Student Question
In The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, how many times does Oscar attempt suicide?
Quick answer:
Oscar attempts suicide directly once, following his discovery of Jenni's infidelity. He drinks heavily and jumps off a bridge, influenced by the curse (fukú). Interpretations of suicide attempts might vary, as Oscar's behavior towards the end of his life could suggest a death wish, potentially viewing his eventual murder as a form of successful suicide. However, this requires deeper textual analysis.
Directly, once. This incident occurs after he finds Jenni committing adultery. Oscar drinks heavily and then decides that due to the curse (fuku), he should throw himself off a bridge.
However, depending on your viewpoint of what constitutes an "attempt," that number might increase. If you consider his insistence near the end of his life to be desiring of death--his answer to the Mongoose, for instance, being "more" indicating that he will push until he is destroyed--then it might be the case that his murder could be viewed as a successful suicide attempt. However, this would require a great deal of searching for evidence from the text.
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