language? Language is the foundation for any organism day to day interaction, language is not limited to spoken language, but also includes body language and gestures. Through language people connect and form bonds with each other; from personal experience, I have found this is to be essentially true when living in a foreign country and speaking a language that is not the primary language spoken in that country. One may not know anything at all about the other, but an instant connection is made when you hear a familiar language or the language of your childhood. For some people, their native language becomes who they are, in essence, their identity. I believe this is reinforced by the words we use to label people and their language, for …show more content…
We mostly learn about Diaz’s main male character, Yunior, through the language he uses. The reader learns how Yunior navigates through the close-knit community he resides in, often using words that are in Spanish unlike the rest of the text. Diaz wants the reader to learn what these words mean and for them to make a connection with the text on their own. “Imagine her old lady coming to get her, what she would say if she knew her daughter had just lain under you and blown your name, pronounced with her eighth-grade Spanish, into your ear. While she's in the bathroom call one of your boys and say, Lo hice, loco. Or just sit back on the couch and smile.” (Page 3). Diaz often points out Yunior’s ability to speak and understand Spanish when contrasting him to the possible dates he might encounter. He makes a stark contrast in that he wants the reader to be aware of the differences or the similarities between themselves and the main character.
In a sense, Yunior is the personification of colloquial Latino American language. Diaz uses Yunior to show the reader the language in everyday mundane interactions but in a way that is simple for the reader to grasp and understand. He gives Yunior a stereotypical Hispanic macho persona, further reinforced by the language he