Continued: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Chapters 4-5)

Chapter Four:

1) Language is a huge accessory to the book, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. In the previous chapters Yunior would write with mild cursing but in chapter four when he is speaking about his own experiences with Oscar he uses curses more frequently, why do you think that is?

2) Chapter four, openes up with Yunior being portrayed as the first-person narrator. What is the relationship between Yunior and Oscar? Can Yunior be seen as Oscar's ghostly twin?

3) a) The novel is implanted with a variety of supernatural elements. The most obvious is a fukú that provides the drift for the entire narrative, leading the reader to wonder if the events are all a result of fukú. Do you think that Oscar trying to kill himself, but ending up surviving was a part of the curse?

 

   b)We learn that Oscar may or may not be cursed by the Fuku. Throughout his life, Oscar was warned of the family curse, and due to his Hispanic heritage, he believed it, lived by it, was ruled by it, and ultimately, it is was what brought him to his death. Do you think we are in control of our own destiny?

 

Chapter Five:

 

1) What is the symbolism of the Packard? Who was it used by, and what is it's significance?

 

2) Junot Diaz arranges the novel in reverse chronological order. What is he trying to show by doing so?

 

3) On page 243, Diaz writes,“So, which is it? you ask. An accident, conspiracy or fukú? The only answer I can give you is the least satisfying: you'll have to decide for yourself. What’s certain is that nothing is certain. We are trawling in silences here.” Why do you think he is speaking directly to the reader here?

 

Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Chapters 4-5)

1. Yunior, in chapter 4, decided to help change Oscar's life because he himself was heartbroken over Suriyan; do you think Yunior had every right to get mad at Oscar when he no longer wanted to run or was he still angry at his break-up and was taking it out on Oscar? (Page 178)

2. At the end of chapter five (page 261) there is a paragraph that says Beli had a recurring dream with children in it; do you think there is a psychological connection with her mother and father who both, on page 236, had dreams of children in a house? If not who do you think Beli is dreaming of?

3. Abelard was given advice on page 221 to either sneak his daughters into Cuba, keep them under house arrest, or do nothing; if you were living in the Reign of Trujillo what would you have done to protect your daughter(s)?

4. When it came time to attend the party Abelard decided not to bring his wife and daughter Jackie, do you think this was the right decision?

5. Putting consideration into the fact that Trujillo didn't, as far as we know, sleep with Abelard's daughters but all of his papers and documents disappeared, do you think Abelard's arrest was a conspiracy since no one can give a straight answer about it?