Junot Diaz's Drown, a compilation of short stories, exemplifies how the high standard of masculinity within the Latino community can have a detrimental effect on males. These stories are told in the first person by a narrator called Yunior. The different stories are told against the background of The Dominican Republic and the United States. The narrator highlights the different challenges that he faces throughout his childhood and into his young adult life. During this period, he struggles to find his identity which is expected by every Latino. In the Dominican Republic, a man’s manhood is closely tied to his identity, and Yunior is no exception. While in the process of finding his identity, Yunior is challenged with abuse, poverty and the lure of drugs, which leads to his addiction and his becoming violent .… At birth there are no fixed characteristics given to boys within the Latino community that automatically transform them into true men …show more content…
in adulthood. The title of being a true male is earned after performing acts that the society recognizes as masculine, even if those acts are seemingly violent. Riofrio highlights this point when he says, “What it means to be a real man is imposed externally, while functioning as social constructs masked as fundamental truths, the natural order of things (Riofrio 24). The truth is it is not all the time males are able to live up to society’s expectation. Therefore, to have a true identity outside of one’s personal belief, is an extension of society’s belief, whether good or bad, rather than the individual’s. The cultural stereotype of machismo is very much present within the Latino group.
Yunior’s father is no exception to this culture. Yunior describes his father as the typical violent macho. He notes, “Papi was old- fashion; he expected your undivided attention when you were getting your ass whupped” (Diaz 26). This indicates, like most males in general, Papi likes to have a sense of being in control at all times. He enjoys the fact that he can exert power or dominion over his children. While being punished, Yunior had to stay focused. It might have very well been a case where crying is not even an option, as the act is seen as weakness. This is reminiscent of how some males in the Caribbean regions are raised. Men are seen as soft if they cry, even while getting flogged. According to Kevane, the “Macho is the accepted and expected single- word description synonymous with Latino men and male culture” (Kevane 502). The protagonist’s father is of the idea that he is the greatest, a tough guy. Papi is very proud of the man he
is.
By reminiscing on his upbringing from living in Lima, Peru, a third world country. Father would constantly recall his biographical anecdotes to share with the family. Some stories were beyond gruesome in detail. Going in depth to the painful memories that still lingers around like a scar, my father told us how our grandfather, his own father, was abusive for even the most minute things. For instance, when my father would wore outfits that did not meet my grandfather’s standards, or looked into his father’s eyes fearfully when he was being punished, and even when he did not walk my grandmother to and from the grocery store. The mistreatment had reached the end of father’s patience when he became a rebellious son, breaking curfews and refusing to return home at the end of the day. In Junot Díaz 's short story Fiesta, 1980, narrated by an son, Yunior, who describes the hardships he and his Dominican family shared as they drove to a party in the Bronx in New York City. At the age of twelve, Yunior loses his innocence as a result from the never-ending verbal, emotional, and physical abuse his father, Papi, had taunted him with. This lost innocence was caused by what he had said, did, and did
Through Rafa’s gesture, it seems that the father’s behavior is not unusual. Rafa begins to move away because he fears what is going to happen next. This starts to stir up the question of, “Is Ramon physically abusive?” A bit of the abusive behavior is seen when Ramon picks Yunior up by the ear (Diaz 26). “If you throw up-- I won’t, I cried, tears in my eyes, more out of reflex than pain” (Diaz 26). Here, in the dialogue between Ramon and Yunior, it shows that Ramon is clearly in charge. When Yunior says that the tears that are falling out of his eyes, are more out of reflex than pain, there is no question if this sort of thing happens often. Yunior’s tears have become an involuntary response to the pain his father inflects on him. Through the language Junot Diaz used in that line, it is almost as if Yunior has been desensitized of pain, which adds to the idea that Ramon is, in fact, physically abusive. This is also reinstated when Yunior says, “Madai was too scared to open her eyes. Being around Papi all her life had turned her into a major-league wuss” (Diaz 26). Also, when Yunior vomits in the car, Ramon “jam[s] his finger into [Yunior’s] cheek, a nice solid thrust” (Diaz 30). Yunior describes his father as being imaginative with his punishments (Diaz 30). He says, “Earlier that year I’d written an essay in school called “My Father the Torturer…” (Diaz 30).
Junot Diaz is a Dominican-American writer whose collection of short stories Drown tells the story of immigrant families in the urban community of New Jersey. His short story “Fiesta, 1980” focuses on Yunior, an adolescent boy from Dominican Republic and his relationship with his father. On the other hand, Piri Thomas was a great Latino writer from Puerto-Rico whose memoir Down These Mean Streets tells his life story as an adolescent residing in Harlem and the challenges he faces outside in the neighborhood and at home with his father. Both Diaz and Thomas in different ways explore the dynamics of father-son relationships in their work. Furthermore, both expose masculinity as a social construct.
“While Latino Male behavior is indeed all too often sexist and violent, Latino Males in this country are in fact no worse in that regard than their Anglo counterparts" (page 42). I very strongly agree that no race is different from one another when it comes to the debate about life. Everyone has the power to make bad decisions, which eventually result in a negative impact on that person and also the people around them, however, everyone also has the power to make good decisions and benefit in a positive manner the people around them. At the end of the day, it comes down to the environment in which they were raised and if they have the will to go against peer pressure and defy it. Sadly, not everyone in this world is capable of defying peer pressure, which is where these horrible stereotypes develop.
