Protagonist Paragraph In Breaking Through, by Francisco Jimenez, the protagonist, Francisco Jimenez himself, struggles to fit in with his peers at his new school, works long hours to help support his family, learns to be responsible and to respect his parents, and finds out where he belongs in the world. In the beginning of the novel, Francisco’s family crosses the border and Francisco starts going to school in California.
He eagerly tries to fit in with the rest of the students. His attempts were shown even in the younger grades, “To make friends, he began to pay close attention to what his classmates did and talked about. During recess, the girls talked about boys, music, and dancing. The boys discussed sports, cars, and girls” (Jimenez 30). His goals to fit in are accomplished when he is elected president of the Spanish club.
Francisco also learns to respect and listen to his parents, especially his dad. Even Though he and dad have different views and opinions, he always takes his father’s words into consideration. He constantly thinks about how he can help his family, therefore to go to college was a major choice for him, as he would not be there to support them. Francisco is very responsible and he always makes sure to get his work done. In order to improve his English, Francisco finds a book in the dump and reads a few pages of it everyday and watches movies in English. Fortunately, he has very supportive adults by his side that are able to aid and lead him in the right direction. Mr. Kinkade tells Francisco that in order to achieve his dream of becoming a teacher, he must go to college.
He tells him that there are scholarships available, and he helps him form a schedule with the classes he needs to attend in order to get into college. Francisco overcomes various barriers and finds his own place in world. He realizes who he wants to be and how he can help others, just as others have helped him in the past.
