The book starts with alot of backround information and alot of history, especially alot of Dominican and countries involved with Dominican Republic's history. Other than that the only other important theme or idea is how the author consistently brings up fuku and I beleive this constant repitition foreshadows fuku becoming a key term or theme that will play a vitl role in the book.
The book begins describing an ancient dominican curse called the Fuku. It then goes on to describe how this curse was responsible for every major downfall in history, including choice events such as the assassination of president Kennedy in 1963. We get the idea that this curse or Omen, will be a central theme in the book, more importantly, its involvement with a character named Oscar Wao. He peeks at a young age, having two girlfriends and then losing both. He then begins to grow large, and becomes a social pariah, due to the fuku curse. I think this book will be largely based on the theme of society's outcast, the effect of the curse on Oscar, and possibly even his redemption.
The way that the book starts is really enticing. He talks about this mysterical curse, but uses real historical facts to back it up. There's a lot of humor just in the opening pages of the book, so I know that there should be a lot more throughout the book. I love reading books about people and their Latin culture. I hope to learn a lot more about the Dominican way and culture by the time that I finish the book.
I find that a central element to this book, at least so far, is Oscar's extreme desire to lose his virginity. It is the plight of every nerdy loser, however Diaz makes it even worse by making him Dominican. Building on Temi's comment about Latin Culture, this essential idea to the book shows that Oscar is essentially not a man, in the eyes of other Dominicans, because he can't get girls, and is overall a nerdy sci-fi reading dork. Nonetheless, i predict that the quest to lose (if not obliterate) his virginity will be a major part of the book, as will earning the acceptance of his latino peers.
To build on Ned's comment I agree. A major theme is for him to lose his virginity, but not just for himself, but to be accepted by his Dominican culture. The Dominican culture has the wide general assumption that most men are quickly developed and are essentially dogs. However, the fact that Oscar doesn't fit that generalization keeps him at odds with his community. I wonder if he actually tries to become his own person and not one by the guidlines of his culture.
First I have to say that I really like this book and I find it halarios and enjoyable. Through out the first part of the book the Oscar the main character goes through alot of up and down. At first he is a ladies man,then he turns into an ugly nerd that has no "G" as he calls it, and then he ends up in college with a girl he "loves" and he thinks he is happy but then it goes back down the drain when her boyfriend comes back. I think that the author does this on purpose because he is going to bring back that fuku curse that it talked about in the very beggining of the book and it will all play out as we read along through the book.
Hey Everyone! I’m joining your book group, the book I was Reading was SO BORING. But the difference in writing between the two books I astonishing. Diaz decides to fragments to describe what is going on and incorporates Spanish to convey a sense of the Dominican culture. The book, On Beauty, my old book, was plain when describing actions and events. It had not taste compared to Diaz’s descrition of who each character is and what they stand for. Being told right out who Beli, Oscar, and his is, ultimately allows you to see the progression of the characters throughout the book. I agree with everyone’s statement above about Oscar wanting to lose his virginity. I think a subliminal message in this book about sex it that it strike down the original thought of men being man whores. A lot of the times, men are characterized as “dirty minded” and no innocent, but in this book it is the opposite. In fact the girls are no innocent while Oscar dwells in his grief of not having a girlfriend, which is sad. (I have to admit I feel really bad for Oscar, he is one of those characters that you hope everything works out for him in the end.) I would also like to compare how Beli and Lola are very much alike. Both are “dura cabeza” and refuse to do what their mother wants. They both chose to live by their own rules, to be who they want to be. Yes physically they are nothing alike but mentally they are the same person. Neither wants to back down, neither wants the other to win, which will ultimately affect their relationship in the end I think. Plus too on page 103 when Beli simply says she is only going to do things for her, it turns out that so far this is true. When Lola was going to run away on the board walk from her mother, she turned back to help her ailing mother. But it turned out that Beli was only looking out for herself considering she was faking. Such an attitude about life and how she plans to live it for her and only her affects her relationship with her daughter and son. She never learned to look out for other, to develop a motherly instinct.
p.s. Ms. Jones said I should write and extra long post because I missed last week’s post, sorry!
So I started reading this book after everyone else in the group, and I really enjoyed how it started out. Junot Diaz decides to start the book off by talking a lot about Dominican culture, and history. He brings up "Fuku" which is a well known Dominican curse.I thought it was amazing how he connected the idea of fuku to real events in history, I think that was brilliant, and I can't wait to continue to read the book.
I'm writing another post because like Gina I switched books so I have to make up the post. Anyway, I agree with everyone about the virginity thing, and Diaz does a good job of implicitly developing the characters. Off rip, I know that Oscar is trying to live up to what a Dominican boy should be, and that to me says a lot about his character as well as how big of an influence Dominican culture has on its inhabitants. I grew up in a moderately strict Haitian household and I believe and practice a lot of the core values that I was brought up with but there are things that I don't agree with that I don't challenge,instead I just simply choose not to follow. But that doesn't seem like an option for Oscar, he's trying to be what everyone expects him to.
I know that I'm forcing it you guys, but this is my last post I swear, I just need to catch up lols. Anyway, I just have a question for you guys. In the Brief life Fuku is explained very well, and is very convincing. I'm not sure if i believe that it is the reason behind the Kennedy curse, but there are ideas like this is Haitian culture, and I'm sure in other cultures as well. With that being said: -Do you think the Fuku is real? -Is there anything like the Fuku in your culture? If so, do you believe in that?
As i read along through the book i start to see that its stops being all about Oscar and more about other characters, because of this i think that Diaz does this on purpose because he wants to foreshadow that Oscars fate in the end will directly correlate with the other characters because Diaz doesntjust go into detail with other characters for no reason. Also i strongly agree with Gina because just like her i think the same way about Lola and Beli and that they are very similar as the book says being "dura cabesa". I am very eager to keep reading to find out what happens with each of them as the story progresses.
I realized that as the story goes on, the book does become less about Oscar like Xavier mentioned. It's about other characters that at first don't have much of a relationship with Oscar then you realize that it makes the story that much stronger at the end. Also Junot Diaz's writing style is amazingly informal and different form anything that I've ever read. He curses, has fragments, 3/4 of the page sometimes are footnotes and you don't see that in most novels. Answering Marguerite's post. I don't think that the Fuku is real. I think that it's something that the author made up and cleverly backed it up with real historical evidence. And yes, some people in Nigeria believe in black magic.
I like how Junot Diaz changes perspectives in the book. It allows to gain major insight into the other characters. I like how he explains Lola's plight and disagreements with her mother. We learn that a major reason as to why this occurs is that the mother had a very similar experience with her mother when she was young and living in the DR, in regards to sex and hard times at school, just like Lola. We get to learn about the whole family's pain and endurance of horrible experiences, and not just Oscar's. I'm hoping that he does a good job of making all these experiences connect and flow together at the end, making the book resolve in a sound and clear way.
