w foolish [he] looked in [his] new jacket” (paragraph 7). The narrarator feels insecure because of his assumptions that his teachers are making fun of him when in fact, they are not noticing him at all. Further more, he continues to say, “At lunchtime I stayed with the ugly boys leaned against the chain link fence… our mouths” (paragraph 9). This statement proves the narrarator is having bad luck because of the jacket and is destroying his reputation at school. A third reason why the jacket symbolizes insecurity is because the fact that his classmates see him with the jacket, he feels that they “…say out loud “man that’s ugly”, I heard the buzz-buzz of gossip and even laughter” Gonzalez 3(paragraph 7). Just as he felt the same as he did in the teacher situation, he feels the jacket is something that makes himself like a joke and increases his insecurity.Self- Destruction is a final meaning for the symbolism of the jacket which helps the character develop himself in the story. When the narrarator felt that the jacket was ruining his life, he claimed “I ran outside, ready to cry, and climbed the tree by the alley to think bad thoughts” (paragraph 10). His bad thoughts were of embarrassment and shame all brought on by the idea of having this certain jacket. Another example was when he had gotten upset and he had thrown the jacket down and he later “…swiped the jacket off the ground and went inside to drape it across [his] leg and started to mope” (paragraph 11). Showing aggravation towards an object shows his frustration towards himself, realizing that he cannot accept the person he has become with the jacket. Finally, when the narrarator states “I spent my sixth-grade year in a tree waiting for something good to happen to me in that jacket” (paragraph 10). The narrarator’s expectation to feel useful in the jacket is what makes him ...
