Baseball in April and Other Stories

Alfonso, the protagonist of “Broken Chain,” is a young teenager who worries about his appearance. Initially, he sits on his porch, attempting to push his teeth straight because his mother thinks that braces are too expensive. Admitting that he “hated the way he looked” (1), he exhibits an intense focus on his appearance that reflects the self-centered attitudes common in early adolescence. In addition to pushing his teeth, he also does sit-ups daily, so he can have abdominal muscles that “girls in cut-offs would notice,” and so that “guys would think he was tough” (1). This obsession extends to the bike he rides, for he frequently wipes it down with an old sock so that it will look shiny and new.

Because he is so worried about other people’s perception of him, Alfonso exudes a naïve, childlike attitude. On the day he meets with Sandra to ride bikes, Alfonso accidentally breaks his bike chain. Devastated by this turn of events, “he flung the chain as far as he could” (9). These actions are reminiscent of a toddler’s tantrum, which suggests that with Alfonso’s childlike mentality, he elevates a simple problem into something catastrophic. Furthermore, when he goes to meet up with Sandra, he hides, imagining all the humiliating things she might say to him.