The Mask of The Man

The relationship between men and women in the Dominican culture is one that contradicts all social norms that us Americans are accustomed to. In the eyes of the adulterous, Dominican man, physical abuse is frequently the seen as a solution to any problem within the family. Dominican masculinity, the most common mask worn in Drown, inspires the short story “How To Date a Brown Girl.” Yunior reveals his compelling “masculinity” over women at restaurants when we orders “everything in [his] busted up Spanish. [He lets] her correct him if she’s Latina and amaze her if she’s black” (145). This shows that Dominican men treat women as predictable objects that can be controlled with the right formula.

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao divulges into the meaning of sex between a man and a woman. Sex to a Dominican man is frequently all about the physical benefits, and not about the intimacy, or love. Oscar is portrayed as a contradiction to the typical Dominican man; he develops strong feelings for Ybon. Sex with her exposes what real intimacy can lead to- “The beauty, the beauty!” (335).  Oscar is a crucial character that tells the reader a lot about the fragility of the façade that is put up by typical Dominican men. These men are hiding behind a mask of their masculinity, scared to reveal themselves to women; instead, they smack them around and cheat on them in hopes that they remain true to the Dominican culture of a man.

Yunior is such a complex character in This is How You Lose Her, portrayed as a Dominican man that fits the role only half the time. Yunior is truly a good man at heart- he is not physically abusive, he cannot lie to Magda when she catches him cheating, and he treats women with respect. But still, he is the classic Dominican cheater. And although you want to root for him and his honest ways, he does not stick by them when Alma catches him exclaiming, “Baby, this is part of my novel. This is how you lose her” (50). Alma’s character, sex crazed and dirty, is also a clear indication that Dominican men live behind a mask when it comes to their women. Yunior should be ecstatic that Alma is crazy about him, but instead he is emasculated by her and thus, un-Dominican. This fragility lends truth to the fact that Dominican men carry themselves the way they do because of societal and cultural norms.

Junot Diaz is a brilliant author who divulges into the Dominican man’s psyche, revealing the fragility in his macho image. They treat their wives and mistresses with lack of respect and loyalty because that is what Dominican men know. This three collections of short stories characterize and dissect the Dominican man, exposing his attitudes as a mask, worn only to uphold an image that was created by Dominican men for generations.