Love+in+L.A.

In the short story, "Love in L.A", written by Dagoberto Gilb, a man by the name of Jake is stuck in typical stop-and-go L.A traffic. The story is told in 3rd person omniscient, and as the narrator describes Jake's vehicle, one could infer Jake is a lower-middle class person. Jake begins to derail in thought and begins dreaming of a new, luxurious car, and "exotic colognes" and "plush, dark nightclubs" (Gilb 1). As this all happens, Jake ends up rear ending a Toyota. He contemplates a hit and run, believing he could get away with it due to the abundance of traffic, but then he pulls over and waits for the owner of the Toyota and meet him on the side of the freeway. He is completely spell bound by the owner's looks, and proceeds to introduce himself. After apologizing and making some dry jokes, Jake begins to hit on the owner, who we find out is named Mariana. After some sad attempts to swoon Mariana, Jake gets her number. Mariana writes down his license plate number and drives away. Jake watches her leave as if he let go of a long, lost love on the Hollywood Freeway.

There are at least five topics that are strongly expressed throughout the short story, and they are: 1.) Life aspirations 2.) Romance 3.) Materialism 4.) Privilege 5.) Pursuit of happiness

"Love in LA" is no classic, fairy tale, Disney-styled love story. Dagoberto Gilb, the author, intended for this story to relate with pretty much any audience. This story isn't necessarily a "love" story by any means, no one is scooped up by their knight in shining armor onto a magical white horse that would proceed to ride off into the sunset. This story is set in a realistic setting, stuck in the congested, bumper to bumper, LA traffic. It's messy, it's dirty, and it's a polluted setting. The story begins with one of the main characters, Jake. Jake is a dishonest and frugal bachelor day dreaming in his beat up 1958 Buick. He dreams of a rich and luxurious life style, taking him far away from the smoggy, filthy Hollywood freeway he finds himself on. As he is drifting off into this alternate reality, he ends up rear ending a Toyota in front of him. The owner of the Toyota is physically striking to Jake. She steps out of the vehicle and before Jake can even contain himself and keep it professional, he uses pick up lines on the woman he just rear ended in traffic. The way Jake reacts suggests he's a casual guy who can smooth talk himself virtually out of any situation. He shakes hands with the woman, introducing himself, and then the woman introduces herself as Mariana. With a bit of questioning from Jake's side, the audience discovers Mariana is Venezuelan, and probably younger considering she stills lives with her parents. The audience can infer Mariana is not the slightest bit romantically interested in Jake. Who would though? Jake just put a dent in her car, during LA traffic. It's not a combination that would stir up any romantic feelings. The story is almost humorous, considering the setting and the personality of the characters. What also makes it humorous is that it is highly relatable with people in our age. For those who are hopeless (or lack of better word, hopeful) romantics, getting in a car accident and coincidentally meeting the "love of your life" would be a pretty sweet deal for some. You can also see the dynamics between the characters,Jake is this dreamer. He escapes reality by dreaming of nicer cars with working AC systems and exotic colognes, and here you have Mariana who just wants his insurance and plate numbers so she can get on with her day. "Love in LA" is a contemporary love story that is set in a realistic setting, and has a humorous undertone. I would recommend this story to a wide range audience. Just because it is so relatable, it makes it a good story. It makes it interesting, and it leaves us wondering what ever happened of Mariana and Jake.

Works Cited

Gilb, Dagoberto. //Love in LA //. 1993. Print.

Resources: Internet Resource: Information on [|Dagoberto Gilb]

This website is the official website for the author, Dagoberto Gilb. The website is extremely helpful and useful to find information on the author. The website talks in depth about his other works, and they all have a relatively similar tone and style. Gilb is a Spanish-american author who extensively writes about contemporary western cultures. Gilb has written more than 6 books, as well as appeared in newspapers and magazines such as //Harper's// and the //New Yorker.// By knowing more about the author's cultural and ethnic backgrounds, the reader can better understand Gilb's literary works. Comparing his texts also helps his audience become more familiar with his writing styles and admiration of western american culture.

Michael, Dudding. "Dagoberto Gilb." //Http://www.dagobertogilb.com///. Grove Atlantic. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. .

Database Resource: Articles about [|Dagoberto Gilb]

The database for Dagoberto Gilb is incredibly helpful because not only does it give information on his literary works, the database also lists full novels and short stories provided with dates and publications. The database also provides extra information and resources with helpful information on Gilb. The majority of the database provides information about Gilb's life, including his date of birth, the awards he has won, and a list of his careers. This information helps readers gain a richer sense of Gilb's writing, as well as a deeper grasp at what it means to live in America in the 20th and 21st century as a Spanish-american. The database was recently updated, ensuring that the information is still relevant. There are source citations available on the page so that there is security and validity.

Dagoberto Gilb." //Contemporary Authors Online//. Detroit: Gale, 2013. //Literature Resource Center//. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. URL http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1000124282&v=2.1&u=lec_infores&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=3e30927d6730c1339b64779a42960b8f