Review Of The Book Spare Parts By Joshua Davis
A 9-year-old boy travels with his mother by bus up north from Mexico into the United States into Arizona. As they travel, they receive green cards that had belonged to people who looked similar to them allowing for them to enter and remain in America. After getting off the bus, Oscar and his Mom travel for twenty minutes after leaving Mexico into America. From there, they live out their lives in America. This story belongs to Oscar and tells the story of how his mother smuggled him into the country as a young boy in order to allow for him to have a better life. Many have the privilege of immediately becoming a citizen of their country as soon as they are born; however, some are not as fortunate as others.
Joshua Davis uses the character Oscar in his novel Spare Parts to help the readers to understand that citizenship is taking pride in being a citizen and honoring one’s country through joining forces with the military. To begin with, Oscar takes pride in being a US citizens. For instance, as Oscar prepares to graduate from Arizona State University, “He decided to do what Obama had asked of the class of 2009, to not shy away from finding his own greatness. He decided to deport himself”. While the other four boys continue to live in America illegally, Oscar decides to take a different path in life as “he decided to deport himself” back to Mexico. Davis emphasizes how Oscar does not want the fact that he is an illegal citizen living in America to inhibit his success. Since Oscar was an illegal immigrant living in America, returning to Mexico was the only option that would allow for him to take pride in living in America. Davis paints Oscar in a new light by allowing him to be seen as an individual who wants to be successful. Secondly, as Oscar prepares to become a US citizen,”...Oscar refuses to lie. He didn’t want his path to citizenship to be based on fraud. He wanted America to want him”. Many decide that lying is the only option to take in order to become a citizen; however, Oscar decides that he wants to be truthful. Oscar easily could have lied, but he doesn’t want “his path to citizenship to be based on fraud.”
Davis portrays Oscar as one who wants to take pride in the fact that he is an American citizen based on truths, rather than based on lies. Therefore, Davis paints Oscar is a new light by allowing him to be seen as an honest, law-abiding citizen. Thus, Oscar has the integrity to be honest with himself and the rest of the world by deporting himself and becoming a legal US citizens in order to have pride in being an American citizen. Additionally, Oscar honors America as a US citizen. For instance, after Oscar becomes a legal citizen in the US, he states,”’I want to serve as a soldier…’” (Davis 215). Oscar honors America when he decides that he wants to “serve as a soldier.” Those who are serving in the military or have formally served have honored their country thoroughly by protecting and fighting for American rights. Oscar has always wanted to serve as a soldier, regardless of what country he is in. One of the first actions he took in his new school in Arizona was joining the school army allowing for him to train in order to get stronger in the hopes that one day he could join the army himself. Oscar perseveres towards his American citizenship and comes to realize that he can join the Army if he chooses to.
Davis paints Oscar in a new light by allowing Oscar to be seen as an individual who has perseverance. Furthermore, as Oscar prepared to take his oath, he came to realize that “he was becoming part of something bigger than himself: the Army, the country, and an idea about how people should live together” (Davis 216). In this moment, Oscar takes the opportunity to recite oaths that other Americans do not have to say due to the mere fact that those who are born in a particular country automatically have the privilege of becoming a citizen to that country as soon as they are born. As soon as Oscar comes to realize that the Army was “something bigger than himself,” he is honored that he can call himself an American citizen in the Army because he never felt that he belonged in Mexico. Mexico did not feel like home anymore since he had been living in America most of his life. Davis paints Oscar in a new light by allowing him to be seen as an individual who is honored to serve the country to which he belongs in. Therefore, Oscar has the perseverance to join the Army and to take an oath in order to honor his country as a US soldier.
From my view, I have always viewed a responsible citizen being those who respect their country, honor their country, and take pride in their country. I never thoroughly thought about those who may be entering America illegally until now that we have read Joshua Davis’ Spare Parts. My view on citizenship has not been changed significantly by Davis; therefore, I still believe that citizens should respect, honor, and have pride in their country. However, now I believe that citizens of America shouldn’t overlook the oaths they agree too when they are born into America. Each and every American citizen should take the time to read over the oaths that Oscar took when he joined the United States Army to thoroughly understand what being a citizen of America is truly defined as. Davis does a phenomenal job utilizing his character Oscar from Spare Parts to define that a citizen should take pride in being a citizen and joining the military to honor his country.
Oscar is a great representation of what a good citizens of any country should be like. As a formal citizen of Mexico and a new citizen of America, Oscar shows the true meaning of being a citizen by having the will to persevere even when all odds were against him. He represents the country to which he belongs to amazingly. What will be the next step to becoming the ideal citizen for others?