Sorry I'm late. I think that Junot Diaz does an excellent portrayal of masculinity in the Dominican household. Early on in his life, Oscar is a sort of “mack-daddy”, or as Diaz calls him, a “Cassanova”. His family is proud that he has not only one, but two girlfriends. He’s living up to his family and culture expectations, until his body starts living up to him. He loses both girlfriends, and people call him gay. He gains a whole bunch of weight and acne and this is where Diaz perfectly emphasizes that masculine importance in Dominican culture in Oscar’s life. All the upset and the crude humor his family places on him , I think, are mainly the reason why Oscar’s not taking the initiative to get his weight down, and take the sound advice from his sister on how to lose wieght and get a girl.
I am truly enjoying this book, I know that i havent posted much, so let me start from the begining. As I started reading, I realized that this was a book where I needed to have google open for at all times. From the Fuku to Trujillo I knew that catching up on my D.R history. I felt bad as I realized that Oscar's own mother began to loose faith in him as a man almost as Ned and Temi were saying. His mother and sister are roles that weaving in and out of the story as of now but I am sure they will elaborate as the book goes on.
I agree with Jeffrey. Later on, his situation gets even worse, showing that he has no clear initiative to improve his situation. His anger at the situation gets worse, causing him to punch one of his best friends. We also learn that his mother has a connection to the dictator trujillo, that trujillos brother in law is oscars father. Perhaps this shows why Oscar's mother treats him and Lola so horribly, given the circumstances under which they were born. I think that as her cancer progresses, perhaps she will become kinder to them, trying to remedy past mistakes.
Ok so this book is getting pretty epic im not even going to lie. Anyways just had to ssay that but i think that trujillos brother in law having an affair with oscars mom is really crazy and that it can really affect the way this sotry goes and turns out. when oscar finds out i think this is going to be something that really affects him as well and can probably dictate what he does and where he is going to end up in this story. I think that the author goes away from the oscar on purpose so that it leads up to oscars take on what is happening. I cant wait to keep reading to find out his reaction.
Hi Folks, I'm so glad that you're all enjoying this book, and are making enthusiastic comments. However, I notice that almost ever post is either giving a very general summary of events, or making a very, very general comment or question. We need to 1) be much more specific about elements of the text (specific scenes or groups of scenes, specfic phrasing, very specific themes), and 2) spend proportionally much more time on our analysis of the text than on summarizing it. Please treat your posts more like comments you make in class, where you assume other intelligent readers are up to speed on reading so you don't have to spend many sentences summarizing the plot leading up to a scene, rather you just get straight to your point and spend time developing that in detail. See the Grading Rubric for Lit Circle Posts tha I gave you when we started this project. Thank you!
I agree with Temi about fuku. I think that because of Diaz’s informal writing, it makes it believable. He writes like he is talking to you in person; which makes it all the more believable. I disagree with Jeffrey though. I feel that the head of the house in the Dominican Families, as portrayed in the book, are the women. In fact, Oscar’s mom, Beli, is so dominant that she can control her daughter easily. She holds the idea that the mother does everything for their children and that she can easily make her do what she wants with the snap of her fingers. Such an example is when Lola was running away from her mother in the café, and she turned back. Why? Because her mother held some invisible force of dominance and control over her. If it was true that male dominance is what controls the Dominican families in Diaz’s book, Lola would have been able to run away, free to ruin her life. But you have to think too, does Beli have a secret reason as to why she controls her daughter and son? I personally think that she acts the way she does, making Lola feel guilty, etc, only to prevent something happening to Lola. She is preventing her from a horrible, irreversible mistake, such as Beli being impregnated by a Trujillo. I think it all relates in the end. But how will it affect Oscar? Sprry I am late!!!!
It’s Danah for those who don’t know; don’t know why it won’t say my regular name. Anyway, I just want to take it back a few steps because I noticed nobody really talked about the discovery of the mother breast cancer on pg 53. Obviously this is a very sad diagnosis and a traumatic thing to go through, but their mother had so much pride in her breast it was as if her body defined her, and we do come to learn that as the book goes on and we read the designated chapter for the mother. Just as Oscar’s masculinity defines him, the mother’s feminine ways define her. Unfortunately this is a culture that is expectant to have their men and woman live a certain way. What seems even crazier to me in the context of the book is that the grandmother sees nothing of the cultural expectations. She expected the mother to go to school to become a doctor and encouraged Oscars writing. Great woman. Hope your all enjoying the book too.
It’s me again, as the book goes on with the sisters’ situation, I am beginning to wonder what has possessed her to do all that she is doing. She is running away, cutting off her hair, living with her boyfriend, it’s crazy. The mother and daughter have so much in common, but the daughter doesn’t even realize it and I like the way Diaz is giving their stories chapter by chapter so that you can make the connections. But what I really want to talk about is the way the mother is reacting. She obviously sees the same fight in her daughter that she has in herself, so why is she putting up such a fight? Maybe it is because she knows what would have happened to her if the grandmother wasn’t strict with her. We haven’t yet really gotten into the mothers love story but as we can all tell, the mother was a hard lover and I guess she is just trying to protect her daughter from it all. I don’t agree with this method really. Sometimes you have to experience the pain to learn from it. Hope we find out soon.
OK, now after reading everyone else’s blog I am realizing that the big theme in question is FUKU. Everyone has talked about it and if not, at least mentioned it. I want to touch on it for a moment not really focusing on the book. I know that in a lot of Caribbean cultures superstitions are more than relevant. Also throughout the rest of the world, they have heard of a few “FUKU” like superstitions. What I wonder though, is how else might FUKU tie into other books we read. All books have some sort of plot and something tragic happens to a character and blah blah blah. Like in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby loses his girl and gets shot, karma or FUKU? In the play, Death of A Salesman, Willy goes crazy, loses his job, and his son, karma or FUKU? You guys see what I’m saying? I think we are all cursed to be very honest with you, and I like the Diaz plays on the concept of FUKU without having to specifically state it. As you read and something happens to a character, you like “AHA, FUKU strikes again”. No? Is that only me? Well, whatever the case, I will let you guys ponder whether like is all a big FUKU, Karma, or just natural occurrences.
Hey guys, Since we've been learning about post modernism i thought I should take a post modernist take on things, and start off by asking what is this book trying to tell us? Is it a tale of a little boy whose life was ruined because of a decision he made when he was little? Or is it a subliminal message about the forces that control our world? Or is it a parable, teaching us to be the best that we can be or else we will face the consequences? Comment back with post modernist point of views,I'm still trying to get the hang of this thing.
In response to Marguerite, I think that a major theme to this book could be that Oscar is simply a product of extreme bad luck, or the Fuku as Diaz puts it. I feel as though it may seem as the choice he made when he was younger regarding Olga came back to bite him, but i feel as though Diaz makes this kid's life so horrible, that it was bound to be this way no matter what choices he made. I feel however, that his redemption will be a major theme, and i believe that based on the dominican view of masculinity, this will involve him first off, kissing a girl, and second, and losing his virginity.
Hey So marg i think that you have a good idea in making this related to english class and i would like to contribute. The only thing though is i dont think we can answer those questions because in a post modern perspective anyones perspectice is good enough in their eyes right? I mean somoene can say that his life is ruined for what he was like before and that he is a bad person for it or somoene can say that hes just a brat and he deserves it without specific reasoning and they would say both of those opinions are legit.
