critical analysis of a passage that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to develop a deeper understanding of the passage as a whole.

Close reading requires you to be able to both zoom in and focus on the details of the passage, such as word choice and syntax and annotation, but also zoom out and analyze how all of those details work together.

Chapter Title: Que no se nos olviden los hombres “The loss of a sense of dignity and respect in the macho breeds a false machismo which leads him to put down women and even to brutalize them.

Coexisting with his sexist behavior is a love for the mother which takes precedence over that of all others.

Devoted son, macho pig. To wash down the shame of his acts, of his very being, and to handle the brute in the mirror, he takes to the bottle, the snort, the needle, and the fist.”