Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Chapters 2-3)

1. (For those of you who have not finished the book) The novel appears to be narrated by a third person omniscient narrator. The footnotes seems to take on a different narrator. What do these two different narratives contribute to the story?

2. How is the city of Patterson, NJ described compared to Bani, DR? How can this be approached in a "transnational" sense?

3. What is the significance (if any) of Beli meeting "the gangster" at a club in DR called Hollywood?

4. At the end of Chapter 3, what does NYC (America in general) represent to the Dominicans?

Junot Diaz's The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao: Questions for the introduction and Chapter 1

1. In the introduction, Diaz uses relatively academic rhetoric sprinkled with slang and causal language (i.e:" No matter what its name or provenance, it believed that the arrival of the Europeans on Hispaniola unleashed the fuku on the world, and we've all been in the shit ever since" [1]). What effect, if any, does this rhetoric have on the reader? Does it enhance or hinder our understanding of the "fuku" Yunior is describing?

2. Why does Diaz decide to write extensive footnotes on certain terms and people, such as Trujillo (page 2) or "parigüayo" (pages 19-20) and omits to define others?

3. What effect does omitting quotation marks in the dialogue have on your understanding of the text? Why does Diaz choose to do so?

4. Why does Diaz choose to decide the first chapter into subcategories such as "Amor de pendejo" (36) and "The Moronic Inferno" (19)? Does it have an impact on our digestion of the chapter?

5. It's often emphasized that Oscar is the opposite of what a Dominican man should be: "he wasn't no home-run hitter or a fly bachatero, not a playboy with a million hots on his jock" (11). How is masculinity emphasized in Oscar's world? How does this idea of masculinity affect the way Oscar thinks of relationships? Consider Oscar's uncle and Oscar's relationship with Ana.

6. What do the characters of Olga and Martiza tells us of the role of women in this novel? Similarly, how does Oscar's sister, Lola, differ from the rest of the women introduced thus far?

7. What effect does Oscar visit to the Dominican Republic have on him? How does it relate to the idea that the Dominican republic and Northern Jersey are extensions of each other?

8. How does family help define Oscar? Throughout the text, the narrative is interlaced with interjections from Oscar's mother. What effect does this have on our understanding of character development thus far?

9. Oscar deals with a great deal of "othering" by family, friends, and foes alike. How does Oscar offer any parallels between other trans-nationalistic narratives we've discussed?

10. As we've been forewarned, this text is riddled with Dominican slang, specific fanboy terminology, and unfamiliar historical figures. Now that you've read the first chapter, was it difficult to follow the text or easier than you expected? Do you think Diaz intentionally tries to confuse the reader or educate them forcefully?

Nancy Foner " Transnationalism Old and New

1. Foner tells us about immigrants that come to America, work for a number of years, with the profits they make they would buy land in the countries the originally came from. they would then return back to America and keep sending money back and forth as so. do you think that these immigrants are mis-using America and its opportunities? taking jobs away from other deserving Americans, just for there own benefit? (65)

2. Just as with " Old Nationalism" do you think that America is the culprit behind some of todays diaspora's against immigrants? (68)

3. How do you feel about non-naturalized immigrants holding massive political rallies and political demonstrations, without proper citizenship? (68)

4. With new technologies constantly being introduced, do you think this could hinder job opportunities for immigrants, as well as non immigrants? (74)

5. How do you feel about Dual- Citizenship? Can it create problems for the United States? (75)

James Baldwin , "Encounter on the Sein" , "Stranger in the village"

1) What is the cruel psychological warfare that negroes are subjected to when leave U.S. ghettos ? (pg 118)

2)How has the negro "learned to anticipate: as the mouth opens he divines what the tongue will utter"? (pg 120)

3)Do you think it is better to be an African living and not knowing the pains of "the american experience" or to be an african in america who has lived , witnessed , and overcame these struggles? page (pg 122)

4) page 166 quotes "He(white man) is inescapably aware , never-theless , that he is in a better position in the world than black men are, nor can he quite put to death the suspicion that he is hated by black men therefore" . With the growing roles in society for black men or black people in general do you think these ideals still remain?

1) How AND why has the African-American man become 'the invisible man' in Paris? (118)

2) How is being in Paris similar to living in America for African Americans? (121)

3) How do French Africans experience Parisian life? Is it similar to the way in which African Americans do? (122)

Stranger In The Village by James Baldwin

1. On page 153 of the reader Baldwin states "People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them." What does this quote mean? Provide evidence from the text.

2. What is it that the villagers fear from this stranger? What impact does being a stranger in the village have on James Baldwin?

3. In Baldwins opinion, what is this idea of "the black mask"? What is the mask concealing? How does this notion of the mask bring about the idea of black identity?

4. Do we still see these themes (racism, prejudice, and discrimination) presented in the essay in today's society? If so how?

Homage To MR.Hughes

Paule Marshall Homage To MR. Hughes 　　 1) A. Do you think that a writer/ societal figure in today’s society who speaks out against America would be selected to travel the world all expenses paid like Marshall? B. If so , who do you have in mind and why ? 　 2)During the briefing in the State Department office do you think there was a reason to leave Marshall’s folder out where it was easily visible.? Refer to page 132 3) On page 139 -140 when Marshall discusses the African House incident ,do you think Hughes was angry towards the ignorance of the European audience or was it something else? Refer to quote “there was monumental work still to be done he concluded”