Geekery in The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao

Throughout Brief and Wonderous Life Diaz makes many references to geek culture and alludes to various famous fantasy and sci-fi stories. These allusions serve many purposes in the novel, including humor, setting up characters, and offering the reader key insights into Trujillo’s reign and life in the Dominican Republic.

Even from the very beginning Diaz uses comic book references to set up the story and characters.  The first section of chapter one is called “The Golden age” (11), like the golden age of comics, which tells us that we are starting at the high point in Oscar’s life and that it will all be darker after this point. Many of the fantasies Oscar enjoys give us insight into his personality. For example, when he is younger, his number one hero is Shazam, a young boy who can say a magic word and become a powerful superhuman. As he gets older he gets into role playing games, where you can be anything you want. This reinforces to the reader that Oscar is not happy in his body or life and desperately wishes to be something he’s not (i.e. the ideal Dominican man).

Diaz also uses comic references to tell the reader about Domincian life in America and the Dominican Republic. He uses comic references when introducing us to Trujillo saying, “he was our Sauron, our Arawn, our Darkseid, our Once and Future Dictator” (2). If you understand these references they immediately tell you a lot about Trujillo and how he was perceived by the Dominican people. By using fantasy and science fiction, Diaz is able to convey Trujillo’s legendary status in an effective (and sometimes funny) way to people not familiar with the Dominican Republic. It can be very difficult to understand the mindset of people living under severe oppression for those who haven’t, and the allusions to mythical dictators gives us some insight into that way of life. Even away from Trujillo, people like the De Leons experience oppression. Diaz gives a look into the immigrant life by saying “want to know what being an X-Man feels like? Just be a smart, bookish, boy of color in a contemporary US ghetto” (22). Oscar feels like a literal mutant, as though the intersection of his browness, heritage, and otakuness is comparable to having horns or blue skin. And we see this with a lot of the other people in his family who feel they cannot go back for fear of the dictator and so must accept feeling other in the United States.

Oscar Wao and Classism: Not as Distinct as You Might Think

  When anyone reads a novel, there is no doubt that their own socio-economic background comes into play in saying what they take away from it. In The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao specifically, classism plays a heavy role, whether or not the reader chooses to acknowledge it. The ways in which every single character perceives their agency while also conforming (except for possibly the case of Lola) to their social and racial background changes the story can prove the ways in which class, and in specific, racial class can change an entire livelihood.

   The first clue into the ways in which race and class will affect the characters in the novel was the second epigraph of the novel. Derek Walcott says, "I have Dutch, nigger, and English in me, and either I'm nobody, or I'm a nation". (Diaz) By this, it can be assumed that he meant that once a minority reaches the public sphere they are either a representative of an entire body or nation of people, or they suddenly become irrelevant and inapplicable to the everyday lives of those who are surrounding the minority. This, of course, happens to Oscar multiple times throughout the novel. What is interesting, however, is how many times this same exact circumstance happens to Beli.

   "What do you know about states or diasporas...What do you know, madame, about immigration", says Diaz in describing dialogue between Beli and La Inca (Diaz 160). In this question, Diaz paints a picture of a concerned guardian pointing out the fact that Beli has no knowledge of what it means to be an immigrant elsewhere (specifically America). In America, everyone is judged based on their racial and economic background, and depending on those, you may or may not have a quality life to live. Is not Oscar's final and most anticipated question the one of whether or not he will die a virgin? Where does one suppose that came from? According to Oscar, it is clear that these conflicts have arisen as a result of "fuku" and the curse that came upon his family.
   
   If you ever wanted to wonder whether or not anyone could escape their upbringing, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao says no. The socio-economic background of these characters doomed them to a harsh afterlife. In the very first page of "The Final Voyage", Diaz writes that, " It's the Anicent Powers...They Won't Leave Me Alone". In this circumstance, Oscar is both the nobody and the nation. The "Ancient Powers" (and his wish to become a true Dominican male) show that he is attached to the traditional aspect of Dominican culture, but the fact that he is frustrated that they won't leave him alone shows that Oscar still has some agency over his own life.

   Maybe what makes the end so tragic is the loss of agency from Oscar. However, in my opinion. the greatest take-away from this novel is the ways in which racial and economic backgrounds impact the livelihoods of common-folk that you might see on a daily basis. It is not easy to be an Oscar, and it is only to be a Yunior in the face of those who question everything a wealthy Dominican may stand for.

