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            Feminism and masculinity are important themes throughout The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz, as the Dominican traditions of gender roles clash with modern ideas of equality between the sexes. I posed this question during class discussion on October 9, and I would like to further explore my answer to it: To what extent is the mistreatment of women perpetuated by other women and to what extent is it perpetuated by men? In short, I believe that the idea that women are second-class citizens is initially promoted by men, however, women as well ingrain this idea into the minds of their sisters, daughters, friends, and even themselves. Thus, both men and women are equally albeit differently to blame for their job in reducing the value of women in society.

            The men in the novel who cheat on their wife or girlfriend, most notably Abelard, The Gangster, and Yunior, do so relentlessly and sinvergüenza, and the men who don’t cheat, Oscar, Max, and La Inca’s husband, end up tragically killed. This is not by coincidence of Díaz’s behalf. It is expected, practically required even, that Dominican men sleep around, and if they do not, they are punished. Yunior best characterizes this mentality when he says to Oscar, “O, it’s against the laws of nature for a dominicano to die without fucking at least once” (174). Oscar, therefore, sticks out sorely as he retains his virginity until he is well into his twenties. When Oscar meets Ybón, his prostitute neighbor in the Dominican Republic, he believes that sleeping with her is “the Higher Power’s last-ditch attempt to put him back on the proper path of Dominican male-itude” (283). It is clear that much of the identity of the Dominican man is tied to his relationships with women; a man is not a real man until he has slept with at least one woman. The sexual exploitation of women by men is further developed in the Abelard section of the novel, as the patriarch’s fears of Trujillo raping his beautiful daughter, Jacquelyn, increase: “Young women have no opportunity to develop unmolested in this country” (220). This is a fact that is well-accepted by the majority, and although Abelard puts his life on the line to protect his daughter’s innocence, women of this time period cannot seem to escape the rampant rape, prostitution, and exploitation.

            Likely due to lifelong customs and tradition, the women as well as the men in this novel perpetuate the idea that women serve little more purpose that to be men’s playthings. Beli’s co-worker Lillian declares, “it is the fate of women everywhere to be miserable always,” and this mentality is no doubt one of the sources to the cause of the problem (112). However, let me be clear here that I am not saying that it is even a fraction of a percent the women’s fault for the horrific rape and abuse that they endure. It is merely the way that Dominican women in this novel treat other women that bolsters the idea that women should be trivialized in their sexuality. The reader sees this clearly when Oscar’s abuela “told him that not even God loves a puta” (286). They are cruel and judgmental toward one another, rather than supportive.

            The subjugation of women in Oscar Wao is perpetuated by the both men and women and is the root of a plethora of unhealthy relationships.