The Absence of Parents

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Papi has excused himself to leave his family momentarily to go to the United States in hopes of a better life. He has promised to return and take them away from Santo Domingo. When money gets low, Yunior's mother finds it necessary to send Yunior and his brother to stay with relatives. Yunior expresses, "I never wanted to be away from the family. Intuitively, I knew how easily distances could harden and become permanent" (Diaz 75). Yunior already has his father missing from the equation making it that much harder for Yunior to separate from the rest of his family. He doesn't want them to grow apart. Yunior is holding on to a vague memory of his father as well as keeping a strong bond with his immediate family. Yunior explains, "He had left for Nueva York when I was four but since I couldn't remember a single moment with him I excused him from all nine years of my life" (Diaz 70). It is prominent for a young boy to have a strong father figure in these years of life but Yunior and ...

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as a regenerative force that could redeem his fortunes" (Diaz 204). Papi does then get his family to the United States but does not follow through when they arrive, abandoning his family once again. Yunior reveals, "years later Nilda and I would speak, after he had left us for good ..." (Diaz 206). Papi has good intentions and followed through with a few promises but is still a disappointment since the reality is he never showed enough selflessness that is necessary to be considered a competent father. Papi's absence ultimately has caused Yunior to become troubled. He falls into a life of drug dealing, law breaking, and became hardened. Papi's absence also continuously contributed ...

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