Role Playing as Boy.

Gary Soto: Behind Grandma's House A link to the poem. Like any young boy outside with no one around, left to his own imagination, this young boy is set on the path to manhood. It starts very simply, "At ten I wanted fame." He knew at ten what Andy Rooney says we'll all have, "15 minutes of fame." This young boy even has an idea of what you need to get you there, "I had a comb And two Coke bottles, a tube of Bryl-creem." Let us examine these things he has, 1- a comb- a device used to straighten or detangle hair, 2- two Coke bottles (empty bottles), and 3- Bryl-creem - a palmate used to make hair more manageable. I think he may have had all he needed to get started toward fame. Everyone knows you need to look your best if you are going to be famous, and since this poem was written in the 1950's the most recognized hair styles for men were the flat top and duck tail. Both of these required hair gel or cream to hold the look in place. The duck tail required constant attention and a fair amount of cream. Bryl-creem was one of the first hair creams to be offered in a tube instead of a can. So we can see this boy has his looks taken care of and ready for fame. He has two Coke bottles, IE money, if you had soda bottles you could redeem them anywhere for the deposit, usually 2 cents to 5 cents, which means while not rich, he did have money, candy money. He also has a young boy entourage, " I had a borrowed dog." What else do you need I ask? This boy had necessities, money, and a dog; fame would surely find him if he didn't find it first. I really see a lot ties to "The Little Rascals" a popular show about a gang of little boys in a poor neighborhood. They had a dog with mismatched eyes and a ring around one, he answered to "Petey" a great dog by any young boy's standards, a clubhouse, a go-cart and adventures.
Then the poem turns to the little boy doing "manly" things like, acting tough or "Tuff."  Ruff and Tuff kicking cans and killing ants, rocking cats and shooing pigeons and finally cussing the priest. All these things are things this little boy knew from his culture as things that make a man seem tough. kids mimic what they see adults do and what they see in their culture, (TV, neighborhood, schools, church, ...) But reality sets in as soon as grandma steps into the alley. She says "Let me help you." when someone says let me help you, you expect them to do many different things but not what is about happen. She punched him, really, grandma punched him. You see if this boy was going to be as "tuff" as he was acting he would need some help "tuffening" up. Everyone knows when you are talking about that kind of "tuff" you need to able to take a punch. My guess is Grandma was trying to iron out some kinks, bad behavioral kinks, and the best way to do that was to get the undivided attention of her grandson. She got it!