La Conchita Essay

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turning point of the story occurs when Gordon is thrust into the mudslide is when a woman approaches him in a manic state: “You’ve got to help”, “Help me, please (Boyle 98).” This is where his human instincts came into play, and even grabbed his gun before he left. The woman led him to where her husband and child were, buried beneath the mudslide in a house. This is where the narrator starts to realize the severity of the situation. He begins to forget about the package that he has to deliver and realizes the desperation of the woman and sympathizes with her. He sees her face and realizes that this is all a real event, and helps her dig for her husband without question, and “fell in beside her without a word (Boyle 99).” He dug furiously with reckless abandon with his hands until a shovel was present. He did not bother to answer his cell phone; all he could think about was helping this woman in her time of need. He was struck with shock and eventually dug his way to the bottom and saved the woman’s husband.

At the end of the story, Gordon gives the liver to Freddie Altamirano. Based on his narrator from the beginning of the story, he never would have given Freddie the liver. When Gordon gives Freddie the liver without any disagreement, we can see that he has changed dramatically. Gordon has finally realized what care for another person is. He cares only that the woman receiving the liver gets it on time, not that he is the one to deliver it.

Overall, Gordon goes through a dramatic change. He goes from not caring about anyone, to being very selfless by helping the woman. He fully realized that people in need require help and finally felt some emotion besides animosity. He went from being an awful person, to a hero. Throughout the story, he refers to himself as ‘not a hero,’ but as a matter of fact by the end of the story, he is due to saving both the woman’s husband and presumably the woman in need of a liver.