Character Description

Sonny's mother Sylvia has a few characteristics that appear quite often whenever Sonny has an encounter with her. She is described as a very pretty Hispanic woman who is always wearing a new dress of some kind and all dolled up like she was going out. It seems like as a mother she is not very responsible and acts as if she is trying to live her life as still a single woman without a child and not being very involved in Sonny's life. Sonny comes home late constantly and is out doing his own thing and it seems like it doesn't matter a whole lot to her. She is not very close with Sonny and its obvious by how their conversations are very limited in substance and duration with only a few words exchanged between the two at any time. Another point that comes up in the second section of reading is when she is making the salsita for Cloyd, leaving him the impression she made it from scratch and telling Sonny not to say a word about it to him. She does not appear extremely happy with their living conditions at Los Flores as well and seems to become very bored not having to work.

"I was out," I told her, surprised that she talked. i was feeling too much mota, and way strange. I wanted to go to that room where I slept. "I wish I were too," she said (Gilb 72)."

-          This shows how Sylvia becomes very bored of just being around the home all day since Cloyd insists she does not work

"There was a beer bottle next to her. That was crazy. My mom didn’t drink beer, I think especially because it was fattening (Gilb 72)."

-          This quote shoes how it was weird to see something that could make her fat by her considering she cares so much about her figure

"It seemed to me she was wearing another new dress, and she was smelling washed and bath-oiled and lotioned and misted, and the high heels were glossier and redder than her lipstick (Gilb 76)."

-          This quote shows how Sylvia would always try to look her best and go all out with her makeup, scent, and clothing.

"He doesn’t even know I buy este chile at the grocery store," she told me. "He thinks I make it. He even tells everybody I do (Gilb 76)."

-          This quote shows how Sylvia is trying to keep Cloyd impressed and make him happier by keeping the thought in his head that she is the one making the food.

"She reached into her purse and handed me a five. "Maybe just go get your self dinner tonight (Gilb 80)."

-          This quote reveals how much about Sonny life and routine she really knows, which can’t be much considering he usually gets dinner himself every night at the bowling alley diner.

“Yeah, she is one pretty Mexican gal,” he said. “I am one lucky man, all right (Gilb 89).”

-          From Cloyd’s perspective, he also believes she is a very pretty woman by her appearance and what she is capable of.