While referencing the terror inflicted on the people of the Dominican Republic under the reign of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, the author Robert Crassweiler once said:
The extent to which violence, both open and covert, is a constant factor in the life of the region may cause surprise. The incongruous and rather unreal quality of many events, whether fanciful or farcical in appearance, may also prove unexpected. Understanding the Dominican Republic’s cultural atmosphere without discussing the lasting effects of the notoriously violent Trujillato is impossible. In The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, our main characters continue to be influenced by the tumultuous Trujillo regime more than twenty years after its fall. Throughout the book, Díaz uses the symbolism of the Mongoose …show more content…
The human face shows happiness, sympathy, surprise, terror, sadness, and countless other expressions. The faceless man demonstrates a man numb and devoid of emotion or conscience. In The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, the faceless man consistently appears when others are in dire need of help. When Belicia is being dragged off to be killed, she desperately searches for salvation but is unable to find a sign of hope: “Déjame, she screamed, and when she looked up she saw that there was one more cop sitting in the car, and when he turned toward her she saw that he didn’t have a face” (Díaz 141). Beli, searching desperately for a savior, sees a police officer, but he is faceless. She finds no sign of compassion, concern or humanity. Instead, she is reminded that she is completely and utterly alone. This faceless man never reacts to help those in need; he simply continues attending to his own life or turns the other way. The faceless man is depicted in contrast to the Mongoose which represents people who faced the Trujillato with enduring courage and
The extent to which violence, both open and covert, is a constant factor in the life of the region may cause surprise. The incongruous and rather unreal quality of many events, whether fanciful or farcical in appearance, may also prove unexpected. Understanding the Dominican Republic’s cultural atmosphere without discussing the lasting effects of the notoriously violent Trujillato is impossible. In The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, our main characters continue to be influenced by the tumultuous Trujillo regime more than twenty years after its fall. Throughout the book, Díaz uses the symbolism of the Mongoose …show more content…
The human face shows happiness, sympathy, surprise, terror, sadness, and countless other expressions. The faceless man demonstrates a man numb and devoid of emotion or conscience. In The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, the faceless man consistently appears when others are in dire need of help. When Belicia is being dragged off to be killed, she desperately searches for salvation but is unable to find a sign of hope: “Déjame, she screamed, and when she looked up she saw that there was one more cop sitting in the car, and when he turned toward her she saw that he didn’t have a face” (Díaz 141). Beli, searching desperately for a savior, sees a police officer, but he is faceless. She finds no sign of compassion, concern or humanity. Instead, she is reminded that she is completely and utterly alone. This faceless man never reacts to help those in need; he simply continues attending to his own life or turns the other way. The faceless man is depicted in contrast to the Mongoose which represents people who faced the Trujillato with enduring courage and