I agree with basically everyone’s idea of Fuku, both sides. But I would like to talk about Yunior. We are introduced to him in chapter four. He talks about how he is helping out Lola but my thing is why he is so attached to her. Yes we know they hooked up but why are he not over her? He volunteered to help out Oscar, “who do you think stepped up?” (169). But again why does he have this attachment. He seems to be the narrator for Beli’s and Oscar’s story. But Why Lola has a narration her story and Yunior has narration in other’s stories? And why does Yunior know so much about Lola’s mom? I wonder why Yunior is so important. Plus too I think that there is juxtaposition between Beli and Yunior. Beli was so attached to the Gangster, even when she was on the plane to New York wishing “that the Gangster was going to appear and save her” (164). This is the same with Yunior, he thinks that Lola is going to come crawling back. But I would like to know Lola’s opinion on Yunior. One this about this book is that all of the stories are intertwined and have multiple sides to them.
So Marg, lets talk abou post-modernism. I think that some critics might say that this is another book exposing the trials and tribulations of an ethnic boy whos life, well for lack of better word, sucks. They also might also say that Diaz is throwing another pity party on a culture that deals with daily struggle, ut as we all know that as much as they would like to critisize, they will keep it to themselves. Or a post-modernist might feel as though the idea of writing about a book that is centered on a curse and how it affects all those who come in contact with it it. On a more positive note, a post-modernist might be delighted to see such a beautiful culture exposed in the most outlandish and not so typical forms. They just might appreciate this change of view, bu would never know. I like that you have connected what we are doing in english class to the book, it made me think because initially I had no idea how to connnect the two.
I agree with Danah. The idea to connect this postmodernism and what we are learning in class makes you think more deeply about the book that we are reading. Even though this book focuses on one aspect or perspective of the Dominican culture a postmodernist may appreciate it becuase it isn't the perspective that the majority is used to. Also, the characters respond to situations in different ways like how Yunior " suprised the s*** out of Lola when [he] said [he'd] live with [Lola's brother]the next year (169)" . Yunior, Lola's friend decided to stay room with Lola's suicidal younger brother, Oscar. Most friends don't do that. This book just introduces you to situations that you wouldn't encounter in other books.
Also another thing that I'm surpirised that people didn't comment on is the narrator. At first I was confused about who the narrator was. At times throughout the book they seem sort of distant, but sometimes they are part of the story they are telling like Yunior in chapter 4. What do you think about the role of the narrator? Do you think that the narrator brings a new aspect to the novel?
When I was reading the beginning of "The Sentence" it reminded me of injustice within other countries. Especially when the narrator says,"There were no papers, no civil rights groups, no opposition parties; there was only Trujillo"(247), it just reminded me of how third world countries usually have a hard time to raise from injustice. When most people think of D.R. they usually don't think of injustice because they aren't knowledgeable about the history of D.R. It's great that this book offers you a story taching you Dominan culture and history.
I think Temi made a great connection between the injustices in our country and “The Sentence.” But I would like to also mention the juxtaposition between Oscar and his mother. They seem like different people but in reality they are not. Beli has a strong personality that dominates everyone in her life while Oscar is quieter and set back. But in terms of love they are the same, time and time again they are disappointed. In fact, Beli has a chapter named “The Three Heartbreaks of Belicia Cabral” on page 77. In this chapter we know about her problems with the gangster and some boy in her high school, but I am curious as to why she faces so much trauma and heartbreak. The same thing happens to Oscar, he gets close to these women that only see him as friends. Jenni did seem promising the way they “walked arm in arm” (184). Every time Oscar and his mother got close to someone promising their hopes were shattered. This leaves one to question how well Lola makes out. Why have we not heard much about her and is she experiencing the same thing? For this reason why it is that some in this story seem to be facing bad luck while others for the most part like Lola do not experience fuku. Or is it in another form?
Lets rewind just for one moment, right now we are getting into the who justice and legal issues in regards to the books. Throughout the whole story, there is constant refereance to Trujillo, whether in the side notes or in the actual text. This is a culture that seems so devoted to passion and the heat of the moment that I cant help but wonder whether or not Trujillos domination has any correlation. Could his efforts as a leader to suppress his people be why his people look else where to have some sort of dominance or control in their life? I think so, maybe it's just me but the seems to be a connection. Its because the emotion is so relevant thoughout all cultures and Diaz constantly refers to the average dominican ways who can be very eccentric. Let me know what you all think.
Sorry this is late Ms. Jones, i've been traveling recently, and only now have access to a computer. I finished the book today, and i have to say how pleased i was with the books ending. I feel as though Oscars undying determination and resilience show how even the most powerful curses and evils can be overcome. The last words of the book "The Beauty!"(335)show how even though he met a grisly and untimely demise, he finally accomplished one of his lifelong goals and was able to die happy.I think one of Diaz's central themes to the book was that no matter how much evil and misfortune you may encounter in your life, if you die a happy man, perhaps it was all worth it. Oscar died happy perhaps happier than Yunior who stated, "Ok Wao, OK. You win" (325).
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it, and happy holidays to all.
I really like this book ALOT! It was one of those books that you couldn’t put down, well at least for me. I think this was because of the narrator, Yunior. Because he used derogatory language that we use today in our daily lives made it more relatable to us. But I liked it the most because it was someone who had some relationship with Oscar but was not completely emotionally attached. I find it very funny that Junot Diaz made Oscar a substitute teacher. At the beginning he was hardly a teacher, but I personally think that “teacher” is a metaphor for being a man. He as a male but never actually got a girl and is therefore never considered a man. He “stared at the toothpick-thin black girl,” but he never actually had a relationship with this girl nor any of the other women he “loved” (266). If you think about being a substitute teacher is not as prestigious as being an actual teacher, just like being a guy compared to being an actually man who lost his virginity/who has got game. But at the same time I wonder why he killed Oscar after he and Ybon finally had a relationship (334). This raises the question that is a secret love or desire to be loved worth your life? When Oscar was about to be killed he gave those who were going to kill him a speech about his love, and how “love was a rare thing” and “because anything you can dream, you can be” (322). In the end he had nothing to show for his love, just his words. He did everything in his power to be with someone, to be loved, but in the end is cost him his life literally. Would you sacrifice your life for someone, someone who is scared to be with you and would not admit your love?
A topic that stuck out to me when I was reading, was how people really do choose the lives they lead. For example, The Gangster, was introduced as this important guy and he did what he had to do to be successful, but he's still not happy. There is song called Free Mason, and one of the lines Jay Z says, "Lord please forgive me I never would've made it without sin." And this line immediately popped into my head when I read, "One the other hand, he was tormented by his crimes. When he drank too much, and that was often, he would mutter things like,If you only knew the diabluras I've committed, you wouldn't be here right now"(125). People sometimes do what they have to to get by in the world, it might bring them pain and conflicted feelings later down the road, but reading this book made me realize that we all do things that we might not want to do, maybe not to the extreme as El Gangster, but it's inevitable. That is just how we have to live to survive, in my personal opinion.
