What does “he” refer to in the sentence?
The next morning when the boy walked out to the kitchen pavilion to watch breakfast cooking, Leandro said, "Picaro, you'll pay. A man has to pay for every crime." Leandro had worried all afternoon that the goggle he brought to this house had become an instrument of death. The punishment was waking up with a sun-broilt spot the size of a tortilla, hot as fire. When the criminal pulled up his nightshirt to show the seared skin on his back, Leandro laughed. He was brown as coconuts, and hadn't thought of sun burn. But for once he didn't say usted pagara, in the formal language of servants to masters. He said tu pagaras, you will pay, in the language of friends.

PS: the boy is an American and Leandro is a Mexican.

What does “he” refer to in the sentence: He was brown as coconuts, and hadn't thought of sun burn? I think it refers to Leandro, am I right?
Thanks!

Question

What does “he” refer to in the sentence?
The next morning when the boy walked out to the kitchen pavilion to watch breakfast cooking, Leandro said, "Picaro, you'll pay. A man has to pay for every crime." Leandro had worried all afternoon that the goggle he brought to this house had become an instrument of death. The punishment was waking up with a sun-broilt spot the size of a tortilla, hot as fire. When the criminal pulled up his nightshirt to show the seared skin on his back, Leandro laughed. He was brown as coconuts, and hadn't thought of sun burn. But for once he didn't say usted pagara, in the formal language of servants to masters. He said tu pagaras, you will pay, in the language of friends.

PS: the boy is an American and Leandro is a Mexican.

What does “he” refer to in the sentence: He was brown as coconuts, and hadn't thought of sun burn? I think it refers to Leandro, am I right?
Thanks!

Answer

Yes, "he" refers to Leandro for three reasons:

(1) He is described to be "brown as coconuts," making it more likely that he is the Mexican (sorry for stereotypes; I'm merely analyzing the text).

(2) "He" is used immediately after a sentence in which Leandro is the subject of the sentence. (I.e., "Leandro laughed.")

(3) "He" said "tu pagaras," which means "you will pay" in Spanish. Earlier in the paragraph, it is established that Leandro had said "Picaro, you will pay."

Answer

Pretty sure it refers to the other person, not Leandro.

Leandro says "Picaro you will pay for your CRIME."

Then, the CRIMINAL pulls up his shirt, and Leandro laughs. The criminal's skin was brown as coconuts....

Answers · 4

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