Volume IV Special Issue VIII October 2024

Name of Author : Shagufta Ali Gurawala

Title of the paper : Hybridity and Cultural Syncretism in Junot Díazs The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: Navigating Identity in the Diaspora

Abstract: This research paper analyzes Junot Díazs The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao for its themes of hybridity and cultural syncretism. The novel depicts the complex identities of people navigating between Dominican and American cultures. The study uses the lens of hybridity to examine how characters blend, oppose, and reconcile their inherent Dominican cultural beliefs with their lived experiences in the United States. Oscar de León, the novels protagonist, personifies this cultural mixture as he struggles with Dominican expectations of masculinity while also enjoying American pop culture, notably science fiction and fantasy genres. This study delves into the multifaceted identities of the characters, focusing on how their cultural syncretism is reflected in language, traditions, and personal histories. The use of Spanglish, references to Dominican folklore, and the integration of popular American media within the narrative structure serve as manifestations of this cultural blending. Furthermore, the research addresses how the novel critiques the concept of a singular, monolithic cultural identity, instead advocating for the recognition of fluid and evolving cultural identities shaped by diasporic experiences. This paper argues that by situating the narrative within the larger context of postcolonial theory and Dominican Republic history, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao provides a nuanced depiction of the diasporic experience, emphasizing the tensions and creative possibilities inherent in cultural hybridity. Finally, the novel implies that identity in the diaspora is a constant process of negotiation, adaptation, and syncretism that reflects the complex reality of cross-cultural existence.

Keywords : Hybridity, Cultural Syncretism, Spanglish, Dominican Folklore, Cross-Cultural Existence

DOI :

Page Number : 55-62