Why is his name oscar wao

See, some of Oscar's classmates think he looks like the Irish writer Oscar Wilde. But because their first language is Spanish, they pronounce "Wilde" as "Wao. The rest of the title divulges quite a bit about the book's themes. We wish we came up with these insights on our own, but we'll have to credit John Lingam's essay in The Quarterly Conversation. Lingam cuts to the quick of Diaz's use of Spanish and English in the title:.

The Dominican boys' accents lead to the title neologism [new word], and this linguistic playfulness gets to the essence of Diaz's greatest strength. The boys are assimilated enough to understand the European literary canon, yet their accents misshape the author's name into something different, a word that simultaneously echoes the name of another genocidal dictator [Mao Zedong] and an English-language expression for amazement.

So, what does all this fancy talk from Lingam mean? It means that the novel frequently makes use of two languages, Spanish and English. It draws on both Dominican and American culture. Afterward, nobody wanted to room with him. But gradually they became friends. Like Oscar, Yunior wrote fiction, and they occasionally exchanged work.

Yunior also tried to help Oscar find the confidence to approach women. He took his mind off his relationship troubles by helping Oscar try to change his life.

He encouraged Oscar to adopt new dietary habits, avoid self-criticism, and exercise. Yunior and his buddies started bullying Oscar. Jenni was a hardcore goth who lived on the second floor of their dormitory. Yunior tried flirting with her once, but she blew him off. During the period after their falling out, Yunior noticed that Oscar had eyes for Jenni.

Oscar is depressed and stops writing. Yunior calls Lola because he is worried. Two weeks later Oscar walks in on her and her new boyfriend naked. Oscar freaks out, insults her, and rips posters off her walls. Yunior stops him, but from then on Oscar is thought of as a psycho, and that is how that school year ends. The last night rooming together, they get drunk, and Yunior leaves. Oscar continues to drink and walks onto a train bridge in New Brunswick.

Oscar has left a suicide note for Yunior, Lola, Beli and Jenni. He jumps off the bridge and lands on the median and lives. Yunior refers to this period as the Fall.

Beli, Yunior, and Lola visit Oscar at the hospital. Lola and her mother are fighting. Oscar tells Yunior he believes the curse made him do it, and Yunior does not believe him. Lola and Yunior have a brief conversation about whether or not Oscar should live in Demarest again, and Yunior leaves without fulfilling his desire to kiss Lola. Oscar visits Yunior occasionally but Yunior never visits him.

During winter finals, Yunior runs into Lola on the bus and asks her on a date. She accepts reluctantly. They start a relationship and Yunior promises never to lie to Lola. In the spring, Yunior moves back into Demarest with Oscar. In this chapter, Yunior is revealed as the narrator.

When Oscar warns Yunior that he is cursed, Yunior does not listen because he does not yet believe in the curse at this point.