Junot Diaz’s novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of
Oscar Wao, contains the historical accounts of Dominican Republic’s political
scene under Trujillo’s regime and how it affected the lives of the main
characters in present time. We, the readers, are exposed into the
evolving personalities not only of Oscar himself but also of his family.
We basically follow the roller coaster experiences of Oscar Wao, a nerdy boy turned teacher and aspiring writer, and how he transitioned from adolescence to adulthood while struggling to come to terms with his own inner conflicts such as connecting with girls despite his unattractive attributes. We see how he adjusted in a family environment composed of a rebellious older sister, strict sickly mother, and an overprotective aunt. As we leaf through the pages, an Oscar who has a brand new perspective in life is unleashed. We notice how he turned out to be a hopeless romantic who would do anything for love’s sake even if it means his death.
Then we explore this question: Was the fuku (thought to be a curse passed on from one generation to another) incurred by Oscar’s family true? The author intricately discussed our main protagonist’s roots from his grandfather, a well-respected doctor who was viciously treated and died pathetically, to his mother who grew under an abusive foster parents before she found refuge in her caring aunt.
Diaz narrated the story in various point of views which made the book fun and exciting to discover. In one chapter, we read through the mind and heart of Oscar and in another, we hear about personal sentiments straight from the voice of his college dorm mate whom he became close with. Other pages were written in third person and the author would sometimes insert his own comments and reactions towards certain scenes which appeared to me as strange yet amusing.
I admire how Junot Diaz incorporated historical events in the lives of his characters, making them more realistic and easy to empathize with. I loved how he kept the fire burning throughout the story’s progression that putting the book off would be impossible.
I learned how corruption in the government can dangerously affect the fundamental unit of society, the family. And when a family is broken, how can its members efficiently serve its community? Nowadays, monkey business is still rampant. With the officials’ dishonesty, rights of people from all walks of life are being violated and trampled.
It’s up to us to believe if “fuku” really did exist. Maybe shit happens because we allow the bad to conquer and subdue us, leading us amidst an unfortunate turn of events. Or maybe because it is caused by selfish and contemptuous individuals who want others’ lives to become miserable. Nevertheless, It’s up to us on how we should carve our own destiny. The important thing is, we don’t easily give up when problems hit us.
We basically follow the roller coaster experiences of Oscar Wao, a nerdy boy turned teacher and aspiring writer, and how he transitioned from adolescence to adulthood while struggling to come to terms with his own inner conflicts such as connecting with girls despite his unattractive attributes. We see how he adjusted in a family environment composed of a rebellious older sister, strict sickly mother, and an overprotective aunt. As we leaf through the pages, an Oscar who has a brand new perspective in life is unleashed. We notice how he turned out to be a hopeless romantic who would do anything for love’s sake even if it means his death.
Then we explore this question: Was the fuku (thought to be a curse passed on from one generation to another) incurred by Oscar’s family true? The author intricately discussed our main protagonist’s roots from his grandfather, a well-respected doctor who was viciously treated and died pathetically, to his mother who grew under an abusive foster parents before she found refuge in her caring aunt.
Diaz narrated the story in various point of views which made the book fun and exciting to discover. In one chapter, we read through the mind and heart of Oscar and in another, we hear about personal sentiments straight from the voice of his college dorm mate whom he became close with. Other pages were written in third person and the author would sometimes insert his own comments and reactions towards certain scenes which appeared to me as strange yet amusing.
I admire how Junot Diaz incorporated historical events in the lives of his characters, making them more realistic and easy to empathize with. I loved how he kept the fire burning throughout the story’s progression that putting the book off would be impossible.
I learned how corruption in the government can dangerously affect the fundamental unit of society, the family. And when a family is broken, how can its members efficiently serve its community? Nowadays, monkey business is still rampant. With the officials’ dishonesty, rights of people from all walks of life are being violated and trampled.
It’s up to us to believe if “fuku” really did exist. Maybe shit happens because we allow the bad to conquer and subdue us, leading us amidst an unfortunate turn of events. Or maybe because it is caused by selfish and contemptuous individuals who want others’ lives to become miserable. Nevertheless, It’s up to us on how we should carve our own destiny. The important thing is, we don’t easily give up when problems hit us.
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