Although this book puts Dominican male roles into perspective for us, it also tells us a lot about the female role in the Dominican culture. La Inca always tried to have Beli go to the best schools, and tried to turn her into something. But she always stressed the idea of Beli being obedient and at home,"La Inca filled that silence with prayer, trying to summon a miracle that would transform Beli back into a dutiful daughter"(107). I grew up in a household in a culture where respecting your parents as well as your elders is a must. However, I think that having Beli around was more than just part of the culture. To me it seemed almost like La Inca needed Beli to be around.
As I kept reading the book, I saw how easy it was to put things in books into a philosophical metaphor for things. For example in Oscar Wao, the whole book you could take in from different perspectives and pull something different away from it then someone else who read it. The narrator even says on page 127, "But if you looked at it from,say, a more generous angle you could argue that the Gangster adored our girl and that adoration was one the greatest gifts anybody had ever given her". This is a post modern way of thing is what I grabbed from this quote. And later in the book they make feminist comments such as, "I will not serve. Never again would she follow any lead other than her own. Not the rector's,not the nuns', not La Inca's, not her poor dead parents'.Only me, she whispered. Me(103)". This screams Feminism to me, more specifically 2nd wave.
"But no matter what the truth, remember:Dominicans are Caribbean and therefore have the extraordinary tolerance for extreme phenomena(149)". This quote stuck out to me because I never really thought about the connections within Caribbean islands. In Haitian culture they have something that I guess you could say is their fuku, in Jamaican culture they believe in other worldly entities like duppies. And I just thought this was cool because people would be so quick to point out the most obvious and extreme differences when under the surface we share some core things such as the things we believe in.
Throughout the book I just laughed every time they made a comment about Beli's skin, but as I got deeper into the book I realized the context in which it is usually said. And some times it has a bit of a negative connotation. And other times it's subtle so you have to think about why the author chose to point this out yet again. An obviously negative context is when She survives from the beating in the cane field and when shes beginning to feel her lowest she says, "And it was into that loneliness that she was sliding, and it was here that she would dwell forever, alone,black,fea...(148)". This part was really sad, but I just found it interesting that she had to use black as a negative thing, and the word preceding is "fea" which means ugly. Another time when Diaz points out her skin was when she went to El Hollywod with Tina. Her physical characteristics always get her noticed but when she was dancing the band leader he chose to say, "La negra esta encendida(114)". He could have said. "'Ta Mujer" or something else but he called her "La Negra", why did her skin color matter?
This book is a well written way to talk about some dense topics, touching from politics to identity, but what I loved about this book was how it was so relate-able. I found my self laughing out loud constantly because because Diaz writes so that everyone can relate, for me it makes the book more personal. For example,"La Inca, who carried a machete with her everywhere. Homegirl was 'bout it, 'bout it (161)". I noticed this the most during Yunior's part because I was able to imagine him in front of me the whole time, "How can you be in love? You just met the bitch(183)". I have plenty of friends that I could imagine saying the same exact thing. So I just thought that the language used in this book it one of the things that just makes it so awesome.
At the beginning of the book we begin to learn about what the different roles in Dominican culture are but now in retrospect I'm wondering what the intentions were of that. Was it supposed to be a criticism of Dominican culture because Oscar was miserable because he wasn't considered Dominican and that ended up being his demise. And then we meet Yunior who is an awful guy, but he owns up to it and it seems to be his way of being Dominican, "O, it's against the laws of nature for a dominicano to die without fucking at least once(174)". I was laughing when I read this, but then I was thinking how my Dominican friends make jokes about that all the time and they say similar things about themselves, so i just thought that was interesting. if any one has any thoughts about it, feel free to share.
I am a little conflicted when it comes to Yunior. I can't decide whether he's a good guy or a bad guy. When we first meet he is explaining his connection to Oscar, and when I read the part where he decided to move in with him I immediately got the feeling that he wasn't genuine about it, and a page later it says, "Sure I wanted to help Lola out, watch out for her crazy-ass brother, but I was also taking care of my own damn self(170)". But then he speaks about Lola like this, "Lola was the one I never got a handle on. So why did it feel like she was the one who knew me best...I thought about my own fears of actually being good, because Lola wasn't Suriyan; with her I'd have to be someone I'd never tried to be(198)I know he doesn't put up with Oscar just because of Lola because he actually cares about Oscar. But there are just things about him that are horrible. But then I stop and think is it really his fault since he's "supposed" to act like this because he's Dominican?
I've always admired authors that were able to pull stories together strategically but still beautifully. I think reading Yunior's part put everything together for me, because I already had Beli's and Lola's perspectives. But as I got further and further I started to realize that they kept mentioning the mongoose. I thought it was so cool, and funny. I thought to myself, why a mongoose that's such a random animal. But it wasn't until Oscar talked about seeing the golden eyed creature when he jumped off the bridge that I realized that this is something that I needed to pay attention to because it obviously means something important. I love authors that make me realize key things in books in subtle ways.
It is sometimes hard to end a book properly, but it seems that Junot Diaz has mastered that skill. At the end of Chapter 7 we learn that Oscar dies in the hands of Grod and Grundy. After reading this and realizing that there is a chapter left I wondered how the author would end the book. After explaining the fate of the other character Diaz ends the book with the final letter. The final letter tells us what we and Oscar been waiting for for the whole book. It tells us that he finally lost his virginity and he explained it as "The beauty!(335)" I think that this is an amazing book and I'm glad that I read it.
Team Wao/Wow, Your enthusiasm and connection to this text bounce off the screen here! You have done a great job of finding ideas in this text that we all can relate to. Some of you were marching to the beat of your own drummer in terms of your pacing, but in the end everyone contributed something very valuable and I get a strong sense of your authentic dialog. Nice work!
In this part we are introduced to Lola and Belicia. The part about Belicia having to have one of her breasts removed is a little disturbing, I must say. I wasn’t huge fan of Oscar’s sister Lola’s haircut, either. But Lola’s haircut is kind of like Belicia’s breast removal because both of these physical attributes are symbols of femininity. I know that personally I love a girl with hair, and obviously, I would much more prefer a girl with both of her breasts than without. Unfortunately for Belicia Lola’s hair can grow back, and Belicia’s breast cannot. Thus, Lola seems to have the upper hand, as shown by her ability to defy her mother without regret.
In this part, Lola runs away with Aldo. I don’t feel like her reasoning for running away was justified. When she leaves, she starts explores the power of her own sexuality in order to escape. It’s interesting that she’s staying in a place called Wildwood, which is exactly the way she’s acting: wild. While she’s away she learns about her connection to the fuku. In Santo Domingo, Lola finds out that Beli used to be just as rebellious as Lola is. In learning this history, Lola feels she is satisfying the bruja feeling that has risen within her. The feeling seems to relate to the passing on of family history in order to stop the fukú.
The book starts with alot of backround information and alot of history, especially alot of Dominican and countries involved with Dominican Republic's history. Other than that the only other important theme or idea is how the author consistently brings up fuku and I beleive this constant repitition foreshadows fuku becoming a key term or theme that will play a vitl role in the book.
