HW 3 – Diaz (Feb. 7th)

3 Comments

1. 

   Jade

   February 12, 2024 at 12:29 am

   1.    What did you think of this piece? Be honest! Why? Explain!

   I thought this piece was eye-opening because I like reading about other cultures, especially folktales or beliefs.

   2.    What do you find difficult or confusing? Be specific! Point out particular passages that confused you and explain why you were confused. What do you think the writer may have been trying to do? Find a particular passage that was difficult and explain specifically where you got caught up and why.

   The only thing I found difficult was the Spanish mixed in with the English. It confused me because I was focused on how to pronounce it and didn’t know what some of them meant. I think the writer was doing that to show the mixing of cultures.

    

   3.    How does the author use footnotes? Why do you think he makes this choice?

   The author uses footnotes by adding a number to a certain term or word. I think he chose to provide more information to the reader to make the reading more understandable.

   4.    What discourse community(ies) does Oscar Wao belong to?

   The discourse communities to which Oscar Wao belongs are the fuku community and the DR community.

    

   5.    What word is important to his discourse community?

   The word that was important to his discourse community was fuku. The word fuku was used throughout the first 7 pages. The whole island believed in fuku. It was seen as a curse or like karma. There are two pieces of evidence to support this. The first one is on page 5, “Everybody in Santo Domingo has a fuku story knocking around their family.” The second one is on page 5: “It’s perfectly fine if you don’t believe in these “superstitions.” In fact, it’s better than fine – it’s perfect. Because no matter what you believe, fuku believe in you.”

   6.    How does he define this word?

   He defines fuku as a curse or a doom, “specifically the curse and the doom of the new world.”

    

   7.    Why is this word important to his community?

   This word is important to his community because it affects the whole island. As he said, fuku wasn’t talked about all the time, but it was in the air. That’s how much power it had in his community.

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2. 

   Isabella

   February 12, 2024 at 9:17 am

   1. What did you think of this piece? Be honest! Why? Explain!

   This piece was okay in my opinion, I enjoyed what Oscar was speaking about but I wouldn’t particularly reread it just because it’s not the kind of reading I would choose.

   2. What do you find difficult or confusing? Be specific! Point out particular passages that confused you and explain why you were confused. What do you think the writer may have been trying to do? Find a particular passage that was difficult and explain specifically where you got caught up and why.

   Something I found difficult was the words Oscar used in the passage, it was a little confusing, especially with the English-to-Spanish vocabulary and the choice of wording he uses.

   3. How does the author use footnotes? Why do you think he makes this choice?

   The author uses footnotes by adding a number or symbol to words or phrases, I believe he decided to do this to form some organization for the readers as they read.

   4.What discourse community(ies) does Oscar Wao belong to?

   Oscar Wao belongs to the Fuku and the DR community.

   5. What word is important to his discourse community?

   A word that’s important to his discourse community is Fuku, the whole land believed in the curse and it showed how powerful and important the word is the everyone.

   6. How does he define this word?

   The word Fuku means “Fuku refers to a terrible curse that can last for generations upon having caught it.” As he says on page 5 “Everyone has a Fuku story knocking around their family.”

   7. Why is this word important to his community?

   The word is important to the community because it creates a belief system for the land, it is something powerful that everyone believes. As Ocasr says on page 5 “It’s perfectly fine if you don’t believe in these “superstitions.” It’s better than fine – it’s perfect. because no matter what you believe, Fuku believes in you.

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3. 

   Katrine Merkulyeva

   March 30, 2024 at 7:49 pm

   1. “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” is frequently lauded for its distinct narrative style, which combines aspects of magical realism, historical fiction, and pop cultural allusions. I appreciated Junot Diaz’s allusions, which kept it fascinating and original. 
   2. The use of footnotes in the book was a bit problematic for me since they disrupt the flow of the primary narrative. The narrator’s discussion of “fukú” and “zafa” in the footnote on page 5 may cause confusion for readers. These concepts are critical to comprehending the novel’s ideas, although the explanation in the footnote may cause readers to backtrack and reposition themselves in the narrative. Diaz may have used footnotes to provide further context, historical background, or alternate viewpoints on the tale.
   3. Diaz employs several footnotes throughout the narrative to give more information, historical background, and cultural connections. This option serves many functions: it enhances the tale by providing deeper insights, it depicts the fragmented nature of memory and storytelling, and it allows Diaz to investigate numerous layers of meaning within the text. The footnotes also provide a sense of closeness between the narrator and the reader, as if the narrator is conversing with the reader.
   4. Oscar Wao is a member of several discourse groups, such as those made up of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, readers of science fiction and fantasy, and people who are struggling with questions of identity and belonging. One term that is significant in Oscar’s discourse community is “fukë,” which denotes a generational curse or fate. Oscar and his family’s experiences and worldview are shaped by their belief in the curse of the fukë. The term is significant because it provides a prism through which to see the history and culture of the Dominican people, notably under the Trujillo dictatorship, and it captures their traumas and hardships.
   5. For the debate community around Oscar, “fukë” is a key term. The term “fukú” in the book refers to the curse or fate that has plagued Oscar’s family for many generations. It is described as a malicious energy that causes tragedy, pain, and bad luck for everyone it comes into contact with. This idea has a strong cultural and historical foundation in the Dominican Republic, especially in light of Rafael Trujillo’s violent, oppressive, and unstable rule.
   6. “Fukú” holds significance for Oscar’s tribe since it provides an explanation for the challenges and misfortunes they encounter.
   7. It stands for the generational curses and collective pain that have been inherited via their families. By bringing up the concept of the fukÍ, It turns into a prism through which they view the world, forming their identities, convictions, and sense of reality.
   8. the word “fukú” has great meaning in Oscar’s discourse community, representing the Dominican people’s tenacity and hardships.

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