The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

In many cultures, the mongoose is a symbol of good fortune. In Oscar Wao, it initially appears that the mongoose will serve a similar symbolic purpose. With its golden eyes and beautiful singing voice, the mongoose leads the grievously injured Belicia out of the canefields to safety. Thus, it appears to be a beneficent agent of zafa in a world full of fukú. By contrast, the Man Without a Face, who withholds aid from Belicia when she is driven to the canefields and appears in Socorro’s dreams on the eve of Abelard’s arrest, seems to be an agent or at least a harbinger of fukú.

As the narrative progresses, the role of the mongoose is complicated. After an ambiguous appearance during Oscar’s suicide attempt, the mongoose emerges in Oscar’s dreams, seemingly to goad him into visiting Santo Domingo, where events unfold that lead to Oscar’s demise. At best, the mongoose represents a form of temporary good fortune that only prolongs a person’s suffering. This representation is most apparent when the mongoose visits Oscar in his dreams in the immediate aftermath of the Beating to End All Beatings. He asks Oscar, “More or less?” (301), implying that Oscar can accept either more suffering, by allowing the mongoose to once again save his life, or less suffering.