Motif in How to Date a Browngirl, a Blackgril, Whitegirl, or Halfie

¶ … stapled) analyzing: Focus main character/protagonist/Narrator

The primary motif that drives the action in Junot Diaz's short story, "How to Date a Browngirl, a Blackgril, Whitegirl, or Halfie" is the concept of race. This fact is certainly suggested by the title of this narrative, and is one of the central concerns of the protagonist, a young man only referred to as Yunior. Like most young men of school age who live with their parents, Yunior desires physical intimacy with a girl -- as much as possible, in fact, during an evening's date. However, the author is deliberately ambiguous as to whether or not Yunior achieves his objective, by composing the narrative as a set of directives that do not include a definite "ending" in the sense that most short stories have. Yet it is quite obvious that everything in this short story (aside from Yunior's objective) -- such as what factors are present to influence his achieving of this objective -- is based on race.

The author makes it quite clear in this story that despite the allusion to the term date in its title, the character is decidedly less interested in romance than he is in physical, and ideally sexual, intimacy. Diaz makes this point readily available early on in the story by presenting this set of directions for dating various girls in terms in which physical intimacy is the desired outcome. As such, Yunior is quite preoccupied with anticipating what it is that he will get in terms of sexual contact with these girls. He describes a scenario in which it is possible that his date will bring over her friends, and sums up that possibility with the exclamation that during such a date "that means you ain't getting shit." Yet even in elucidating Yunior's primary objective, the author makes it apparent that whatever it is that he is able to "get" from a girl can largely be stratified by race. An excellent example of this fact is Yunior's aside that, in regards to his date, "If she's a whitegirl you know you'll at least get a hand job." Although this point is readily discussed in just the third paragraph of this short story, the author's preoccupation with race and the effect on Yunior's desired outcome is fully explored through the duration of this narrative.

In understanding whether or not Yunior actually is able to engage in physical intimacy with a woman on his date, it is necessary to understand that this short story is just a set of instructions for dating girls of various races. As such, it is extremely important to realize that in such a hypothetical scenario, it is a Caucasian girl who most fully satisfies Yunior's objectives. The following quotation, which takes place in the part of the instruction in which one is watching television with a girl, demonstrates this fact. "A whitegirl might just give it up right then. Don't stop her. She'll take her gum out of her mouth, stick it to the plastic sofa covers and then will move closer to you…You'll be with her until eight-thirty and then she will want to wash up." Yunior's success in this scenario is apparent from the physical intimacy described in a literal, non-sexual sense (in which the girl moves closer to him or to the one he's providing instructions to). It is also alluded to by the fact that the young woman will desire to "wash up" after an act of sex. When describing dating scenarios with other races of girls, it is important to realize that the only one in which there is sex is with a Caucasian girl, underlying the fact that this entire narrative revolves around conceptions of race.

A closer examination of the facets of Yunior's character that allows him to achieve his objective with a Caucasian demonstrates that it is his race, and hers, that play an integral component in his sexual conquest. The dialogue that directly precedes the sexual act proves this fact. Yunior, who is a Dominican, explains to the reader of these instructions that it is best to: "Tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love your own. She'll say, I like Spanish guys, and even though you've never been to Spain, say, I like you." The racial implications of this exchange between Yunior and his date in this particular instance are decidedly overt. From this quotation, it appears as though the fact that Yunior is "Spanish" (which alludes to his Dominican heritage and culture) is the principle reason why this Caucasian girl likes him. Since she makes this statement directly before sleeping with him, one can infer that she is sleeping with him because he is Dominican. Similarly, the reader can also infer that Yunior wants to have sex with this girl because she is Caucasian. Hence, he loves various aspects of her physical features that are decidedly Caucasian -- such as her hair skin and lips. Furthermore, it is evident that Yunior likes these features because they are at variance with his Dominican ones, which implies he wants to sleep with her because she is Caucasian.