The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child

Papá’s used black Plymouth represents both a constant in the family’s life and symbolizes their frequent moves around the circuit. Papá, Francisco writes, is justifiably proud of the old jalopy. Papá picked the car out carefully, doing due diligence to make sure it was sound and would serve the family well. In these ways, the carcachita symbolizes Papá, and is both reliable and hard-working. Having found a nice blue necktie in the car, Papá believes the original owner “must have been an important man” (75), and this supposition adds to the carcachita’s prestige in Papá’s eyes, suggesting Papá even hopes a little of that success will rub off on the family.

The carcachita safely carries the family and their goods all over southern California. In these ways, the carcachita is their home on wheels, one of the few permanent features in the family’s life. It reflects their family bond: Francisco stays in the carcachita to care for Trampita. Papá, Gabriel, Roberto, and Francisco eat lunch in the carcachita between harvesting strawberries. Francisco and the family listen to corridos on the car radio on their long drives. The car thus represents both the family’s transitory life and their permanent family bond.

Cardboard boxes are a signal to Francisco that their family is about to move again: to a new job site, a new home, and a new town. The boxes represent the instability of the family’s life. They also reflect the family’s poverty: Everything they possess fits into two large boxes and two smaller ones. The boxes inspire different feelings in the family members. By the time he reaches sixth grade, the sight of the boxes makes Francisco feel burdened and discouraged. He envisions the seemingly never-ending work ahead.

The boxes also represent the family’s dependence on, and their inability to leave, the circuit. For his little siblings, however, the boxes signal an “adventure.” In “The Circuit,” the cardboard boxes symbolize again the disappointments and losses Francisco experiences because the family must move so much.

Butterflies form an important motif in the stories, representing transformation and hope. When Francisco enters first grade in “Inside Out,” he is like the caterpillar in the jar. He has been insulated within his family and the community of migrant workers. Now, Francisco starts to change and come out of his cocoon: He moves into the larger community, which includes classmates and English-speakers.

Francisco’s “inside”—his spirit—begins to emerge. He learns some English. He recognizes the potential of books and education. He engages with new and different people. He begins to grow and expand his thinking. Winning the prize for his butterfly drawing shows his transformation and represents acknowledgement and acceptance into his new world. The prize makes Francisco proud that others have noticed his skill, and smooths relations with Curtis.

Francisco first notices the emergence of the class butterfly, and he shouts the news in English, revealing his own linguistic growth. Francisco gets to release the creature into the wild, which reflects Francisco’s own hopes to someday fly and excel. Butterflies represent Francisco’s budding freedom to learn, discover, and define himself.

Butterflies also symbolize miracles. In “Miracle in Tent City,” Francisco dreams of having the wings of white butterflies carry him to see Torito, dressed as Santo Niño. Butterflies in Francisco’s dream also symbolize Torito’s transformation and healing. The color white reflects positivity, hope, and spiritual guidance. Francisco’s dream is one of positive change: The butterflies represent the miracle of Torito’s healing and the family’s faith in God.