ReplyDeleteThe book begins describing an ancient dominican curse called the Fuku. It then goes on to describe how this curse was responsible for every major downfall in history, including choice events such as the assassination of president Kennedy in 1963. We get the idea that this curse or Omen, will be a central theme in the book, more importantly, its involvement with a character named Oscar Wao. He peeks at a young age, having two girlfriends and then losing both. He then begins to grow large, and becomes a social pariah, due to the fuku curse. I think this book will be largely based on the theme of society's outcast, the effect of the curse on Oscar, and possibly even his redemption.
ReplyDeleteThe way that the book starts is really enticing. He talks about this mysterical curse, but uses real historical facts to back it up. There's a lot of humor just in the opening pages of the book, so I know that there should be a lot more throughout the book. I love reading books about people and their Latin culture. I hope to learn a lot more about the Dominican way and culture by the time that I finish the book.
ReplyDeleteI find that a central element to this book, at least so far, is Oscar's extreme desire to lose his virginity. It is the plight of every nerdy loser, however Diaz makes it even worse by making him Dominican. Building on Temi's comment about Latin Culture, this essential idea to the book shows that Oscar is essentially not a man, in the eyes of other Dominicans, because he can't get girls, and is overall a nerdy sci-fi reading dork. Nonetheless, i predict that the quest to lose (if not obliterate) his virginity will be a major part of the book, as will earning the acceptance of his latino peers.
ReplyDeleteTo build on Ned's comment I agree. A major theme is for him to lose his virginity, but not just for himself, but to be accepted by his Dominican culture. The Dominican culture has the wide general assumption that most men are quickly developed and are essentially dogs. However, the fact that Oscar doesn't fit that generalization keeps him at odds with his community. I wonder if he actually tries to become his own person and not one by the guidlines of his culture.
ReplyDeleteFirst I have to say that I really like this book and I find it halarios and enjoyable. Through out the first part of the book the Oscar the main character goes through alot of up and down. At first he is a ladies man,then he turns into an ugly nerd that has no "G" as he calls it, and then he ends up in college with a girl he "loves" and he thinks he is happy but then it goes back down the drain when her boyfriend comes back. I think that the author does this on purpose because he is going to bring back that fuku curse that it talked about in the very beggining of the book and it will all play out as we read along through the book.
ReplyDeleteHey Everyone! I’m joining your book group, the book I was Reading was SO BORING. But the difference in writing between the two books I astonishing. Diaz decides to fragments to describe what is going on and incorporates Spanish to convey a sense of the Dominican culture. The book, On Beauty, my old book, was plain when describing actions and events. It had not taste compared to Diaz’s descrition of who each character is and what they stand for. Being told right out who Beli, Oscar, and his is, ultimately allows you to see the progression of the characters throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone’s statement above about Oscar wanting to lose his virginity. I think a subliminal message in this book about sex it that it strike down the original thought of men being man whores. A lot of the times, men are characterized as “dirty minded” and no innocent, but in this book it is the opposite. In fact the girls are no innocent while Oscar dwells in his grief of not having a girlfriend, which is sad. (I have to admit I feel really bad for Oscar, he is one of those characters that you hope everything works out for him in the end.)
I would also like to compare how Beli and Lola are very much alike. Both are “dura cabeza” and refuse to do what their mother wants. They both chose to live by their own rules, to be who they want to be. Yes physically they are nothing alike but mentally they are the same person. Neither wants to back down, neither wants the other to win, which will ultimately affect their relationship in the end I think. Plus too on page 103 when Beli simply says she is only going to do things for her, it turns out that so far this is true. When Lola was going to run away on the board walk from her mother, she turned back to help her ailing mother. But it turned out that Beli was only looking out for herself considering she was faking. Such an attitude about life and how she plans to live it for her and only her affects her relationship with her daughter and son. She never learned to look out for other, to develop a motherly instinct.
p.s. Ms. Jones said I should write and extra long post because I missed last week’s post, sorry!
So I started reading this book after everyone else in the group, and I really enjoyed how it started out. Junot Diaz decides to start the book off by talking a lot about Dominican culture, and history. He brings up "Fuku" which is a well known Dominican curse.I thought it was amazing how he connected the idea of fuku to real events in history, I think that was brilliant, and I can't wait to continue to read the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing another post because like Gina I switched books so I have to make up the post. Anyway, I agree with everyone about the virginity thing, and Diaz does a good job of implicitly developing the characters. Off rip, I know that Oscar is trying to live up to what a Dominican boy should be, and that to me says a lot about his character as well as how big of an influence Dominican culture has on its inhabitants.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a moderately strict Haitian household and I believe and practice a lot of the core values that I was brought up with but there are things that I don't agree with that I don't challenge,instead I just simply choose not to follow. But that doesn't seem like an option for Oscar, he's trying to be what everyone expects him to.
I know that I'm forcing it you guys, but this is my last post I swear, I just need to catch up lols. Anyway, I just have a question for you guys. In the Brief life Fuku is explained very well, and is very convincing. I'm not sure if i believe that it is the reason behind the Kennedy curse, but there are ideas like this is Haitian culture, and I'm sure in other cultures as well. With that being said:
ReplyDelete-Do you think the Fuku is real?
-Is there anything like the Fuku in your culture? If so, do you believe in that?
As i read along through the book i start to see that its stops being all about Oscar and more about other characters, because of this i think that Diaz does this on purpose because he wants to foreshadow that Oscars fate in the end will directly correlate with the other characters because Diaz doesntjust go into detail with other characters for no reason. Also i strongly agree with Gina because just like her i think the same way about Lola and Beli and that they are very similar as the book says being "dura cabesa". I am very eager to keep reading to find out what happens with each of them as the story progresses.
ReplyDeleteI realized that as the story goes on, the book does become less about Oscar like Xavier mentioned. It's about other characters that at first don't have much of a relationship with Oscar then you realize that it makes the story that much stronger at the end. Also Junot Diaz's writing style is amazingly informal and different form anything that I've ever read. He curses, has fragments, 3/4 of the page sometimes are footnotes and you don't see that in most novels.
ReplyDeleteAnswering Marguerite's post.
I don't think that the Fuku is real. I think that it's something that the author made up and cleverly backed it up with real historical evidence. And yes, some people in Nigeria believe in black magic.
I like how Junot Diaz changes perspectives in the book. It allows to gain major insight into the other characters. I like how he explains Lola's plight and disagreements with her mother. We learn that a major reason as to why this occurs is that the mother had a very similar experience with her mother when she was young and living in the DR, in regards to sex and hard times at school, just like Lola. We get to learn about the whole family's pain and endurance of horrible experiences, and not just Oscar's. I'm hoping that he does a good job of making all these experiences connect and flow together at the end, making the book resolve in a sound and clear way.
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm late. I think that Junot Diaz does an excellent portrayal of masculinity in the Dominican household. Early on in his life, Oscar is a sort of “mack-daddy”, or as Diaz calls him, a “Cassanova”. His family is proud that he has not only one, but two girlfriends. He’s living up to his family and culture expectations, until his body starts living up to him. He loses both girlfriends, and people call him gay. He gains a whole bunch of weight and acne and this is where Diaz perfectly emphasizes that masculine importance in Dominican culture in Oscar’s life. All the upset and the crude humor his family places on him , I think, are mainly the reason why Oscar’s not taking the initiative to get his weight down, and take the sound advice from his sister on how to lose wieght and get a girl.
