Response 6

Jenna Wilhelmi

Oscar Wao

Response 6

Mongoose Magic

The mysterious Mongoose makes several appearances in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, but what does it mean? Throughout the book, Diaz uses various characters and situations to reference back to the Dominican Republic as a whole. This leads me to believe that the Mongoose is a representation of the zafa, the counter curse of the fuku. However, it can also represent the indomitable spirit of survival in the Dominican people as well as the roots of culture that reside in the children of the Diaspora like Oscar. It is a protector, a spirit, and a symbol of a superstitious culture.

What leads me to believe that the Mongoose is the representation of the zafa is that it was the reason Beli and her son survived their near death experiences. It is what pulled Beli out of the ether and made her fight for her life. “So as Beli was flitting in and out of life, there appeared at her side a creature that would have been an amiable mongoose if not for its golden lion eyes and the absolute black of its pelt. This one was quite large for its species and placed its intelligent little paws on her chest and stared down at her. You have to rise.” If the Mongoose hadn’t appeared when it did, Beli would have let herself slip into death, thus completing her personal cycle of the fuku. I must also point out that the fuku was present for Beli’s troubles as the faceless man.

This creepy faceless figure seems to always appear before something terrible happens to a member of Oscar’s family. The entrance of the Mongoose then follows his manifestation and licks their wounds and urges them not to give into its counterpart. All wicked things must have a light counterpart. The universe loathes things being unbalanced. In the footnote about the Mongoose, Diaz hints that it is more than just a mythological figure. “The Mongoose has proven itself to be an enemy of kingly chariots, chains, and hierarchies. Believed to be an ally of Man.” So if the fuku can take physical form such as Trujillo, why not the zafa?

However, the Mongoose is more than just the zafa. It is the spirit of the Dominican people. Like its real counterpart, the Mongoose is long enduring and migrates constantly to new lands where it flourishes like a weed. Similar to its famous cartoon counterpart, Rikki Tikki Tavi, Mongooses are hardy little creatures that can take on animals far stronger than them like the King Cobra. It epitomizes the will to survive, just like the people of the DR. They may have had to flee their country, but they are doing so with a strong will to not only survive, but also thrive.

The Mongoose, like all otherworldly creatures, is never just what it appears to be. Even the gods of old never were just a god, but a god of virtue or war or love. A god-like figure of any kind is just meant to stand in for a larger concept that is important to those who worship it. For the Athenians it was Athena - Goddess of Wisdom and Justice. For Dominicans it is the Mongoose - Spirit of Resilience, Stamina, and Grit. What could be more fitting than for a tiny wily creature to signify the people of a small devious island haunted by a curse that strikes like a cobra?