Oscar Wao and Sex

1184 Words5 Pages
Fiona White English 4 October 24th, 2013 The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Sex and Power What role does sex play in our lives? Sex can give us power against our peers, our lovers, and even ourselves. In the novel The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz the characters all struggle with sex and what it means to them. A Dominican family consisting of a mother, Beli, a daughter, Lola, and a son, Oscar struggle with how they perceive themselves and how others perceive them. Throughout the story, they all perceive and use sex differently. When Beli was younger, her power came from her anger and her longing to understand her past and future. But once she hit puberty, things started to change. “A terrible beauty [was] born. Where before Beli had been a gangly ibis of a girl, pretty in a typical sort of way, by summer’s end she’d become un mujeron total, acquiring that body of hers, that body that made her famous.” And what was at first an embarrassing surprise soon became a way to feel loved and accepted, or so she thought. She puts this newfound “sexuality” to the test when she agrees to meet with a frequent customer at her family bakery, a married dentist. Arriving at the park with her mother, La Inca, she sees the Dentist waiting by the curb in his car. “Look, Madre, Beli said loudly, it’s the dentist, and La Inca turned and homeboy threw the car frantically into gear and tore out of there before La Inca could even wave. How very strange! La Inca said.” It’s then that Beli sees what she and her body are capable of. After she discovers her “sexual powers”, she obtains only three real loves in her life: Jack Pujols, The Gangster, and the father of her children. When Jack saw her new beauty, it didn’t take long for him to get what he wanted. It’s obvious that he’s using her for sex: taking her into closets, and pushing her back out as

More about Oscar Wao and Sex

Open Document