THE POLITICS OF VOICE: BILINGUALISM, TRAUMA, AND CULTURAL MEMORY IN JUNOT DÍAZ
THE POLITICS OF VOICE: BILINGUALISM, TRAUMA, AND CULTURAL MEMORY IN JUNOT DÍAZ

Summary/Abstract: Junot Díaz’s style has sparked more interest in exploring the complexities of diasporic identity as his work has been meant to introduce the Dominican legacy to the reading public. His bilingual narration, the use of intertextual references and the detailed descriptions offered to his readers have paved the way to approaching serious issues such as trauma and cultural memory. Focusing primarily on The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao the article is meant to tackle the code-switching between English and Spanish regarded as a mirror of the way immigrants have to adapt to a new world, while still trying to preserve their legacy. At the same time the personal and collective trauma are explored in the novel as there are both pop culture references and parts of historical discourse put together used to reflect upon the cultural memory of the Dominican diaspora.

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