ReplyDelete-Jeffrey
I am truly enjoying this book, I know that i havent posted much, so let me start from the begining. As I started reading, I realized that this was a book where I needed to have google open for at all times. From the Fuku to Trujillo I knew that catching up on my D.R history. I felt bad as I realized that Oscar's own mother began to loose faith in him as a man almost as Ned and Temi were saying. His mother and sister are roles that weaving in and out of the story as of now but I am sure they will elaborate as the book goes on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jeffrey. Later on, his situation gets even worse, showing that he has no clear initiative to improve his situation. His anger at the situation gets worse, causing him to punch one of his best friends. We also learn that his mother has a connection to the dictator trujillo, that trujillos brother in law is oscars father. Perhaps this shows why Oscar's mother treats him and Lola so horribly, given the circumstances under which they were born. I think that as her cancer progresses, perhaps she will become kinder to them, trying to remedy past mistakes.
ReplyDeleteOk so this book is getting pretty epic im not even going to lie. Anyways just had to ssay that but i think that trujillos brother in law having an affair with oscars mom is really crazy and that it can really affect the way this sotry goes and turns out. when oscar finds out i think this is going to be something that really affects him as well and can probably dictate what he does and where he is going to end up in this story. I think that the author goes away from the oscar on purpose so that it leads up to oscars take on what is happening. I cant wait to keep reading to find out his reaction.
ReplyDeleteHi Folks,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you're all enjoying this book, and are making enthusiastic comments.
However, I notice that almost ever post is either giving a very general summary of events, or making a very, very general comment or question. We need to 1) be much more specific about elements of the text (specific scenes or groups of scenes, specfic phrasing, very specific themes), and 2) spend proportionally much more time on our analysis of the text than on summarizing it. Please treat your posts more like comments you make in class, where you assume other intelligent readers are up to speed on reading so you don't have to spend many sentences summarizing the plot leading up to a scene, rather you just get straight to your point and spend time developing that in detail. See the Grading Rubric for Lit Circle Posts tha I gave you when we started this project. Thank you!
I agree with Temi about fuku. I think that because of Diaz’s informal writing, it makes it believable. He writes like he is talking to you in person; which makes it all the more believable. I disagree with Jeffrey though. I feel that the head of the house in the Dominican Families, as portrayed in the book, are the women. In fact, Oscar’s mom, Beli, is so dominant that she can control her daughter easily. She holds the idea that the mother does everything for their children and that she can easily make her do what she wants with the snap of her fingers. Such an example is when Lola was running away from her mother in the café, and she turned back. Why? Because her mother held some invisible force of dominance and control over her. If it was true that male dominance is what controls the Dominican families in Diaz’s book, Lola would have been able to run away, free to ruin her life. But you have to think too, does Beli have a secret reason as to why she controls her daughter and son? I personally think that she acts the way she does, making Lola feel guilty, etc, only to prevent something happening to Lola. She is preventing her from a horrible, irreversible mistake, such as Beli being impregnated by a Trujillo. I think it all relates in the end. But how will it affect Oscar?
ReplyDeleteSprry I am late!!!!
I have no idea why my name is secret keeper...it should say Gina like my last post >.<
ReplyDeleteIt’s Danah for those who don’t know; don’t know why it won’t say my regular name. Anyway, I just want to take it back a few steps because I noticed nobody really talked about the discovery of the mother breast cancer on pg 53. Obviously this is a very sad diagnosis and a traumatic thing to go through, but their mother had so much pride in her breast it was as if her body defined her, and we do come to learn that as the book goes on and we read the designated chapter for the mother. Just as Oscar’s masculinity defines him, the mother’s feminine ways define her. Unfortunately this is a culture that is expectant to have their men and woman live a certain way. What seems even crazier to me in the context of the book is that the grandmother sees nothing of the cultural expectations. She expected the mother to go to school to become a doctor and encouraged Oscars writing. Great woman. Hope your all enjoying the book too.
ReplyDeleteIt’s me again, as the book goes on with the sisters’ situation, I am beginning to wonder what has possessed her to do all that she is doing. She is running away, cutting off her hair, living with her boyfriend, it’s crazy. The mother and daughter have so much in common, but the daughter doesn’t even realize it and I like the way Diaz is giving their stories chapter by chapter so that you can make the connections. But what I really want to talk about is the way the mother is reacting. She obviously sees the same fight in her daughter that she has in herself, so why is she putting up such a fight? Maybe it is because she knows what would have happened to her if the grandmother wasn’t strict with her. We haven’t yet really gotten into the mothers love story but as we can all tell, the mother was a hard lover and I guess she is just trying to protect her daughter from it all. I don’t agree with this method really. Sometimes you have to experience the pain to learn from it. Hope we find out soon.
ReplyDeleteOK, now after reading everyone else’s blog I am realizing that the big theme in question is FUKU. Everyone has talked about it and if not, at least mentioned it. I want to touch on it for a moment not really focusing on the book. I know that in a lot of Caribbean cultures superstitions are more than relevant. Also throughout the rest of the world, they have heard of a few “FUKU” like superstitions. What I wonder though, is how else might FUKU tie into other books we read. All books have some sort of plot and something tragic happens to a character and blah blah blah. Like in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby loses his girl and gets shot, karma or FUKU? In the play, Death of A Salesman, Willy goes crazy, loses his job, and his son, karma or FUKU? You guys see what I’m saying? I think we are all cursed to be very honest with you, and I like the Diaz plays on the concept of FUKU without having to specifically state it. As you read and something happens to a character, you like “AHA, FUKU strikes again”. No? Is that only me? Well, whatever the case, I will let you guys ponder whether like is all a big FUKU, Karma, or just natural occurrences.
ReplyDeleteHey guys,
ReplyDeleteSince we've been learning about post modernism i thought I should take a post modernist take on things, and start off by asking what is this book trying to tell us? Is it a tale of a little boy whose life was ruined because of a decision he made when he was little? Or is it a subliminal message about the forces that control our world? Or is it a parable, teaching us to be the best that we can be or else we will face the consequences? Comment back with post modernist point of views,I'm still trying to get the hang of this thing.
In response to Marguerite, I think that a major theme to this book could be that Oscar is simply a product of extreme bad luck, or the Fuku as Diaz puts it. I feel as though it may seem as the choice he made when he was younger regarding Olga came back to bite him, but i feel as though Diaz makes this kid's life so horrible, that it was bound to be this way no matter what choices he made. I feel however, that his redemption will be a major theme, and i believe that based on the dominican view of masculinity, this will involve him first off, kissing a girl, and second, and losing his virginity.
ReplyDeleteHey
ReplyDeleteSo marg i think that you have a good idea in making this related to english class and i would like to contribute. The only thing though is i dont think we can answer those questions because in a post modern perspective anyones perspectice is good enough in their eyes right? I mean somoene can say that his life is ruined for what he was like before and that he is a bad person for it or somoene can say that hes just a brat and he deserves it without specific reasoning and they would say both of those opinions are legit.
