Clothing and Personification

In “The Jacket,” Gary Soto uses personification, a figure of speech in which inanimate objects are given human qualities. In this case, Soto compares his jacket to an “ugly brother” breathing over his shoulder. Have you ever owned an article of clothing—or a childhood toy, or another inanimate object— that you felt you had a “human” relationship with? Was it friendly, or more antagonistic, as Soto’s is? How would you personify your object?

Clothing and Identity

This article briefly touches upon some of the themes Soto covers in “The Jacket.” Do you feel that the way you dress is part of your identity? The article talks about clothes we choose and the clothes we are forced to wear (like Soto’s hated jacket). What kind of changes did you make in your clothing when you began dressing yourself and picking out your own clothes? Are the clothes you wear now similar to what you wore five years ago? Why or why not?