Junot Diaz’s short stories “Drown” and “Boyfriend” in his book Drown include representations of central aspects of the theories proposed in Delgado and Stefancic’s book Critical Race Theory.
In Diaz’s short story “Drown”, the narrator, Yunior, reflects on his past with specific memories regarding his former best friend Beto. As Yunior continues to proceed with daily life two years after Beto (one year older than him) went off to college, his familiar environment triggers recollections of the ways he used to inhabit the same spaces with Beto. Immediately, the reader is informed implicitly that a key determinant in the end to Beto and Yunior’s friendship is Yunior’s identification of Beto as ‘a pato’; pato translates directly from Spanish to English to mean duck, but is often understood as Latin American slang for gay. Amongst the memories of his friendship with Beto, and his new experiences with his acquaintances, the reader also gains perspective on Yunior’s relationship with his mother. Within this relationship, Yunior becomes hyper-masculinized and parentized— taking actions that parallel those of his father (who left Yunior and his mother) in his relationship with his mother, and often monitoring her contact with his father. The story concludes with the penultimate memory of Beto sexually assaulting Yunior within the two weeks prior to his initial departure, and then Yunior having (seemingly) consensual sex with Beto the next day. Throughout the story, there are many references to the shoplifting Beto and Yunior used to engage in, as well as Yunior’s occupation as a drug-dealer. Additionally, there are several references to the racial stratification of Yunior and Beto’s “barrio” in New Jersey, which seems to have a higher population of Latinx and Black identifying inhabitants.
Within the story of “Drown” the stock-story of The American Dream is featured through the character of Beto. Beto is able to make it out of the barrio in New Jersey and pursue business school, while Yunior is stuck in the same cycle taking care of his mother through his drug-dealing business. At one point, Yunior narrates a time in which the probability of the American Dream was expressed to him by “One teacher, whose family has two grammar schools named after it…”, who told the students they were teaching that they were like space shuttles, stating, “A few of you are going to make it. Those are the orbiters. But the majority of you are just going to burn out. Going no where.” (106). Yunior reflects on his potential chance at the American Dream stating, “I could already see myself losing altitude, fading…” (106). Additionally, the mythos of the American Dream is supported by various facets of the community within which Yunior and Beto exist— like the failed industrial workforce of the technology company “Raritan” (99). Yunior describes the scenery of the factory and the landfill surrounding it as “the top of a blonde head, square and old”, indicating some association of the factory with whiteness (99). Additionally, the AMerican Dream mythos is further refuted by the interaction Yunior has with the white recruiting officer, who accosted Yunior stating, “I have a house, a car, a gun and a wife. Discipline. Loyalty. Can you say those things? Even one?” (100). This represents the unattainability of the American dream, as it had been discerned, as joining the Army requires an augmented amount of altruism, in comparison with the original conception of the American Dream.
In Diaz’s short story “Boyfirend”, the narrato, Yunior, presents the reader with his affliction: marijuana-induced sleepwalking. After waking up from a night of sleep-walking in the hallway of his building, Yunior hears an argument between two people in the apartment below his, between “Boyfriend” and “Girlfriend”. Yunior continues to listen to the communication the two engage in, and is well-informed about the personal and sexual relations and habits of “Boyfriend” and “Girlfriend” as they break up. Throughout the narration of what Yunior hears through the floors, the breakup triggers his own inner-monologue about his last relationship and his ex-girlfriend Loretta. Through the experience of “Boyfriend” and “Girlfriend”, Yunior processes his own relationship and breakup and colors it retrospectively with the insight he gains from overhearing the argument. The climax of the plot occurs when Yunior invites “Girlfriend” up to his apartment for coffee. The two get along amicably, but there is a notable lack of attraction between them. Irregardless, the two are friendly to one another when they pass each other in the halls, and Yunior compliments “Girlfriend”‘s hair when she cuts it short. Throughout the story, there is explicit description of the races and nationalities of the women and men engaging in intimate relationships with one another, as well as reference to the significance of each of these identities to Yunior.
The overarching tones of Diaz’s narration shape the thoughts of the Narrator, Yunior, into what critical race theorists might describe as Nationalist. Delgado and Stefancic define a Nationalist as someone who is likely to “…look with skepticism on members of their groups who date, marry, or form close friendships with whites or seek employment in white-dominated workplaces or industries.” (69). In “Drown”, signs of Latino nationalism can be observed in description of the environment, like the pool sign that was edited to include “No Whites, No Fat Chiks“[sic] in addition to the normal rules (94). In “Boyfriend”, the degredation of this perspective is articulated by Yunior as he states, “I used to think those were the barrio rule, Latino and blacks in, whites out— a place we down cats weren’t supposed to go. But love teaches you. Clears your head of any rules.” (114). Additionally, Delgado and Stefancic identify that “Latino nationalists also endorse preservation and ties with Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean or other homelands.” (69). This trait of Latino nationalism can specifically be noted throughout “Drown” and “Boyfriend” as Diaz chooses to include a narrative that frequently utilizes Spanish words to express culturally significant terms. Additionally, in “Boyfriend”, Yunior is jealous of “Boyfriend” and “Girlfriend” because of “…how much Spanish they shared.”, stating, disappointedly, “None of my girlfriends ever spoke Spanish, even Loretta of the Puerto Rican attitudes” (113). Furthermore, when “Girlfriend” comes to visit Yunior in his apartment, he plays her the song el Jibaro, which was a written by Puerto Rican folk musician Andres Jimenez, and was used during the late 90’s and early 2000’s as part of a political resistance (Diaz 115) (Otero, 2018). Within this nationalist perspective, Diaz’s narrator Yunior also utilizes essentialism in “Drown” and “Boyfriend”, as often black and Latinx identities are equated as “in-groups” and “whites” or people of wealth, or aesthetic priviledge are featured as “out-groups”. However, Yunior’s essentialism takes the form of assuming ownership of slang-words and derogatory phraseology for both groups (98-99). This could also indicate what Delgado and Stefancic coin as the “black-white binary”, which indicates that the absence of race is often defined as whiteness, and therefore race distinctly refers to blackness, in which case, the only way Yunior would be able to identify with a distinct “out-group” would be through essentialism, or assimilation with blackness (78).
Works Cited
Carlos Vázquez Otero. “Andrés Jiménez” El Jíbaro “Presents The Concert” Thus Sing Puerto Rico “, In Tampa.” ProQuest , Jun 04, 2018, https://une.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.une.idm.oclc.org/docview/2050504013?accountid=12756.
