The Brief And Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao Summary

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In Junot Díaz’s novel, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, a very critical and pivotal aspect of the novel itself is Díaz’s continual inclusion of Dominican history. Díaz uses them as points of reference to relate the fictional story back to the nonfiction culture it is built around. His use of paramount people and events tied back to the Dominican Republic connect his characters back to their ancestral roots. Therefore, the concept of history is vital to the development of the novel because the continuous historical references connect fiction back to nonfiction, establishing an interesting piece of historical fiction. Furthermore, the fusion of history lends itself to the importance of the novel because it contributes immensely to the characters and their behaviors.
The novel can be viewed through a historical lens, …show more content…
He is constantly being told he isn’t Dominican, even by his own family. Oscar is struggling with his identity. He even resorts to altering his appearance to prove not only to himself, but to his family that he is truly Dominican is ironic to Díaz’s incorporation of the country’s history. The presence of Dominican slang, people, and events is ironic to Oscar’s lacking of anything to be considered “Dominican”. The novel is full of that rich history and way of life, when its main character is not. For Díaz to integrate such an affluent and rich history throughout the pages of his book contribute to the inclusive theme of the play, which is the priority of preserving cultural beliefs and traditions. The abundance of history in the novel juxtaposes Oscar’s character and his lack of predominate Dominican attributes. Moreover, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is an contemporary piece of historical fiction whose theme is driven by the merging of Dominican history intertwined with the story of Oscar’s brief life and the lives of the close members of his family and
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