I agree with basically everyone’s idea of Fuku, both sides. But I would like to talk about Yunior. We are introduced to him in chapter four. He talks about how he is helping out Lola but my thing is why he is so attached to her. Yes we know they hooked up but why are he not over her? He volunteered to help out Oscar, “who do you think stepped up?” (169). But again why does he have this attachment. He seems to be the narrator for Beli’s and Oscar’s story. But Why Lola has a narration her story and Yunior has narration in other’s stories? And why does Yunior know so much about Lola’s mom? I wonder why Yunior is so important.
ReplyDeletePlus too I think that there is juxtaposition between Beli and Yunior. Beli was so attached to the Gangster, even when she was on the plane to New York wishing “that the Gangster was going to appear and save her” (164). This is the same with Yunior, he thinks that Lola is going to come crawling back. But I would like to know Lola’s opinion on Yunior. One this about this book is that all of the stories are intertwined and have multiple sides to them.
So Marg, lets talk abou post-modernism. I think that some critics might say that this is another book exposing the trials and tribulations of an ethnic boy whos life, well for lack of better word, sucks. They also might also say that Diaz is throwing another pity party on a culture that deals with daily struggle, ut as we all know that as much as they would like to critisize, they will keep it to themselves. Or a post-modernist might feel as though the idea of writing about a book that is centered on a curse and how it affects all those who come in contact with it it. On a more positive note, a post-modernist might be delighted to see such a beautiful culture exposed in the most outlandish and not so typical forms. They just might appreciate this change of view, bu would never know. I like that you have connected what we are doing in english class to the book, it made me think because initially I had no idea how to connnect the two.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Danah. The idea to connect this postmodernism and what we are learning in class makes you think more deeply about the book that we are reading. Even though this book focuses on one aspect or perspective of the Dominican culture a postmodernist may appreciate it becuase it isn't the perspective that the majority is used to. Also, the characters respond to situations in different ways like how Yunior " suprised the s*** out of Lola when [he] said [he'd] live with [Lola's brother]the next year (169)" . Yunior, Lola's friend decided to stay room with Lola's suicidal younger brother, Oscar. Most friends don't do that. This book just introduces you to situations that you wouldn't encounter in other books.
ReplyDeleteAlso another thing that I'm surpirised that people didn't comment on is the narrator. At first I was confused about who the narrator was. At times throughout the book they seem sort of distant, but sometimes they are part of the story they are telling like Yunior in chapter 4. What do you think about the role of the narrator? Do you think that the narrator brings a new aspect to the novel?
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading the beginning of "The Sentence" it reminded me of injustice within other countries. Especially when the narrator says,"There were no papers, no civil rights groups, no opposition parties; there was only Trujillo"(247), it just reminded me of how third world countries usually have a hard time to raise from injustice. When most people think of D.R. they usually don't think of injustice because they aren't knowledgeable about the history of D.R. It's great that this book offers you a story taching you Dominan culture and history.
ReplyDeleteI think Temi made a great connection between the injustices in our country and “The Sentence.” But I would like to also mention the juxtaposition between Oscar and his mother. They seem like different people but in reality they are not. Beli has a strong personality that dominates everyone in her life while Oscar is quieter and set back. But in terms of love they are the same, time and time again they are disappointed. In fact, Beli has a chapter named “The Three Heartbreaks of Belicia Cabral” on page 77. In this chapter we know about her problems with the gangster and some boy in her high school, but I am curious as to why she faces so much trauma and heartbreak. The same thing happens to Oscar, he gets close to these women that only see him as friends. Jenni did seem promising the way they “walked arm in arm” (184). Every time Oscar and his mother got close to someone promising their hopes were shattered. This leaves one to question how well Lola makes out. Why have we not heard much about her and is she experiencing the same thing? For this reason why it is that some in this story seem to be facing bad luck while others for the most part like Lola do not experience fuku. Or is it in another form?
ReplyDeleteLets rewind just for one moment, right now we are getting into the who justice and legal issues in regards to the books. Throughout the whole story, there is constant refereance to Trujillo, whether in the side notes or in the actual text. This is a culture that seems so devoted to passion and the heat of the moment that I cant help but wonder whether or not Trujillos domination has any correlation. Could his efforts as a leader to suppress his people be why his people look else where to have some sort of dominance or control in their life? I think so, maybe it's just me but the seems to be a connection. Its because the emotion is so relevant thoughout all cultures and Diaz constantly refers to the average dominican ways who can be very eccentric. Let me know what you all think.
ReplyDeleteSorry this is late Ms. Jones, i've been traveling recently, and only now have access to a computer. I finished the book today, and i have to say how pleased i was with the books ending. I feel as though Oscars undying determination and resilience show how even the most powerful curses and evils can be overcome. The last words of the book "The Beauty!"(335)show how even though he met a grisly and untimely demise, he finally accomplished one of his lifelong goals and was able to die happy.I think one of Diaz's central themes to the book was that no matter how much evil and misfortune you may encounter in your life, if you die a happy man, perhaps it was all worth it. Oscar died happy perhaps happier than Yunior who stated, "Ok Wao, OK. You win" (325).
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to all who celebrate it, and happy holidays to all.
I really like this book ALOT! It was one of those books that you couldn’t put down, well at least for me. I think this was because of the narrator, Yunior. Because he used derogatory language that we use today in our daily lives made it more relatable to us. But I liked it the most because it was someone who had some relationship with Oscar but was not completely emotionally attached.
ReplyDeleteI find it very funny that Junot Diaz made Oscar a substitute teacher. At the beginning he was hardly a teacher, but I personally think that “teacher” is a metaphor for being a man. He as a male but never actually got a girl and is therefore never considered a man. He “stared at the toothpick-thin black girl,” but he never actually had a relationship with this girl nor any of the other women he “loved” (266). If you think about being a substitute teacher is not as prestigious as being an actual teacher, just like being a guy compared to being an actually man who lost his virginity/who has got game.
But at the same time I wonder why he killed Oscar after he and Ybon finally had a relationship (334). This raises the question that is a secret love or desire to be loved worth your life? When Oscar was about to be killed he gave those who were going to kill him a speech about his love, and how “love was a rare thing” and “because anything you can dream, you can be” (322). In the end he had nothing to show for his love, just his words. He did everything in his power to be with someone, to be loved, but in the end is cost him his life literally. Would you sacrifice your life for someone, someone who is scared to be with you and would not admit your love?
