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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Study Guide

by Junot Diaz

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao study guide contains a biography of Junot Díaz, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

The novel begins with the narrator's description of the curse, called fukú americanus—a curse of doom, specifically that of the New World. It was brought over to the islands of Antilles when the Europeans came, and has stayed ever since. The narrator makes the claim that the late dictator, Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, has a close connection with fukú. The narrator informs the reader that he will be telling us the story of Oscar de León, who was the victim of his family’s fukú. The only known way to counteract a fukú is to use the term “zafa” to ward off the curse. The narrator then wonders if writing this book is his way of saying a zafa.

The first chapter, which takes place in 1974 – 1987 in Paterson, New Jersey, details Oscar’s…

Read the full The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Summary

• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Summary
• About The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
• Character List
• Glossary of Terms
• Major Themes
• Quotes and Analysis
• Summary and Analysis of Epigraph and Prologue
• Summary and Analysis of Section I, Chapter 1: Ghetto Nerd at the End of the World, 1974 - 1987
• Summary and Analysis of Section I, Chapter 2: Wildwood 1982 – 1985
• Summary and Analysis of Section I, Chapter 3: The Three Heartbreaks of Belicia Cabral 1955-1962
• Summary and Analysis of Section I, Chapter 4: Sentimental Education 1988 – 1992
• Summary and Analysis of Section II Introduction
• Summary and Analysis of Section II, Chapter 5: Poor Abelard 1944 – 1946
• Summary and Analysis of Section II, Chapter 6: Land of the Lost 1992 – 1995
• Summary and Analysis of Section III: Introduction, Chapter 7, Interlude, Chapter 8, and the Final Letter
• Magical Realism and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
• Related Links on The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
• Suggested Essay Questions
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 3
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 4
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: Major Themes
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: Essays
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: Questions
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• Junot Diaz: Biography