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Step 1
Keep the concept of “fukú” in mind while you’re reading. Fukú is discussed in depth in the novel’s prologue, and then it isn’t talked about in great detail until later in the novel. However, the characters are very well aware of it, even if they don’t openly discuss it.
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Step 2
Read the faux-academic footnotes. Footnotes can be tiresome, but these are written with great humor and voice. They also give important information about the Dominican Republic’s violent past under Trujillo’s dictatorship and demonstrate the widespread hold he had (and still has) over Dominicans for generations.
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Step 3
Get used to the different voices and perspectives the novel uses. Make note of the different perceptions these characters have of each other.
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Step 4
Think about why Díaz uses a narrative structure that uses multiple points of view and does not present the story in chronological order. Think about how your reading experience would be different if the story were told in chronological order or from the point of view of one character.
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Step 5
Make note of each time a de León or Cabral comes into contact with those involved with Tujillo’s regime. Observe how those experiences alter (for better or worse) the life of that particular de León or Cabral. Think about how that involvement with Trujillo has greater ramifications for the family as a whole.
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Step 6
Enjoy all of the references to science fiction, fantasy and geek culture. If you don’t get all of them, this will not hinder your ability to enjoy or understand the novel.
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Step 7
Ask why the novel is named after Oscar de León but the story does not necessarily focus on him.
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Step 1
Look at how Díaz builds Oscar as an outsider, even within his group of nerd friends. Review how the other characters interact with him and ridicule his nerdiness or appreciate it.
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Step 2
Compare and contrast Belicia and Lola’s lives by looking at their physical appearance, experiences as teenagers and beliefs. Determine if Lola has followed in her mother’s footsteps or if she has become her own person. Think about why Lola moves around so much.
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Step 3
Compare and contrast Belicia’s mothering style vs. La Inca’s. Since La Inca acts in ways that are called atypical for a Dominican mother, look at how Díaz is characterizing motherhood in Dominican culture. Think about the circumstances that lead to the way these mothers behave.
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Step 4
Consider why Díaz uses Yunior to tell Oscar’s story. Look at Yunior’s relationship with Oscar.
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Step 5
Keep an eye out for the mongoose and how it interacts with each member of the de León family. Compare and contrast the mongoose with fukú.
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Step 1
Look at how race and color are important. People are more accepted or seen as more attractive based not only upon their race, but also because of their *shade*. Take note of how the physical appearances of the main characters help them or harm them, or both.
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Step 2
Do a careful study of how men perceive women in the novel, and how women perceive themselves, including characteristics that are valued and devalued in women.
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Step 3
Compare and contrast sex as a means of expressing power and sex as a means of expressing love. Look at how the main characters use sex and think about it.
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Step 4
Look at how fantasy is used in the novel. The fantasy genre is very much a part of Oscar’s life (he watches fantasy films, reads fantasy novels and comics and plays role playing games). But fantasy and imagination are very closely related, as well. For example, Belicia has several fantasies about spending her life with her boyfriends.
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Step 5
Compare and contrast the ideas of disappearance and running away in the novel. Some characters choose to leave while others disappear (are taken away). Look at what characters are running away from.
