Tangerine Literary Analysis: Choices and Consequences

Imagine feeling lost in the shadows, being terrorized daily, and living in an environment where intense sibling rivalries haunt you from dawn to dusk. Paul Fisher is a vision impaired seventh grader, who constantly endures the consequences of his older brother, Erik’s various actions. Engulfed in a world centered around his older brother’s athletic success, and ceaseless bullying, Paul struggles with facing new and changing relationships. Neglected and frightened, Erik’s decisions lead to crucial character development in Paul, and different consequences.

In Tangerine, Erik’s choices exhibits that negativity leads to further negative character development through being forgotten and bullying.

Part of Paul’s struggles in relationships is attributed to Erik’s malicious bullying towards Paul and his friends. When Erik furiously “lashed out, smashing the back of his hand across Tino’s face, smashing him so hard that Tino spun halfway around in the air and landed on the grass,” this contributed largely to Paul’s development.

In response, Paul stared right into his eyes, he felt angry yet confused by the supposed sorrow and fear in Erik’s eyes: A quote from page 207 reads, “..when I finally looked right into his eyes, I was surprised by what I saw. It was not hatred, or even anger. It was more like sorrow. Or fear.” (207). Additionally, negativity also leads to further negative character development when Erik chose to laugh over Mike Costello’s death.

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As a quote from Tangerine reads, “I watched them in disbelief. How could they be happy? Who were these two people? Then I realized:They were the two people who will benefit from Mike Costello’s death.” (52) This adversely affects Paul’s development by leading him to realize his own brother is so cold hearted, he begrudges a dead man respect. Through his older brother’s relentless bullying, Paul comes to develop the negative perspective that his brother will never positively change his actions towards him and his friends.

Secondly, Erik’s choices also demonstrate how his negativity leads to additional negative development in Paul, by being forgotten amidst the glory of Erik’s athleticism. When others eagerly beckon to Erik’s every whim in the attention brought by his many athletic victories, this leads Paul to believe no one can resist the appeal of the Erik Fisher Football Dream. Additionally, as a quote reads, “Now he (Arthur) can take Erik mud running. And he can take Erik to practice. And he can take Erik wherever else Erik says to take him.” (41)

Another quote reads, “What will Arthur do for an opportunity like that, for that kinds of fame and glory? What will Arthur do for Erik, his sponsor, his benefactor, his ticket to the big time? Let’s face it. He will do anything. He will do anything that Erik asks. He has found himself a place in the Erik Fisher Football Dream, and he will do anything to stay there. “ (41) Paul also feels neglected as an athlete, and thinks no one will recognize him as an accomplished athlete compared to his golden older brother. As Paul says to his mother in Part 3 while she was commenting on athletes slacking off during the season, “ I’m an athlete. A champion athlete, in fact. And I didn’t slack off during the season.” (210) All in all, being neglected as an athlete and lost in the Erik Fisher Football Dream has made Paul less confident in himself and more jealous of his already frayed relationship with Erik.