Chapter 8

The joy of Antonio's brothers returning home after the end of the war in Chapter 7 begins to dissipate in Chapter 8, as the brothers fail to reassimilate into family life.

Antonio observes that he understands why the blood of spring is called "bad blood" -- he compares his brothers' growing restlessness with the rising of sap in trees dormant all winter, that begin to grow buds in the warmth of spring. His brothers sleep all day, and go out into town to gamble and drink all night. Their mother worries about them almost as much as she did when they were away at war, but says nothing because she is glad to at least have them home. Antonio wonders how much of their behavior, and the mechanical way they seem to be moving through the world since their return, is a way to forget about what they went through fighting in the war. One of the brothers, Leon, howls in the night in his sleep sometimes, and Antonio thinks of Lupito and the sickness war created in him. All the while, Antonio's father grows more insistent that his older sons plan a life with him in California, but the brothers do not listen. His dream begins to fade as the brothers gamble away all of their money in town.

As the weather warms, the brothers become more and more restless, and one day Antonio overhears them talk about leaving the town for good. They complain that they feel tied down in their parents' "hick town", and dream of saving up money and moving away to someplace more exciting. "All their lives, they had lived with the dreams of their father and mother haunting them, like they did me", thinks Antonio; as if in response, one brother tells the others "we can't build our lives on their dreams...we're not boys any longer...we can't be tied down to old dreams." Antonio worries about losing his brothers again, as they make plans to leave. As they grow more excited at the idea, they begin to tease Antonio, saying "Tony, you're going to be [mother's] priest!...Bless us, Tony!" Antonio, angered, says he will, and makes the sign of the cross over them. His older brothers laugh and toss Antonio onto the roof of the chicken coup, not taking his blessing seriously, and as they run off, he yells again "I will bless you!" His older brothers take off to town, saying they need to say goodbye to the girls at Rosie's, and Antonio is reminded of an incident where his father took their cow to mate with a neighbor's bull. While the bull mounted the cow, Antonio's father and the neighbor laughed, but Antonio was frightened. He remembers, also, when his brothers built the family house, and how they were like giants to him then, and starts to feel empty inside as he realizes he is losing them again.


Discussion Questions
1. How does the conversation Antonio overhears between his brothers echo the dream Antonio had in Chapter 2?
2. How does the imminent departure of Antonio's brothers affect his feelings about his obligation toward his parents?