Part 2: the brief and wondrous life of Oscsr Wao

This book surprised me yet again by changing from the perspective of Oscar to Lola to their mother. The person who was portrayed as wretched in the first part is now switching roles to what I’d say is the protagonist (at least for now). The author took me back further in time, back to a pre-pubescent Beli, who would eventually come to mother both Oscar and Lola. Beli, who I Learned is an orphan, lives with her aunt, who is more like a mother, in the Dominican Republic. Beli is living the life that most young DR girls yearn for. However Lola got her sense of incompleteness from her mother, who felt out of place and wanted more, just as Lola came to feel. Beli had a loving and caring aunt who never once raised a hand to her. Almost the perfect mother figure, I found myself wondering what happened to Beli that made her so cold, why did she not treat her own children with the same love that she revived? Beli’s aunt landed Beli a scholarship at one of the best schools and sent her to go get the education of a life time. Beli had never been so out of place, being Dominican republican in a school full of prestigious white children. The author offers a solution to her problem by trying to fit in and keeping her head down, but instead Bali was “defensive and aggressive and mad overactive”. This became to be what I believe was the worst year of her life. As Beli becomes rougher and tougher, she became more similar to the Beli I was originally introduced to in the first part of this book. Beli is painted as what I believe to be the most naive character I’ve come across so far, she falls in love with the most handsome boy in school ( here the author actually says “the schools handsomest (read: whitest) boy” which is quite a blunt yet honest way to address the many issues society has with race), who of course would never talk to the rude olive skinned girl. Beli hits puberty that summer and “a terrible beauty had been born”. Beli transforms into a beautiful women that no man can resist. Beli’s world goes from dark and miserable to bright and outgoing. “Our girl ran into the future that her new body represented and never looked back”. When she returned to school she was asked where she saw her future and she responded with “ I will be married to a handsome wealthy man. I will also be a doctor with my own hospital but I will name after Trujillo.” With Beli’s new confidence (and new body), soon the most handsome boy in school convinced her to sleep with him. He happened to be the son of a colond in the trujillato’s beloved Air Force, and the two of them happened to get caught together in a broom closet. The Handsome boy denied everything when the scandal arose, breaking young Beli’s heart. Beli dropped out of school, got a job, and learned to party hard. She feed off of attention that men so willingly gave her. When a man came along that promised her endless attention, Beli couldn’t help but fall in love again. The naive Beli fell for his vast promises of endless houses in endless countries. He was a man who got what he wanted, so he got Beli. She could feel her dream coming true and she was happier then ever when she became pregnant, knowing he would have to keep his promises now. So how did Beli end up so wretched? Her love was at fault yet again, he is married to the dictators sister. I’m almost certain this will only lead to Beli’s heart and spirit being broken.

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