Fiction and the Business Lesson Paper

Fiction and the Business Lesson Paper

Fictional stories are written to entertain the reader and in some cases can even teach the reader a lesson. In this paper, the author will discuss a short story titled “A Delicate Balance.” The author will explain the entertainment of the plot, the relationship between the characters and the plot, and the lessons learned by the characters within the story and by the reader.

The story of “A Delicate Balance” is about a man named Romero Estrada and his everyday routine of sweeping up and down the block for everyone with his broom. Romero took a great deal of pride sweeping the sidewalks for everyone. He would clean between the cracks of the sidewalks, between the sides of the buildings, and made sure that everything he swept went right into the gutter (Armas, 1996).

Overtime, everyone started to expect Romero to do his task of sweeping the sidewalks. Romero received a little financial assistance but it was not much. He was not given credit by anyone because he could never remember to pay his bills. The businessmen that Romero swept the sidewalks for preferred to give Romero things whenever they wanted. Barelas the barber would cut Romero’s hair when his shop was slow; Tortilleria America would give Romero tortillas; the grocery store would give him broken boxes of food and overripe fruit (Armas, 1996).

Barelas’ son Seferino went to work for his father after he graduated from high school. Overtime, Seferino took notice as to what Romero was doing and began to feel sorry for him. Seferino decided to tell Romero that he would give him 50 cents a day for sweeping the sidewalk and Romero agreed. Seferino’s father asked his son why he did that and Seferino replied that it did not seem right that no one paid him and that everyone should get paid for what they do. Barelas told his son that Romero did not need any money and that he had everything he needed. He tried to explain that Romero would be unhappy if his routine was upset, that everyone liked him and took care of him, and most important that Romero swept the sidewalks because he wanted something to do, not because he wanted money. Barelas decided to leave the situation alone despite his uncertainty on the manner (Armas, 1996).

Later Romero returned and began sweeping the sidewalk in front of the shop. As Seferino was giving Romero his wages, Manolo, a customer asked Seferino what was going on. Seferino explained to him what was happening and asked him and the others if they wanted to start paying Romero as well. None of them wanted to contribute. A few weeks later Seferino found out that Romero was given some credit at the grocery store and told his father that things were already looking better for him. However, the next week Romero did not show up to sweep any sidewalks but was still seen around the town.

Later on that same week Romero came into the barber shop and asked to speak with Seferino privately. Romero told Seferino that he wanted a raise. Seferino was angry and told Romero that he had not worked for an entire week. Romero replied that he had been sweeping long before Seferino graduated from high school. Seferino told him to just forget the whole thing and that he was just trying to help him out. They argued