more powerful for the text to be there "raw" before it is translated since, the anger is felt more passionately or the mocking tone. I believe that is what Boudin was trying to show by leaving the text in spanish first. For example in page 57 when Boudin only uses the words "gracias hermanos" and "muy importante" when he talks with professor Vitale, you get the sensation of how much it meant for Boudin and how there is a reason he picked those words. He wanted to highlight that even though rude things were said in spanish there were others with a deeper meaning for him.

As I continue reading, I hope to have a better understanding of latin america. It is hard not becoming enveloped in this memoir that explains south america so clearly even to a latina.