50 pages • 1 hour read
Tony JohnstonAny Small Goodness
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1991A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Food
The motif of food appears consistently throughout the novel. The Rodriguez family mostly cooks traditional Mexican dishes—from chilaquiles to chiles rellenos to tamales—and shuns anything lacking taste. Abuelita opposes “false foods,” signaling a deep connection to food and emphasizing the family’s standard of authenticity. Indeed, the Rodriguez family seems to express themselves most sincerely through food. Many times, their creations reflect unspoken emotion, establishing a method of identity that transcends conversation. For instance, after learning of Ms. Cloud’s dismissal, the entire family is in an uproar, incensed that the school district should overlook Ms. Cloud’s many contributions. Mami does not speak but registers her anger another way: She cooks a mole, a chili pepper sauce that Arturo fittingly describes as “complicated and dangerously spicy” (75). Though Mami is typically unassuming, cooking has allowed her to communicate anger—a chaotic, restless emotion that only the spiciness of mole can capture.
Food also helps bridge cultural divides within the barrio, creating a more unified community and underscoring the theme of Embracing a Multicultural Identity. When Coach Tree proves himself a dedicated, responsible teacher, Abuelita decides to make him chiles rellenos. Arriving at the school, Abuelita approaches Coach Tree eagerly: “I am happy to meet. You play basket real good. Chiles muy excelentes. Eat” (51). This speech highlights her challenges with English. As Abuelita watches, Coach Tree tries the chiles rellenos. Though the intense heat startles him, he enjoys them, shaking hands with the Rodriguez family and laughing as he leaves. Though a language barrier threatens Abuelita and Coach Tree’s connection, food repairs that distance. In such moments as these, food becomes its own kind of language, contributing to a more connected neighborhood.
Abuelita’s Molcajete
Abuelita’s molcajete is a symbol that first appears early in the novel, as Arturo and his friends consider the consequences of Americanizing their names. A molcajete is a Mexican mortar and pestle, often used in salsa or guacamole recipes to properly smash ingredients. Abuelita, Arturo explains, “uses it to grind chilies. For salsa and stuff” (12). To Arturo, Abuelita’s molcajete seems incredibly old, “hollowed and pitted” as though it’s been carved from “some old volcano” (12). At first, the molcajete illustrates the generational divide that separates Arturo and Abuelita. Arturo doesn’t understand why Abuelita spends so much time and energy carefully grinding chiles when “she could do it with one zzzzzip of the blender switch” (12). As he slips into his “Arthur” persona, Arturo is similarly willing to embrace American technology, prioritizing convenience over tradition.
However, once Arturo grows to appreciate cultural traditions, the molcajete’s symbolism adjusts. When Arturo reclaims his name, he swears on the molcajete, describing it as “the most Mexican thing around” (19). Suddenly, Arturo no longer resents the molcajete for its inefficiency but praises it as an emblem of his native country. Furthermore, the molcajete’s materiality—old and weathered stone—suggests the continuity of tradition. Just as the molcajete survives, braving the dangers of immigration, so too does traditional culture endure, a bedrock upon which Arturo can develop his identity.
Wooden Christmas Tree
The symbol of the wooden Christmas tree appears at the novel’s end, as the Rodriguez family exchanges presents. Each member of the Rodriguez family hand-fashions a gift, conveying their love through effort. Arturo unwraps his present last, savoring the moment. He opens a wooden tree, “worked out in complete detail, from a string of lights and tiny ornaments and a star on top, down to a grinning kid on a bike” (125). Arturo grows particularly emotional when he realizes that “someone’s lovingly painted […] positively every single green pine needle” (125). Though each gift-giver is technically secret, Arturo knows that the handiwork belongs to Luis, noticing the reference to the Green Needle Gang. The exceptional detail in the tree, and the time that Luis has clearly dedicated to its making, suggests a deep, meaningful love between the two brothers.
Similarly, as Luis immortalizes the Green Needle Gang with an ornament, he suggests the continuity of their mission of generosity: Unlike real trees, which eventually wither, this wooden example will endure. Arturo embraces this symbolism, too. He places the ornament on the “best branch” so that he might always look to it for guidance—a reminder to be generous and kind. In including such a symbol, Johnston colors the novel’s end with a sense of optimism, suggesting that Arturo will always aspire to goodness.
