Blog Assignment #2

                                                                                                                                            Jose Jaramillo
                                                                                                                                       January 15, 2015
                                                                                                                                                     Period 3

                                                                         Blog Assignment #2

       Pride, the feeling that makes people seem to think that they have something of extraordinary 
value. Whether it is an invention that can help humanity, an athletic record that was broken, or even the fact we did something, no matter how big or small, that we are happy to brag to others, we want this feeling of cherishing our decisions. One problem with this emotion; however, is that people fill themselves with so much of this emotion, that when things change, it can leave a devastating feeling. Oscar, a main character from Junot Diaz's fictional novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, experienced the glory days of being a attractive man, the realization that ideas don't usually go out as planned, and the effects of his demise on people around Oscar.
       
       Oscar once lived a life where things would usually go his way, especially when it comes to having relationship with women. His heydays were characterized when Diaz writes, "In the blessed days of his youth, Oscar was something of a Casanova." (Diaz, 11). The author's use of the word, Casanova, indicates that he is a smooth- talking ladies' man and a person of great influence. Ironically, his ability, but also his appearance, to also maintain two different, but temporary relationships is what caused his downfall.
        
        One thing to consider in Junot's novel is the fuku, supernatural entity that observes any misbehavior or action that is against people's beliefs, and spread itself towards others. The author acknowledges this as Oscar states, " It seemed that whatever bad no-love karma hit Oscar hit them too." (Diaz, 17). After the breakup of both of his girlfriends, the fuku, or in this case, bad karma, had also affected them. This revelation shows the readers that anyone who carries any type of relationship is struck by the fuku.

        Pride can also hurt others; the idea that as long as someone's pain or accomplishment is equal to theirs, then, trust can built within this relationship. Oscar visualized this when his "friends" started to see him as a burden as Junot explains, "He realized his...friends were embarrassed by him." (Diaz, 29). Oscar saw that as long his friends did not have a girlfriend, read books, played video games, and were not involved in a sport, they would choose to recognize him as a friend. This vision really hurt him as he choose to accept their so-called social superiority.

        The idea of pride is to acknowledge our accomplishments and gifts, but also recognize that it is superior to someone else's gift. It may seem like someone as a field that they see as theirs, but others can be hurt because they don't have any reason as to why they should let go of their ideas, so that he or she could the same story, but from a different perspective. 

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