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.
I think that this is an interesting aspect of the novel that may not be as apparent as other themes. I think the reference to the second epigraph is an interesting one, and it intrigued me when it was mentioned in class as well. I agree with your interpretation; that someone with a certain identity, specifically a minority identity, is either erased or generalized and held to stereotypes. I think analyzing this point is opens a gateway into an interesting interpretation on why people do things. Oscar’s ethnicity and race obviously play a huge part in the novel. He is constantly held to the standard of a “Dominican man,” and there is often reference to discrimination, even within the Dominican Republic, of people with darker skin. So, what does one do when they are stuck in an identity that they cannot escape, yet they do not fit into? I think that is what is most interesting in Oscar’s case. He is Dominican, and he cannot escape those expectations and stereotypes; he is a nation. But on the other hand, nothing about him is quite “Dominican,” and he cannot fit into this mold, therefore he is nobody. He lives both as a nation and as nobody simultaneously.
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