Dominican Culture: The Real Fukú

            Throughout The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz discusses the culture of Dominicans both in reference to their lives in the DR as well as their new lives in the diaspora. However, while typical cultural origin stories focus on the benefits and blessings of one’s heritage, Díaz expresses the pressures of Dominican culture as more of a curse or “fukú” on the characters.

            As Díaz details each character’s unique battle with their Dominican roots, it is almost as if they are compelled by some cosmic force rather than just pressured. The most blatant example comes with Oscar’s self-destructive quest to find a woman, all in the hopes of sharing the sexual prowess expected of his countrymen. The tone is set when Yunior claims early on that being Dominican meant Oscar “-was supposed to be Atomic Level G, was supposed to be pulling in bitches with both hands” (Díaz 24). Yet, Oscar’s pursuit of women is not described in the book as a product of familial wishes or loneliness, but as a deep-seeded almost sociopathic drive. There are multiple times in the novel where Oscar goes against all logic and throws away any shred of self-preservation on the off chance he might get the girl. The first is when Oscar stands outside of Manny’s home, gun in hand, not caring that “-he would more than likely be put away forever, or that niggers like him got ass and mouth raped in jail” (Díaz 47). Inexplicably this kind of behavior, which Oscar explains to Yunior to be an extension of fukú on his bloodline, leads to his death after going back for Ybón. However, there are other characters whose actions demonstrate this theme just as well.

            Yunior serves as a much stronger character than Oscar who still falls victim to the grip of Dominican culture. While he adamantly claims that he does not follow traditional Dominican beliefs, he still cannot overcome negative urges that fit in with his stereotypically Dominican persona. When Oscar questions Yunior on his infidelity he simply states, “If I knew that, it wouldn’t be a problem,” and constantly recognizes that he cannot change how sucio (dirty) he is even for Lola (Díaz 313). A more dramatic point comes across when Yunior shoves Oscar claiming, “For a second I almost let it go, just a mistake, a mistake, but then I remembered myself,” as Yunior is unable to listen to his better self and instead is compelled by his Dominican machismo (Díaz 179). On the opposite end from Oscar, he is unable to break away from his hypermasculinity. Yet, this theme is not limited to the younger characters.

            Beli, Oscar’s mother, may have the most compelling case out of all of Díaz ’s characters. Despite coming from a humble background and working a tough job with La Inca, Beli still falls into the trap of being a female Dominican stereotype. While it is not her intention, she only falls for powerful men within the story, whether it be Jack Pujols in high school or The Gangster in her adulthood. The cosmic effect comes into play heavily with the latter, as Beli “tried to keep him out of her mouth but it was hopeless” in her craving to see him after their brief introduction (Díaz 117). The rest of her story crumbles because of her inability to fight the cultural role she was placed in.

            With all the brash choices and misguided decisions made by each of the characters, Díaz effectively demonstrates that the true curse on Dominicans is the fukú of Dominican culture itself.

                                                             

Oscar Wow! That Was a Good Joke!

   Perhaps a very linguistically unique approach that Junot Diaz employs throughout his novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, is the use of humor to enrich his portrayals of the lives of characters. While using humor is a technique used by many authors after moments of high emotion to create a sense of comic relief, Diaz uses humor during the event, which allows the readers to have a deeper connection between the actions used by differing characters. This is present when Beli is beaten by the men sent by Soy Trujillo. The beatings were brutal, involving “about 167 points of damage in total” and possibly including “time for a rape or two” (Diaz 147). Throughout this entire event, Diaz uses obscene language to attempt to make the happening seem to almost be a report, and allows the narrator to evolve into a more multi-dimensional character.

   Another way Diaz uses humor is through the use of extensive footnotes throughout the novel, highlighting key terms or specific areas that may need more coverage than what was expected. This is contrary to the traditional use of footnotes, and provided some much-needed emotional release throughout the novel. The tone of these marginal notes is set very early on, as in the second page of the novel, Diaz uses them to provide a “mandatory two seconds on Dominican history.” This is another way that the narrator entertains the reader’s interest while also introducing political concerns and real-world examples. Many of these footnotes include accurate cultural references and historical accounts.

   The use of humor by Diaz is also used to highlight recognizable physical traits possessed by certain characters. For example, Diaz’s peculiar sense of humor is highlighted when describing Oscar, who experienced his “early adolescence [hitting] him especially hard, scrambling his face into nothing you could call cute, splotching his skin with zits, making him self-conscious; and his interest-in Genres!… suddenly became synonymous with being a loser with a capital L” (Diaz 16-7). The particular voice employed represents the informal tone of the novel and also makes Oscar more personable, even if the rest of the novel proves this to be incorrect.