A topic that stuck out to me when I was reading, was how people really do choose the lives they lead. For example, The Gangster, was introduced as this important guy and he did what he had to do to be successful, but he's still not happy. There is song called Free Mason, and one of the lines Jay Z says, "Lord please forgive me I never would've made it without sin." And this line immediately popped into my head when I read, "One the other hand, he was tormented by his crimes. When he drank too much, and that was often, he would mutter things like,If you only knew the diabluras I've committed, you wouldn't be here right now"(125). People sometimes do what they have to to get by in the world, it might bring them pain and conflicted feelings later down the road, but reading this book made me realize that we all do things that we might not want to do, maybe not to the extreme as El Gangster, but it's inevitable. That is just how we have to live to survive, in my personal opinion.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this book puts Dominican male roles into perspective for us, it also tells us a lot about the female role in the Dominican culture. La Inca always tried to have Beli go to the best schools, and tried to turn her into something. But she always stressed the idea of Beli being obedient and at home,"La Inca filled that silence with prayer, trying to summon a miracle that would transform Beli back into a dutiful daughter"(107). I grew up in a household in a culture where respecting your parents as well as your elders is a must. However, I think that having Beli around was more than just part of the culture. To me it seemed almost like La Inca needed Beli to be around.
ReplyDeleteAs I kept reading the book, I saw how easy it was to put things in books into a philosophical metaphor for things. For example in Oscar Wao, the whole book you could take in from different perspectives and pull something different away from it then someone else who read it. The narrator even says on page 127, "But if you looked at it from,say, a more generous angle you could argue that the Gangster adored our girl and that adoration was one the greatest gifts anybody had ever given her". This is a post modern way of thing is what I grabbed from this quote. And later in the book they make feminist comments such as, "I will not serve. Never again would she follow any lead other than her own. Not the rector's,not the nuns', not La Inca's, not her poor dead parents'.Only me, she whispered. Me(103)". This screams Feminism to me, more specifically 2nd wave.
ReplyDelete"But no matter what the truth, remember:Dominicans are Caribbean and therefore have the extraordinary tolerance for extreme phenomena(149)". This quote stuck out to me because I never really thought about the connections within Caribbean islands. In Haitian culture they have something that I guess you could say is their fuku, in Jamaican culture they believe in other worldly entities like duppies. And I just thought this was cool because people would be so quick to point out the most obvious and extreme differences when under the surface we share some core things such as the things we believe in.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book I just laughed every time they made a comment about Beli's skin, but as I got deeper into the book I realized the context in which it is usually said. And some times it has a bit of a negative connotation. And other times it's subtle so you have to think about why the author chose to point this out yet again. An obviously negative context is when She survives from the beating in the cane field and when shes beginning to feel her lowest she says, "And it was into that loneliness that she was sliding, and it was here that she would dwell forever, alone,black,fea...(148)". This part was really sad, but I just found it interesting that she had to use black as a negative thing, and the word preceding is "fea" which means ugly. Another time when Diaz points out her skin was when she went to El Hollywod with Tina. Her physical characteristics always get her noticed but when she was dancing the band leader he chose to say, "La negra esta encendida(114)". He could have said. "'Ta Mujer" or something else but he called her "La Negra", why did her skin color matter?
ReplyDeleteThis book is a well written way to talk about some dense topics, touching from politics to identity, but what I loved about this book was how it was so relate-able. I found my self laughing out loud constantly because because Diaz writes so that everyone can relate, for me it makes the book more personal. For example,"La Inca, who carried a machete with her everywhere. Homegirl was 'bout it, 'bout it (161)". I noticed this the most during Yunior's part because I was able to imagine him in front of me the whole time, "How can you be in love? You just met the bitch(183)". I have plenty of friends that I could imagine saying the same exact thing. So I just thought that the language used in this book it one of the things that just makes it so awesome.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the book we begin to learn about what the different roles in Dominican culture are but now in retrospect I'm wondering what the intentions were of that. Was it supposed to be a criticism of Dominican culture because Oscar was miserable because he wasn't considered Dominican and that ended up being his demise. And then we meet Yunior who is an awful guy, but he owns up to it and it seems to be his way of being Dominican, "O, it's against the laws of nature for a dominicano to die without fucking at least once(174)". I was laughing when I read this, but then I was thinking how my Dominican friends make jokes about that all the time and they say similar things about themselves, so i just thought that was interesting. if any one has any thoughts about it, feel free to share.
ReplyDeleteI am a little conflicted when it comes to Yunior. I can't decide whether he's a good guy or a bad guy. When we first meet he is explaining his connection to Oscar, and when I read the part where he decided to move in with him I immediately got the feeling that he wasn't genuine about it, and a page later it says, "Sure I wanted to help Lola out, watch out for her crazy-ass brother, but I was also taking care of my own damn self(170)". But then he speaks about Lola like this, "Lola was the one I never got a handle on. So why did it feel like she was the one who knew me best...I thought about my own fears of actually being good, because Lola wasn't Suriyan; with her I'd have to be someone I'd never tried to be(198)I know he doesn't put up with Oscar just because of Lola because he actually cares about Oscar. But there are just things about him that are horrible. But then I stop and think is it really his fault since he's "supposed" to act like this because he's Dominican?
ReplyDeleteI've always admired authors that were able to pull stories together strategically but still beautifully. I think reading Yunior's part put everything together for me, because I already had Beli's and Lola's perspectives. But as I got further and further I started to realize that they kept mentioning the mongoose. I thought it was so cool, and funny. I thought to myself, why a mongoose that's such a random animal. But it wasn't until Oscar talked about seeing the golden eyed creature when he jumped off the bridge that I realized that this is something that I needed to pay attention to because it obviously means something important. I love authors that make me realize key things in books in subtle ways.
ReplyDeleteIt is sometimes hard to end a book properly, but it seems that Junot Diaz has mastered that skill. At the end of Chapter 7 we learn that
ReplyDeleteOscar dies in the hands of Grod and Grundy. After reading this and realizing that there is a chapter left I wondered how the author would end the book. After explaining the fate of the other character Diaz ends the book with the final letter. The final letter tells us what we and Oscar been waiting for for the whole book. It tells us that he finally lost his virginity and he explained it as "The beauty!(335)" I think that this is an amazing book and I'm glad that I read it.
Team Wao/Wow,
ReplyDeleteYour enthusiasm and connection to this text bounce off the screen here! You have done a great job of finding ideas in this text that we all can relate to. Some of you were marching to the beat of your own drummer in terms of your pacing, but in the end everyone contributed something very valuable and I get a strong sense of your authentic dialog.
Nice work!
In this part we are introduced to Lola and Belicia. The part about Belicia having to have one of her breasts removed is a little disturbing, I must say. I wasn’t huge fan of Oscar’s sister Lola’s haircut, either. But Lola’s haircut is kind of like Belicia’s breast removal because both of these physical attributes are symbols of femininity. I know that personally I love a girl with hair, and obviously, I would much more prefer a girl with both of her breasts than without. Unfortunately for Belicia Lola’s hair can grow back, and Belicia’s breast cannot. Thus, Lola seems to have the upper hand, as shown by her ability to defy her mother without regret.
ReplyDeleteIn this part, Lola runs away with Aldo. I don’t feel like her reasoning for running away was justified. When she leaves, she starts explores the power of her own sexuality in order to escape. It’s interesting that she’s staying in a place called Wildwood, which is exactly the way she’s acting: wild. While she’s away she learns about her connection to the fuku. In Santo Domingo, Lola finds out that Beli used to be just as rebellious as Lola is. In learning this history, Lola feels she is satisfying the bruja feeling that has risen within her. The feeling seems to relate to the passing on of family history in order to stop the fukú.
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