Junot Díaz’s Drown, a collection of short stories, chronicles the events of Yunior and his family. Each story focuses Yunior and his struggle growing up as a Dominican immigrant and finding a place for himself within American society. Throughout the progression of the novel, Yunior realizes the stereotypes placed on him and recognizes that being white is advantageous. Yunior’s experience growing up both in the Dominican Republic and the States has shaped his perspective on life and life choices.
Junot Diaz’s novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is focused on the hyper-masculine culture of the Dominican, and many argue that his portrayal of the slew of women in the novel is misogynistic because they are often silenced by the plot and kept out of the narration (Matsui). However, Diaz crafts strong women, and it is society that views them as objects. The novel recognizes the masculine lens of the culture while still examining the lives of resilient women. In this way, the novel showcases a feminist stance and critiques the misogynist culture it is set in by showcasing the strength and depth of these women that help to shape the narrative while acknowledging that it is the limits society places on them because of their sexuality
Torres, Hector Avalos. 2007. Conversations with Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Writers. U.S.: University of New Mexico press, 315-324.
In Junot Diaz's "Fiesta" the father created substantial fear in his children which resulted in extreme disconnection inside his entire family. The story begins with the family being ready to go to the party, and waiting for the husband/father to arrive. "If papi had walked in and caught us lounging in our underwear, he would have kicked our asses or something serious" (Diaz 4070). Both Yunior and his brother Rafa were terrified of their father. This caused separation between both the brothers. Reason being that Yunior was always getting in trouble with his father, which lead him to search for some sort of defense. He turned to his older brother. If Yunior eats before riding in his father's new van, he becomes nauseated and vomits. The father would punish Yunior for technically, surviving. His father was so disconnected from his son that would be mad at his son for eating. When Yunior was going to be punished Rafa would disappear. This angered Yunior resulting in constant bickering between him and his brother. The fear in the household was so immense that the youngest daughter would cry when hearing her father's voice. Yunior bl...
The short story “How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, and Halfie” by Junot Diaz is the main character, Yunior’s, guide to dating girls of different races and the ways to act in order to get what you want from them. The only thing Yunior seems to want for these girls is sexual acts. This short story argues that a person’s heritage, economic class, and race affect how a person identifies themselves, and how their identity affects how they act towards other people. The pressures a person may feel from society also has an effect on how a person treats themselves and others. The pressure and expectations from society are also what makes Yunior think he needs to have sex with these girls. There are many different occasions of the main character talking and acting differently to other people within the story, such as: to himself, his friends, and the different girls he tries to date.
Many writers focus their works of written art on life situations. They focus on drugs, poverty, stereotypes, young adults living in a difficult world, and of course a topic that has been present for many years, male domination. Abraham Rodriguez Jr. in “The Boy Without a Flag” captures all these themes and more in his Tales of the South Bronx, that relate to the lives of many Hispanics and minority residents of the United States.
The eternal endeavor of obtaining a realistic sense of selfhood is depicted for all struggling women of color in Gloria Anzaldua’s “Borderlands/La Frontera” (1987). Anzaldua illustrates the oppressing realities of her world – one that sets limitations for the minority. Albeit the obvious restraints against the white majority (the physical borderland between the U.S. and Mexico), there is a constant and overwhelming emotional battle against the psychological “borderlands” instilled in Anzaldua as she desperately seeks recognition as an openly queer Mestiza woman. With being a Mestiza comes a lot of cultural stereotypes that more than often try to define ones’ role in the world – especially if you are those whom have privilege above the “others”.
My readings suggest the Hispanic culture gender roles are very common and strict. Starting early in life children are taught to follow the strict guidelines of their gender (American Home Resources, 2010). There exists three common gender specific scripts in Hispanic culture; females can either be “Marianismo” or “Hembrismo”, and, males are classified as “Machismo”. The two female roles differ greatly; “Marianismo” defines behaviors of women as being obedient, dependent and caring for their children. The “Hembrismo” role stresses a female’s strength to persist through life’s difficulties; however, this role is not accepted widely in their culture. The “Machismo” role describes behaviors of men as being dominant and independent. This role views the man as being in charge of the family. (Peñalosa,
Montoya, Margret E. "Masks and Identify," and "Masks and Resistance," in The Latino/a Condition: A Critical Reader New York: New York University Press, 1998.
Junot Diaz’s story “How to Date a Brown girl, Black girl, White girl, or Halfie” is a written instructional guide offering advice on proper dating etiquette. The story is centered around an Afro-Dominican teenage boy who breaks down instructions on how to get laid with women based on their ethnicity and social class. He explains step by step how you should handle each woman, from changing your speech and behavioral approach depending on whether she was an insider or an outsider. However the narrator’s unreliability leaves the readers with questions on how true the story is or how it should be interpreted. The unreliability of the narrator in this story reveals a lack of pride in the narrator’s individuality, thus the facade he keeps up in order to hide his ethnicity and social class.
In Junot Diaz’s short story, “A Cheater’s Guide To Love”, Diaz goes through his main character’s, Yunior, journey after his fiancé finds out that he has been cheating on her with fifty women, through email during a six year period. Throughout this story, Diaz makes Spanish references and uses Spanish slang, this goes back to where the Author himself was originally born in the Dominican Republic. Diaz’s heritage and his experiences while pursuing an education in the states is reflected through his main character’s trials in “The Cheater’s Guide To Love”. Following Yunior’s fiancé’s discovery, Yunior starts his journey to recover from his broken heart due to his reckless decision. Diaz’s main character goes through