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Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Book 1, Chapter 1: Ghetto Nerd at the End of the World (1974-1987)
Explanation and Analysis—Lord of the Rings:
Junot Díaz makes allusions to Lord of the Rings throughout The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien's 1954 fantasy epic, is Oscar’s favorite book. The novel is an important part of his friendship with Yunior. In Chapter 4, after Oscar and Yunior have been in a fight, they make up when Yunior calls Oscar “Mellon,” the elvish word for “friend” from The Lord of the Rings.
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Book 1, Chapter 3: The Three Heartbreaks of Belicia Cabral (1955-1962)
Explanation and Analysis—Yeats:
Throughout The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Díaz makes several allusions to the poet William Butler Yeats. In Chapter 3, Yunior alludes to the poem “Easter, 1916” as he describes Beli:
Unlock with LitCharts A+And [she] would have stayed invisible too if the summer of sophomore year she’d not hit the biochemical jackpot, not experienced a Summer of Her Secondary Sex Characteristics, not been transformed utterly (a terrible beauty has been born).
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Book 3: The Final Letter
Explanation and Analysis—The Horror! The Horror!:
Just before Oscar dies, he makes an allusion to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness in a letter home. In the final words of the novel in "The Final Letter," Yunior writes:
Unlock with LitCharts A+So this is what everybody’s always talking about! Diablo! If only I’d known. The beauty! The beauty!
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Explanation and Analysis—E. E. "Doc" Smith:
Díaz makes several allusions to E. E. “Doc” Smith throughout The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Eighteen months after Oscar dies, a package arrives in Paterson. In "The Final Letter," Yunior narrates:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Two manuscripts enclosed. One was more chapters of his never-to-be-completed opus, a four-book E. E. ‘Doc’ Smith–esque space opera called Starscourge [...]
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