The No-Guitar Blues

In “The No-Guitar Blues,” Gary Soto creates a morality tale that explores class divisions, adhering to one’s values, and how cultural diversity factors into the American dream. By naming his protagonist Fausto, he draws on classic Faust tales, setting up a story where the hero will be tempted to make a “deal with the devil”—i.e., act against his conscience. However, Soto subverts the myth by allowing Fausto to atone for his actions and achieve a happy ending through honesty and integrity. Since Soto is writing for young readers, this subversion shares the message that it’s okay to make mistakes if one owns up to them. No one is perfect, but one is rewarded for Following One’s Conscience.

In keeping with traditional morality tales, Fausto is also an “everyman” archetype, meant to represent humanity broadly. As such, he shares characteristics with typical American teens; he loves rock music and dreams of becoming a successful rock star, and he rebels against things he finds too childish like the Chipmunks Christmas album. His everyman status is deepened by the ways he attempts to earn money—mowing lawns and raking leaves, the sorts of neighborhood chores that are ubiquitous in American media. At the same time, Soto broadens the idea of the American everyman in his story by making Fausto explicitly Chicano; he eats traditional Mexican dishes and speaks Spanish, and his parents play conjunto music at home. With this, Soto asserts that immigrants and cultural diversity are an essential part of the American identity.

This blend is symbolized by Los Lobos performing on American Bandstand in the opening scene. American Bandstand was a massively popular TV program that launched many musical acts to stardom; it was considered a tastemaker and was considered representative of American music as a whole. Los Lobos is a Mexican American band that started in Los Angeles, which makes them a symbol of Chicano culture in the story (as opposed to Mexican culture in Mexico). By choosing a band that’s rooted in the story’s California setting, Soto creates verisimilitude—a sense of realism—while also amplifying the specific Americanness of Chicano culture. Fausto idolizes Los Lobos and is inspired to start his own band, representing how he sees a place for himself in the United States.

The typical story arc in morality tales is split into three parts: temptation, fall, and redemption. When Fausto’s honest attempts to earn the money to buy a guitar fail, he is tempted to get the money dishonestly. Enhancing the story’s realism, there is no evil character that tempts Fausto, nor does he plot to steal money or commit a serious crime. Instead, seeing a terrier gives him the idea to lie about where he found the dog and potentially get a cash reward from the owners. Even in his scheming, Fausto is characterized as an essentially honest character; he tries to justify his actions by finding the truth in his story, saying that the dog was loose and a few blocks from his home. He also doesn’t withhold the dog or even explicitly ask for a reward; he simply brings him to the owners’ house and lets them decide how to handle it. He is motivated by stereotypes about rich people, thinking only about what they have and what he doesn’t, but he is surprised that they are kind, easygoing people. The scene in their home builds the theme of Overcoming Class Divisions, emphasizing that while they and Fausto belong to different economic classes, they can come together across these differences. This is symbolized by the shared objects in their homes—Helen’s turnovers, which look like empanadas, and the dome clock that both they and Fausto’s aunt have. Fausto realizes that he and this couple are more alike than different, which complicates his plan.

Fausto’s fall occurs when he executes his plan, and he feels the effects of this when he receives his longed-for cash reward. With the $20 bill in hand, Fausto immediately feels guilty and knows that he can’t live with himself, even if he gets away with it. Like traditional morality tales, Fausto immediately turns to religion to redeem himself, believing that God’s forgiveness will allow him to forgive himself. Soto extends his inner turmoil by setting the story later in the day; confession is closed, and Fausto must endure his feelings overnight. He is briefly tempted to keep the money, thinking that it is more than he’s ever had, but he wakes up resolved to redeem himself. He goes to church alone, which emphasizes that he is motivated by his own feelings rather than any external pressures from his parents to right his wrongs, and he instinctively knows that giving the $20 bill to the collection plate will absolve him. In medieval morality plays, the act of penitence is a major part of the story, and Soto draws on that literary history here. Fausto literally pays for his sin, and his relief is immediate. He leaves the church and goes back to being a kid, playing football with his neighborhood friends, symbolizing how his mistake did not spoil his innocence.

Along with alleviating his conscience, Fausto is materially rewarded for his honesty, solidifying the story as a morality tale. His mother mentions finding a guitarrón in her father’s garage and offers it to Fausto, who is delighted. The guitarrón as a closing symbol represents Fausto’s American dream, a blend of his Mexican American culture and his aspirations of becoming an American rock star. Soto emphasizes that one can only achieve their dreams by being true to themselves; in Fausto’s case, that means following his conscience and honoring his culture.