Vanessa Hernandez
27 October 2010
Eric Olson
People want what they cannot have. This yearning for the unattainable is a natural aspect of humanity that can never be expelled. Though a large sum of lusted items lie within tangible objects, an even larger portion dwells within the blood of people. Diaz touches upon this topic by exposing a Dominican families’ struggle of accepting and being accepted into their own culture’s identities.
Sometimes, people don’t even wish to exist outside of their race, but be embraced by it. Oscar has a hard time fitting into the Dominican culture because of his fat body and nerdish nature. “…Dude never had much luck with the females (how very un-Dominican of him)” (1) He even attempts to loose weight and gain romances but each time fails.
Other times people do wish to leave their culture and exist in another. Unlike Oscar, Belli, with her grand breasts and perfect body, fits well into the Dominican culture. Since she has had the chance to know what it is like to be embraced (though for the wrong reasons), she wishes to marry a man like Jack Pujols and move to Miami. Belli’s dissatisfaction with her situation, even though it would be an ideal one for Oscar or any other outcast, further promotes the idea that human’s naturally want what is either difficult or impossible to achieve.
Many people can relate to this novel because all, in any shape, size, or color experience the urge to be other than themselves at some point in their lives. I know I grew up wishing I had pale skin and soft hair like the rest of my friends, and though I have learned to love my culture, know plenty of things I would like to have that I probably wont ever get.
Hi Vanessa,
ReplyDeleteI like the themes you chose to explore here-- the unattainable and acceptance. By exploring cultural identity, you have the opportunity to expand using your own experience here. You alluded to it briefly at the end and I think you could and should bring that into your work in a piece like this one. They are your reflections. What better place to put them than these response papers?
This line was a little confusing due to word choice: "Though a large sum of lusted items lie within tangible objects, an even larger portion dwells within the blood of people." I hear what you are saying and agree with you, it's just a matter of editing a bit more to make yourself sharply understood.
Overall succinct, room to expand with your own valuable life experience= 8