Jesse

In Jesse, the figure of the Catholic God looms over Jesse’s characterization and character development. Jesse turns to God to help navigate his external conflicts, which in turn helps him deal with his internal conflicts. Throughout the novel, Gary Soto emphasizes the power of religion in helping individuals through dark times in their lives.

Jesse’s evolution of faith is indicative of his age and maturation. He is only 17 years old, which means he is still young and figuring out who he is and what he wants for his future. Because of his youth, he is still learning what his faith truly means to him. As a child, Jesse pictured God as magical. God was the creaks in the floorboards, the mysterious chill in the air. At 17, Jesse has outgrown this version of God. Unlike most teenagers, Jesse has adult issues such as affording rent and food, and his temperamental stepfather. These challenges force Jesse to reconfigure what God looks like to him. He understands God as a figure to whom he prays. This transition from magical presence to leader of prayer is indicative of Jesse’s new challenges. Because Jesse needs to deal with immediate issues of identity and poverty, as well as hold onto hope for the future, prayer is a useful way of organizing his feelings.