Sociolinguistic features of “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”, by Junot Diaz

Length: 1200-1800 words (roughly, 4-5 pages, double-spaced) Your goal (as stated on the syllabus) is to produce “an essay that articulates a coherent and plausible argument about the sociolinguistically relevant features of that text: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz. Essay must be based in a sociolinguistically framed question. That is, your argument must be rooted in the sociolinguistic features in language. So, simply arguing whether or not Diaz’s novel should be expected to fulfill the goals of “racial divide” will NOT meet the requirements of this assignment, but an essay that uses sociolinguistics to argue that point could fulfill the assignment. You don’t necessarily need to agree with you at the end of your essay, but I do need to have been persuaded to take your argument seriously and convinced that it has a logic that makes sense. So, use your introduction to help me know what to expect, and use your conclusion to help me understand what the final take-away is – this is known as “framing” your argument for the reader. • What would a reader need to know in order to follow your logic? • What are the smaller parts of your argument that might make sense as individual paragraphs? • What pieces of evidence do you have from your primary text: “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”, by Junot Diaz to support these points? • What is the best order to make your points so that the reader can see how your conclusion makes sense? For example, does one-point build on another? Works Cited: You are NOT required to consult any sources other than the primary text. Whether or not you decide to consult other sources, you MUST give full citations for all sources you use, including for your primary text in either Chicago or MLA Style. • Give the full citation for the edition YOU are using; do not simply copy my references from the syllabus. • If you consult any online source, then you must include a URL, or you will lose points for that citation. Topics/prompts: PLEASE ONLY SELECT ONE WRITING TOPIC/PROMPT 1) Discuss the code-switching in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and how it gives us more insight into one or more of the major themes of the novel. OR 2) Considering The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao discuss the connections between language and humor. How might humor shape the linguistic choices an author makes? For example, can the linguistic choices in a text enhance the humorous qualities of that text?