Papi slouched for about a month, taking us to kung fu movies we couldn’t understand and drilling into us how much we’d miss him. “In a house as loud as ours one woman’s silence was a serious thing. That will help smooth things between the two of you (Drown, p. Shortly afterwards, he goes to his father-in-law asking for money, and lies to him about his infidelity: “Come home, and be good to her.” His father-in-law tells him. Before he gets his visa, Ramon’s wife discovers his extramarital affair, and throws him out of the house. The story briefly takes place in the Dominican Republic, during which time we get a sense of what kind of man Ramon is. Ironically, the beginning of the de las Casas family’s journey in the United States is captured in “Drown’s” final story, “Negocios,” which chronicles the nine years Ramon spent in the United States, preparing to bring his family over. Through observing the dynamic of their relationship, readers can gain insight into the alienating aspects of materialism, the immigrant experience, and the so-called American Dream. The most profound and fascinating aspect of this struggle can be seen in the dueling character arcs of Yunior, and his father, Ramon. Junot Diaz’s “Drown” is unique among contemporary American literature, in that it captures a facet of American life that many prominent authors had previously overlooked, the experience of the Hispanic-American immigrant.Through the eyes of Yunior and his family, we gain first hand experience of a minority family attempting assimilation into American life, and the economic, social, and cultural struggles intrinsic to that experience.
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