English Class
Analysis of the sidewalk symbol in the story
Jose Armas’ “El Tonto del Barrio” portrays the situation of a touched man named Romero Estrado – or, more popularly known as “El Cotoro” in Golden Heights Centro because he whistles and sings while he sweeps the sidewalks. At the heart of the story is a compelling comparison between the protagonist, Romero, and the son of a barber, Seferino, whose sense of care conflicts with the former’s special disability. Integrated into the story’s plot is Romero’s sudden change of behavior from ‘good’ to ‘bad’ and then ‘bad’ to ‘good’ when Seferino ...