“The No-Guitar Blues” develops the theme of Economic Hardship as a Formative Childhood Experience. From the very beginning, Fausto’s longing for a guitar and his inability to afford one take center stage. Given his family’s difficult financial situation, Fausto’s determination to earn the money himself reflects a noble mindset that also speaks to his willingness to navigate the challenges of a complex and sometimes unfair world. His initial struggles to find work also reflect the finer nuances of this issue. 

However, Fausto loses the metaphorical “high road” when he concocts a plan to find a “lost” neighborhood dog and return it in hopes of receiving a cash reward. In this moment, he gives in to his desire for a guitar and essentially compromises his own integrity and moral code. The unconditional kindness of the dog’s owners further complicates this dynamic, especially when “the wife look[s] at her husband, then Fausto” and then says, “Well, young man, you’re probably hungry” (47). Her assumption that he has not eaten suggest that she feels pity for him, but the relatively extravagant gift of the $20 merely makes Fausto feel guilty. This emotionally mixed outcome shows how deeply his family’s economic hardships and pride shape his personal experiences, for he cannot abide the idea of accepting money given out of pity.

His emotional reaction—pure shame—suggests that he has already in internalized the life lesson that money should be earned through honesty and hard work, not deception. After the dog owners insist that he keep the $20, Fausto’s self-admonition that he “shouldn’t have lied” and his immediate desire “to run to church for Saturday confession” reflect his inner crisis over the fact that he gave in to a sense of desperation rather than earning the guitar money honestly (48). His decision to donate the money to church illustrates his wish to set his own ethical record straight. Thus, his family’s gift of the secondhand guitar materializes as a cosmic reward for his new maturity and understanding. 

Although economic hardship is not the centerpiece of “Seventh Grade” as it is in “The No-Guitar Blues,” Victor’s economic hardships are hinted at briefly when he complains with his friend Michael about “the horrors of picking grapes in order to buy their fall clothes” (53). Although the story soon moves on to other matters, Soto inserts this offhand moment of dialogue to emphasize the casual familiarity that some children have with the harsh realities of abject poverty. In this brief reference, Victor hints that his financial situation is similar to that of Fausto’s, for both boys must resort to creative alternatives to make money despite their young age.

Additionally, Victor’s story returns to the collection’s broader examination of The Challenges of the Coming-of-Age Journey as he, too, learns from his mistakes and experiences. Like Alfonso, Victor must navigate his crush on a fellow student, and he learns an important lesson when his attempts to exude a suave persona fall short of the mark. His awkwardness at attempting the simplest interactions with Teresa reflects his innate discomfort with his own public image, and his willingness to test out Michael’s approach of “scowling” to gain female attention creates a comic tone. 

This dynamic is further exaggerated when he is forced to reckon with the complex results of his social gambits and blunders. In French class, for example, he focuses so intensely on ways to impress Teresa that he lies and tells Mr. Bueller, a fluent French speaker, that he already knows the language. Although Victor’s embarrassment upon being found out teaches him the importance of representing himself honestly, Teresa’s admiration paradoxically rewards him for his foolishness, as does Mr. Bueller’s kindly silence on the matter. Notably, this is one of the few moments in the collection when the perspective of an adult character is revealed. As an amused Mr. Bueller “remember[s] his college years when he dated a girlfriend in borrowed cars” to create the false impression that he was rich, his recollections create a bridge between the old and the young, serving as a reminder that everyone has behaved foolishly at one point or another. Mr. Bueller’s nostalgia therefore suggests that Victor is going through a time-honored rite of passage: embracing small deceptions to impress a potential romantic interest.