   By introducing a unique voice to the characters and narrator of the novel, Diaz allows the reader to develop more personable connections within the novel, and allows for a mildly suggestive political stance to be made without creating an accusatory stand between author and reader. 

The Fuku of the Wao's

    Fukú - curses. Díaz begins the story of the life of Oscar Wao by telling us that fukú affects everyone – “No matter what you believe, fukú believes in you” (pg. 5). Most fuku’s are placed on you because someone’s cursed you or you’ve wronged someone. In the case of the Wao family, their fukú is that their love for someone will come back to hurt them. This multi-generational fukú begins with Abelard, affects Beli, and ends up killing Oscar.

    Abelard’s love for Jacquelyn pushed him to defy Trujillo, but it also caused a fukú to be put on the family. “Abelard… needed help in the prophecy department…His luck ran out earlier than anyone expected” (pg. 227).  His attempt to save Jacquelyn and Astrid, caused the death of them and the temporary slavery of Beli. “Most folks figured that she had sold the girl to some other family. Back then...the buying and selling of children, common enough” (pg. 253). This sets Beli up for a lifetime of not receiving love from those who should have given it to her.

    Beli looks for love in all the wrong places. Jack Pujos, the gangster, and her husband all disappointed her. The gangster used her for sex and had no real intention of keeping her.  “When he met Beli, he jumped on her stat…He was a complicated …man who treated Beli very tenderly and with great consideration, and under him” (pgs. 123-125). Beli eventually realizes, but only long after she’s been broken by the Gangster. She understands that his love is not true and that he was using her for sex. This situation broke Beli and the spark she had before she met the Gangster.

    Oscar spends his entire life in the pursuit of love. He believes that having a girlfriend will provide him happiness. “He would notice how everybody else had a girl but him and would despair” (pg. 25). The fukú didn’t only make him fall in love for the wrong reasons, it also drove him to hopelessness. Oscar was driven to attempt suicide because he was alone. The irony is that when Oscar finds someone who loves him, that love kills him. “They walked him into the cane and then turned him around…He told them about Ybón and the way he loved her” (pg. 321). Oscar knew the risk of love and yet decided to continue to love Ybón. In the end, he sacrificed it all for love. The fukú won.

    Diaz uses fukú to show that love is painful, but lack of love is just as painful. Although fukú is more traditionally Dominican, the idea that love hurts is universal. By showing how this is in multiple generations, we see it isn’t really fukú. Human nature makes us love and we don’t always see the pain that love brings. Fukú might be a traditional Dominican idea, but through what the fukú brings to the Wao family, we can relate to and understand the Dominican culture.

Presence of Gender Roles and Sexism

From the beginning of the novel it is evident that gender roles and sexism is a main theme. The author describes the pressures put on Dominican men to get girlfriends and sleep with women. The main character, Oscar does not embody this stereotype and struggles to find a girl. He is fat and nerdy, which causes his friends to become ashamed of him. The author even describes how, "Anywhere else his triple-zero batting average with the ladies might have passed without comment, but this is a Dominican kid we're talking about, in a Dominican family; dude was supposed to have Atomic Level G, was supposed to be pulling in the bitches with both hands. Everybody noticed his lack of game and because they were Dominican everybody talked about it" (24). When Oscar meets Ana, the narrator makes a point to mention how he tries to have a sexual relationship with her but fails.

It's not only Dominican men who are expected to behave certain way. Women are also expected to fill a certain role. Later in the novel, Lola describes how she is expected to be the "perfect Dominican daughter". She describes it as being a slave, with her mother having a strong hold on her. She cuts her hair, which angers her mother, and everyone believes that she is a bad daughter. Because of this, she leaves home and runs away with a boy. She loses her virginity to him, and describes how it caused her to lose her power. He pushes her into having sex with him, even when she doesn’t want it.

This shows the contrast between how men and women are viewed in society. Men are expected to be playboys, getting with multiple women and having sex all the time. Women, on the other hand are expected to look and act a certain way in order to please their mothers or men. This theme is important to the context novel and I think that it can still be applied to the realities of life today. Men and women are still subjected to certain gender roles and standards that they are expected to live up to, much like the characters in the novel.