Summary: The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao

Oscar: The Anti-Dominican The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao includes many instances of the novel’s protagonist, Oscar, falling in love with unattainable women, as well as other moments where Oscar feels pity for himself. Oscar spends most of the novel looking for a woman who will love him back, and his self-pity comes as a result of his failure to find a woman. Unlike many of his Dominican peers, who do well with the ladies, Oscar is not very handsome, nor is he able to talk to many girls. Oscar is also an avid fan of comics and science fiction, an interest that many people fin d unappealing. Oscar seems to be resisting the idea that Dominican men should be great womanizers who pride themselves on sleeping with a great number of women. Oscar seems to have gentlemanly intentions of having a meaningful relationship with a woman, unlike many other Dominican men. Oscar’s entire persona goes against his upbringing in a Dominican community in New Jersey, as he is the complete opposite of a stereotypical Dominican male. Oscar’s interest in comic books is a theme that is prevalent throughout the entire story. References to comics often appear after Oscar has a troublesome moment or encounter with a girl. For example, on page 14, Oscar faces an ultimatum when he is asked by one
Oscar is described as being very heavy, having terrible acne and wearing big glasses and his hair in an afro. Compared to other Dominican guys, who were suave and well-coiffed, Oscar was very unattractive. Yunior tries to help out Oscar, offering to help him exercise. Oscar attempts to work out with Yunior by going running with him, but Oscsar is subject to many verbal attacks while jogging. These hurtful remarks, along with Oscar’s lack of physical fitness, cause Oscar to stop running, and thus, his appearance stays the same. Oscars love pursuits are some of the most important occurrences in the