I think the saddest part of Oscar’s suicide attempt is the
fact that Yunior is blamed for Oscar’s actions. The first thing Lola says to
him is “Why didn’t you take care of Oscar? She demanded. Why didn’t you do it?
(193). Yunior even seems to blame himself, as Ryan mentioned earlier ‘I guess I
knew I should have stayed with him. Should have sat on my ass in that chair and
told him that shit was going to be cool” (189).
Yunior was the only one who really tried to help Oscar change
his life for his better. Oscar is unhappy with the current state of his life,
he’s overweight, socially awkward and lonely. Yunior offers to help him and
even comes up with a plan to help change his life for the better. “One night
while he was moaning about his sorry existence I said: Do you really want to
change it? Of course I do, he said, but nothing I’ve tried has been
amerliorative. I’ll change your life.” (175). But Oscar’s ability too stick to
the plan that Yunior has created is short-lived because Oscar gives up and announces. “I’ve
decided not to run no more. Why the fuck not? It’s not going to work, Yunior.
It ait going to work if you don’t want it to work. I know it’s not going to
work Come on Oscar, pick up your goddam feet. But he shook his head…. The next
morning I prodded him with my foot but he didn’t stir” (178). How is Yunior to blame for what happened to Oscar. Yunior was trying to help, but he could only do so much.
I really don't think Yunior is to blame for Oscar's suicide attempt. He did try to help Oscar improve himself, and in situations like this there is rarely anything anyone can really do to change another's mind.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Yunior is the one who blames himself. Lola blames him (sort of) immediately for not doing more, and even Yunior admits that he might have done more.
ReplyDeleteI would disagree with the statement that Yunior is the only one who tries to help Oscar, though. Lola does, too. It can be hard for a sister to help her brother--to give him the advice/push that he needs. She tries the best way she knows how. Even her nickname for him, "Mister," (a term a mother might use when she disciplines her child) indicates her affectionate yet awkward attempts to help him. So sad, really.
I can't help but keep thinking (and don't shoot me for this) that the gender roles are reversed in this novel. Usually it's the female who is trying to change, and her brother--who is seen as her guardian or protector--feels the need to help her. It must be different for a sister to relate to her brother and try to help him out of a depression?
ReplyDeleteI think that it happens a lot (a sister trying to help a brother), but that it's complicated, you know? A sister (especially a Dominican sister) doesn't want to emasculate her brother, but also wants to help him.
ReplyDelete