Summary: The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao

The scene described on pages 143-152 of Junot Diaz’s The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a horrific one, yet it is essential to the novel due to its power and its effective use of language. In the pages listed, there is are descriptions of La Inca praying for Belicia and the two Elvises beating Belicia to near death. La Inca is able to gather many people together to unite in prayer in hopes of saving Belicia. Even those who were not supportive of her decisions and those who considered her to be a whore.

In the article “Boys in Need of a Buddy system” Way talks about her own brother’s broken hearted experience with his childhood best friend. After Lucan’s mother had schooled the boys about cutting up her favorite childhood doll, John had stopped speaking and seeing Lucan. Lucan was very upset but boys are shown that boys do not show emotions like girls do because they could be told that they are “too girly” or even gay so other boys will pick on them. Boys are thought to be closed off and though by playing sports while girls are allowed to be open and emotional whenever they please and playing with baby dolls feeding and cleaning them as if they are

Being “nerdy” caused many social issues in Oscar’s life, ranging from not being able to find a girl to like him to not having any friends. His method of coping was writing science fiction novels which allowed him to express his feelings in a positive way. Writing helped alleviate his stress and take away the pressures of everyday life. Not having a father figure could have caused more damage than is mentioned in the book and could be the cause of him being so nerdy and antisocial. A major coping mechanism is the idea of the imaginary curse Fuku.

In the opening page of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao the narrator, Yunior, defines Fukú as “... a curse or a doom of some kind” (1). He exposes us, the reader, to the origin of the Fukú and what it’s capable of doing. He explains that “ anyone who plotted against Trujillo would incur a fukú most powerful, down to the seventh generation and beyond” (3). For Abelard and his family that was the case, the Fukú affected them so far for three generations. The effect of the Fukú could be seen first with when Abelard was imprisoned, then Beli’s miscarriage, and lastly the killing of Oscar.

This is what the typical Dominican man was supposed to be. However, Oscar had one flaw. Oscar lacked the masculinity most men have. The book states “It wasn’t just that he didn’t have no kind of father to show him the masculine ropes, he simply lacked all aggressive and martial tendencies” (Wao 15). Oscar did not have the typical male role model that most boys would have in their life.

Has life ever been so horrible that you thought it was out of your control? Your life could start off wonderful, as you grow instead of life getting better everything just gets worse and worse. In The Brief LIfe of Oscar Wao, Diaz argues that the supernatural, specifically, the Dominican Republic, curse “Fuku” is present in individuals lives; he conveys this argument through Oscar and Beli’s encounters with the Mongoose. Beli and Oscar’s encounters with the Mongoose are examples of the presence of the supernatural, arguably "fuku," in their lives and the effect that fuku has on them. Beli is the first character to encounter the Mongoose; she sees it when she gets beat up for her affair with the Gangster, who is married to Trujillo’s sister.

In the Novel “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” in the first few pages we learn about fukú which is, “a curse or a doom of some kind; specifically, the Curse and the Doom of the New World” (1). Throughout the novel we learn that Oscar and his family believe that they have been cursed by fukú, but it is really a concept and a metaphor for the circumstances in which Oscar and his family have found themselves in. The first reasons is because of the Trujillo Dictatorship, and how growing up in the Dominican Republic during this time resulted in the progression of life for the family. The second Reason is that because Beli’s parents were killed, and caused Beli hardship throughout her life. It was a domino effect that was passed down to Oscar,

In “No Face”, Ysrael narrates the same events instead of Yunior. Although these two short stories do not directly feature Yunior and Rafa’s father, they are as much about Yunior’s growth and development during his father’s absence as they are about Ysrael. In “Situating Latin American Masculinity: Immigration, Empathy and Emasculation in Junot Diaz’s Drown”, John Riofrio emphasizes that “Ysrael sets the stage for the picture of masculinity which will reveal itself throughout all ten of the stories.” At this point in time, Yunior is only a nine year old boy in the Dominican Republic, at a point in life where he is on

In Chapter 13, Stoker also describes the emotional side of relationships between men, “In such cases men do not need much expression. A grip of the hand, the tightening of an arm over the shoulder, a sob in unison, are expressions of sympathy dear to a man's heart” (Stoker, Chap. 13). According to Stoker, men do not express their sympathy through words, but through their actions or a hard slap on the back. The only time a man is allowed to break down is in the presence of a woman, “I suppose there is something in woman's nature that makes a man free to break down before her and express his feelings on the tender or emotional side without feeling it derogatory to his manhood” (Stoker, Chap. 17). Throughout the novel, Stoker continuously reinforces and instills the

In the play A Street Car Named Desire by Tennessee Williams we see a ‘southern belle’ named Blanche try to fit into her sister’s household where her sister, Stella, is a very submissive wife to her archetype husband, Stanley. The conflict between Blanche and Stanley shows us how gender roles were applied in 1940 and the outcome to when you don’t conform to your role. In the 1940’s, a man could not be more powerful, especially in the US’s patriarchal society. In the play Stanley is an archetype man who gets to do what he please to his wife.

Both the play Real Women Have Curves by Josefina Lopez and the movie adaptation make an attempt to communicate the message of female empowerment through their respective protagonists, Estela and Ana. Men resolve most of Ana’s problems, whereas Estela relies on herself and other women. The play conveys the theme of female empowerment because it is female-centric, successfully addresses the issues of body image, and focuses on women’s independence and self-validation. Lopez’s play serves as an example of what can happen when women uplift and depend on each other, as opposed to men.

In society, it is frowned upon for men to show any emotions, most of all, to cry in front of others. Contrary to this popular belief, Morrie asks Mitch, “This is okay with you, isn’t it? Men crying?” (Albom 51.) Morrie is trying to show that it is perfectly alright to show what you are feeling, to cry in the presence of others.

“Boys don’t cry, its better to be mad than sad, don’t get mad- get even, take it like a man, he who has the most toys when he dies, wins, just do it, or ride or die, size matters, I don’t stop to ask for directions, nice guys finish last, its all good”. These aphorisms do not allow men to show emotions or

The Fight for Dominance In today’s society, gender norms convince men that unless they are able to control women, they are weak. Considered the inferior gender, women must find new ways to prove their own strength, whether it be through manipulation or their sexuality. The battle between the two continues as men strive to remain dominant, often by immoral means, and women attempt to gain the upper hand. In the screenplay, “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, the sexual tension and struggle for dominion between Blanche and Stanley is evident, and as the play continues, Blanche's promiscuity and Stanley's predatory nature foreshadow an inevitable confrontation.

Chania Whitaker Response #7 Fall 2015 AAA Literature 204 Exploring the Correlation of Max’s Sexuality and Sexism in The Man Who Cried I Am by John A. Williams. It’s interesting that John A. Williams gave Max rectal cancer out of all the diseases he could of given him. This particular cancer puts Max in a vulnerable position when it comes to his genitalia. The penis is often a sign of men sexuality but also; it is directly tied to masculinity. For Max, masculinity is very important, and sometimes overwhelming.