While “Fiesta 1980” is a story about a family party, there seems to be a large emphasis and focus on Yunior’s carsickness problem, leading me to consider the potential messages Junot Diaz is trying to get across.
His vomiting problem is a major source of conflict and abuse. Yunior alludes to the root of this new problem being his new environment since he ‘was famous for his steel-lined stomach” that only a “third-world childhood could give you” (pg 29). In this case, it seems that his vomiting problem is perhaps a manifestation of the anxiety that immigrating to a new country triggers, especially since it is triggered only when he is in the car after he has eaten. The implication here may be that Yunior is struggling to assimilate into his new country since American food is unsettling for him. It may also be that the movement of the car is enough to trigger the feelings of turmoil and chaos that immigrating may have initially caused resulting in a physical anxiety response. In this case, perhaps Diaz is trying to emphasize the way that immigration can be distressing for a child and the difficulty of assimilation into a completely different society.
Another approach to understanding this habit of Yunior is to view it as an invitation for his father to take care of him. It is clearly evident that his father is a violent and threatening man who does not offer any paternal love or support. Yunior craves time and care from his Papi and has learned that his carsickness is the only way he can achieve it. He describes his car trips with Papi as something he looks forward to and that “when we were alone he treated much better like maybe I was his son or something” (pg 35). While Yunior understands that his father is a dangerous and scary man, he still desires his attention, and the only way he knows how to get this is by physically demanding it. This makes me consider that Diaz is offering a critique of patriarchal dominance by showcasing the manipulation men are capable of; Yunior both hates and craves his father’s attention.
Hi Anna,
I thought your point about Yunior’s habit being an invitation for his father to take care of him was very interesting. Yunior does say that the fights with his father “didn’t bother [him] too much” (pg. 27). Perhaps this is because, as you said, this is the only way he can get his father’s attention. Even if the attention is negative, it may be preferable to getting no attention at all.
Hi Anna, interesting take on Yunior’s vomiting problem as a way to gain attention from his father, even if its negative attention. I think this speaks for a lot of children growing up in toxic households because it’s difficult for them to distinguish between what’s right from wrong in terms of how they’re being treated, plus the lack of affection is all they’ve ever known. I personally thought the vomiting was a manifestation of Yunior’s feelings toward the mistress because clearly the father put both of the sons in a messed up situation by introducing them to the mistress while having to keep quiet about it around the mother. The family dynamic is completely off, so the only way Yunior able to “digest” what’s going on is by doing the opposite, throwing it up.