Popeye follows the story of a young immigrant's journey into adulthood. It depicts his childhood, torn between two cultures and social-economic disparities. His father subjects him to intense abuse, both physically and mentally. It maps a child's struggle with imparting his deep understanding to his dad; the rage he displayed when abusing alcohol is linked to PTSD he suffered in Vietnam.
The move to the United States of America from Ecuador, a third-world country, pulled him into a world he could never have imagined. Hate, racism, physical bullying, and violence. All concepts he had never encountered. The addition of these new social problems, coupled with the culture shock of arriving in the U.S., left him in complete dissonance with the world around him.
His entanglement in gang life caused him almost to lose his own multiple times, and on one occasion, he legally died and was resuscitated after a wild pursuit by police. After two drive-by shootings and a bounty placed on his life, he moved back to Ecuador temporarily. When he returned, he grappled to stay out of a life that was dragging him to prison or to the grave. He fell in love twice, and the second time, it brought him salvation he did not recognize in the form of a child.
He quickly enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, following in his dad's footsteps, and found a renascence that altered his life forever. After honorably serving in the United States Marine Corps, he began a career in law enforcement, which brought his past gang-related relationships into a juxtaposition he struggled with. His struggles lead to more racism and stereotyping flung his way, turning violent and necessitating government intervention.
