Spatial: The main character’s description of the scene helps us understand the urban setting where the story takes place. He describes buildings, dark alleys, and sketchy environments. Flashbacks are also exposed in a way that seems very spatially descriptive. He talks for example about his friend’s backyard fence.

Intrapersonal: Especially during the scene where the dad enters his son’s bedroom, we understand the story through feelings. We feel compassion for the boy and understand that he uses his imagination to escape his life, to be someone else. When the dad says “I’m sorry”, we understand why what seems to be a simple statement means a lot to this kid. The tone goes from playful and exciting to very heavy emotionally.

Existential: Looking at the fantasy of this boy (respect, fame, power, money…), contrasting with the informations he gives us about his actual life (his Abuela needs financial help, his father abuses him, his brother lost his job…), we can understand the deeper meaning of the story. The story is not about a boy fantasizing about being Batman, but about a boy escaping from his difficult life. The story also raises the subject of inequality.

Logical-Mathematical: From the way the kid tells the story, we can conclude many things about him and his socio-economic situation. For example, his use of the word ‘abuela’ is a clear indicator that he is from Latin descend. We also infer from the way he talks about his blue polo that he is under-privileged, most likely lower class. When he talks about being whipped by a belt, we understand that he is abused by his father. All of these little details help us with the global interpretation of the story.

Interpersonal: We understand that the main character is a lonely kid and we feel for him. He wants to be in control for once, as we see that his situation at home is abusive. For once in his life, he wants to feel like a hero. His father is dealing with alcoholic addiction, and this creates an unhealthy environment for him. However, even if he knows he is being mistreated, he still wants to believe that a healthy relationship with his father is possible. This is why he imagines his dad apologizing at the end of the story.

Musical: Musical intelligence allows the audience to imagine the sounds that are described orally during the actor’s presentation. Without actually hearing the sounds, we know what they would sound like because we have already heard them. Thus, we are applying previous experience to understand his story. For example, at some point he says, “CLIC – CLIC,” and we immediately recognize the sound in our minds. Additionally, musical intelligence allows the audience to imagine the sound an object makes when the actor mentions an object in the story. For example, not long after saying, “CLIC – CLIC,” he talks about a man with a handgun in the scene he is describing. This further adds to our understanding of the sound because now we also know what type of clicking sound is implied. Furthermore, musical comprehension allows the audience to follow the rhythm of the story through the music. For example, the audience knows that when the drum beats faster, there is tension building up in the narrative. Also, anyone having already heard music played at a faster and faster rate knows to expect a culminating point. Thus, they will know to expect a culminating point in the narrative, too.

Linguistic: It helps us learn about the characters in the story. For example, the choice of words employed by a specific character can tell a lot about their background and personality. For example, the narrator in the story uses words like “abuela,” a Spanish word for grand-mother. Thus, we know that the narrator is Hispanic. Also, he uses words like “freaking” and expressions like “for real” often. This gives us an idea of his mental age and his maturity. Linguistic intelligence helps us understand his relationship with other characters in the story. For example, when he calls his father “pop,” we realize at the end of the story that the other man is his father. Additionally, the narrator uses figures of speech to censure information that may be too graphic for some people, yet helps them understand what is happening in the scene because of what is implied in the figurative words. Finally, the narrator uses simplified words because of his age and lack of knowledge, yet the author of the story implies words that give a more mature audience important context to the story. When the narrator says, “on a four hour visit to some lady’s house,” we understand that this refers to a prostitute’s house.

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