The Significance of Chapter Eight in How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, and Halfie by Junot Diaz

In Chapter Eight of Drown, “How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, and Halfie,” Yunior displays inconsistencies with his sexual orientation through his attempt to flirt with girls because earlier in the novel the narrative hinted that he is interested in men. In previous chapters, Junot Diaz portrays Yunior more feminine than his brother Rafa. This can be seen when Yunior refuses to tell his mother about his father’s affair because he wants to protect his mother, which portrays him as an emotional, compassionate, and caring person. Through Yunior’s narrative at the beginning of Chapter One, which describes his relationship with his brother, it is clear that Rafa is heterosexual and has a strong desire for girls. In contrast to how Rafa talks about girls all the time, Yunior is more emotional and not as outgoing with girls. Chapter Eight is significant to the story because Yunior’s changes in his point of view, voice/tone, and sexual orientation indicate his brother’s influence over him to be more masculine is not genuine to Yunior, and it confirms earlier hints about him being homosexual.

The change in point of view in this chapter indicates how unfamiliar Yunior is when it comes to flirting with the opposite sex. “Put down your hamburger and say, It must have been hard...Don’t ask, Let her speak on it and when you’re both finished eating walk back into the neighborhood. The skies will be magnificent, Pollutants have made Jersey sunsets one of the wonders of the world. Point it out. Touch her shoulder and say, That’s nice, right? Get serious. Watch TV but stay alert. Sip some of the Bermudez your father left in the cabinet, which nobody touches.” Unlike previous chapters, Yunior narratives the story in the second person. The use of “you’s” in the chapter shows how Yunior is trying to distance himself from what he is doing. It shows how he is disinterested in his conversation with girls. Every sentence he says is unnatural and seems forced. He talks like he is reading a list of instructions on how to get a girl. He likely learned how to flirt with girls by observing his brother. Yunior shows a strong desire to become friends with his brother earlier in the novel. From a young age, Yunior has learned from his brother that it is cool to get with many girls. Yunior tries to become more masculine by mimicking what Rafa is doing. In this chapter, Yunior does not act like his true self because he tries to be another version of Rafa. He tries to pretend that he knows everything about girls by listing out steps.

The change in voice/tone in this chapter indicates that he is nervous about inviting girls over to his house because everything he knows is based on his brother’s experience with girls. He makes sure to hide the government cheese, a type of cheese that is distributed to welfare beneficiaries. “Clear the government cheese from the refrigerator. If the girl’s from the Terrace stack the boxes behind the milk. If she’s from the Park or Society Hill hide the cheese in the cabinet above the oven, way up to where she’ll never see.” Through the ways he hides the government cheese, it is clear that Yunior is embarrassed by his economic status. The chapter further describes his action with, “Take down any embarrassing photos of your family in the campo, especially the one with half-naked kids dragging a goat on a rope leash...Hide the picture of yourself with an Afro. Make sure the bathroom is presentable. Put the basket with all the crapped-on toilet paper under the sink.” These actions depict him as someone sensitive to what other people think of him as a person. He does not want to be identified as a low-income individual because he is trying to fit in as a Dominican immigrant in a new country. He doesn't want the girls to know that he is in poverty, which is a part of his identity. The denial of his economic status shows how he also does not want people to know that he is homosexual.

The sudden change in sexual orientation in this chapter indicates how urgent Yunior wants to change his identity. For the first time, Yunior shows interest in girls. Earlier in the novel, Yunior shows interest in Beto, Yunior’s childhood best friend who turned out to be homosexual and has an interest in Yunior. Yunior said his relationship with Beto is very important to him. His experience with Beto complicated his concept of sexuality. He is unable to talk about what happened between him and Beto to his mom, who still think they are having a pure friendship. He does not want to recognize what happened between him and Beto. The chapter starts with“Wait for your brother and your mother to leave the apartment,” which shows that he is going to do something he would not do regularly and does not want other people to find out. He tries to avoid humiliation from his brother on how unnatural Yunior is when trying to flirt with girls. Yunior tries to experiment with his sexuality to prove that he is not homosexual, yet his attempt to flirt with girls ends unsuccessfully. When he is finally alone, he says to himself, “Don’t fall asleep. It won’t help.” It represents how he realizes what he is trying to hide and finally decide to face his true identity instead of ignoring it. The chapter ends with, “Put the government cheese back in its place before your moms kill you.” The chapter both starts and ends with the mentioning of government cheese, which represents how nothing has changed about Yunor’s identity. He realizes that he cannot change his identity. Similar to how he is still in poverty, he is still homosexual. This chapter is significant because he reveals his true sexuality through changes in pint of view, voice/tone, and sexual orientation.