Advincula 1

Miguel Advincula

Ms. Bruzzese

ENG 4U1d

03 April 2023

First Half Quotations and Analysis “Scarborough” by Catherine Hernandez

Page Range: 9-255 Pages Read: 9-128

1. “We have to be like little mice, Laura. When we leave, we have to whisper until we’re

outside” (Hernandez 10).

2. “I remember watching each exit on the 401 pass us, one more vein of connection severed

from a man we no longer recognized” (Hernandez 40).

3. “She knew she was waking me from a nightmare. She had done this before: helping

people escape, or escape herself” (Hernandez 40).

4. “I want to give you a word of caution about making food the main draw for families. We

know you are located in a low-income neighbourhood, and I want to assure you that the

resources are there to feed these community members elsewhere” (Hernandez 54).

5. “Because it reminds me of who I am” (Hernandez 61).

6. “Just another day in Scarborough” (Hernandez 80).

7. “He hated hearing his name. The same name as the dad he never knew” (Hernandez 85).

8. “We have a right to stand by our political opinions, but I must caution you that the centres

pride themselves on being no-politics zones. Especially as the centres are the pride and

joy of the Liberal party” (Hernandez 97).

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9. “I watched my dad put his hand into the frying pan. That’s why we’re alone now. Ma

says he is sick in his head and heart, and it’s not his fault” (Hernandez 108).

10. “This is my body. This is tomato sauce in my hair. These are my legs. I am sitting on the

carpet. I am wet. It is dark outside. I am alone, again” (Hernandez 123).

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“I want to give you a word of caution about making food the main draw for families. We know

you are located in a low-income neighbourhood, and I want to assure you that the resources are

there to feed these community members elsewhere” (Hernandez 54).

The use of Marxist Criticism in “Scarborough” portrays several characters in the novel

who struggle to survive in a capitalist society. Therefore, the analysis of Marxism highlights the

social inequalities and power dynamics in such a low-income neighbourhood. The speaker in the

novel states that Ms. Hina, a Muslim social worker for the Ontario Reads Literacy Program,

prioritizes food for families, as the school setting is located in a low-income area of Toronto. The

outlook through Marxism is analyzed through social inequality, and how limiting the amount of

food can determine it. Looking through power dynamics, the story takes place in a capitalist

society. Thus, resources and foods are typically measured by income and social status.

Low-income families would use these resources to take advantage, since the access of food can

be difficult elsewhere. As the novel explores the themes of social-class struggles through

Marxism, the point is to seek a capitalist economic system that argues the social-class inequality

throughout the suggestion of the availability of resources in other places. This proves that certain

families do not have easier access towards food and other resources as other higher social-class

families. The purpose of providing food in the literacy program is to also improve the lives of

low-income families.
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“I remember watching each exit on the 401 pass us, one more vein of connection severed from a

man we no longer recognized” (Hernandez 40).

Reader-Response Criticism reflects in ways that the reader can visualize in different

characters' perspectives. The narrator reflects on the disconnection and loss between the father

and his son, Bing. It also points out that characters also face living in a low-income area of

Scarborough, including the struggles with addictions. Thus, readers can feel and understand the

sense of empathy through real experiences, as it can reflect on other issues in society today. This

includes the real life struggles that are faced today in Toronto’s east end of Scarborough, where

many live in poverty and in high crime neighborhoods. Furthermore, Hernandez refers to

Highway 401 as a “vein of connection” as a metaphor to have the reader respond to the imagery

and language that is used. This leads towards the theme of disconnection and separation, as the

use of the metaphor symbolizes Bing’s issues in his family. Overall, readers and multiple people

in society have faced family issues in separation, which ultimately relates to similar perspectives

that Hernandez uses in her novel. On the other hand, some may also feel emotionally attached to

those issues and being afflicted with the use of imagery that illustrates the themes in the novel

and relevance to social issues today.

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Works Cited

Hernandez, Catherine. Scarborough: A Novel. Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022.