Geraldo No Last Name

by Sandra Cisneros

Start Free Trial

Student Question

How would Marin retell the main events of "Geraldo No Last Name" to the police?

Quick answer:

Marin would tell the police that she met Geraldo at a dance, describing him as young and pretty. He mentioned working at a restaurant, though she couldn't recall which one, and only knew him by the name Geraldo. Marin's recounting would be brief and factual, reflecting her sadness and possibly her fear of revealing too much about Geraldo, an illegal immigrant. Her narration would avoid details that could harm either her or Geraldo.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

The first two paragraphs of this vignette should give you ample information to complete this task. Note how we are told that this is what Marin told the various authorities, the police and the hospital, "again and again," indicating the way that she was forced to repeat her story, but also the way that she stuck to the facts that she was given by him. The first paragraph in particular reveals their connection:

She met him at a dance. Pretty too, and young. Said he worked in a restaurant, but she can't remember which one. Geraldo. That's all. Green pants and Saturday shirt. Geraldo. That's what he told her.

Note how the brief, short style of this narration reflects Marin's sadness at what happened and how she was moved by Geraldo's death. It also could reveal Marin's own fear about revealing too much information about a boy who was an illegal immigrant, just another "wetback" or "brazer who didn't speak English." Thus, Marin's narration of the events would necessarily be very limited and it would keep to the facts alone rather than going into any other details that could be damaging both to herself and to Geraldo.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial