23 Jan Short Story Analyzation

Wildwood by Junot Diaz (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/06/11/wildwood)



Wildwood refers to the town that the protagonist runs away to in order to be with a boy she believes holds the answer to all her problems. Due to teenage recklessness/rebellion, she was hungry for a change in scenery since she attributed her unhappiness to her family/surroundings. Upon running away and attempting to adjust to her new life, she realizes the town/boy wasn’t the answer and again finds a new environment although it wasn’t by choice.



The shape of this story would be described as “which way is up?” since every pivotal moment is ambiguous and has the potential to be both positive and negative, depending on the point of view and how the character perceives it. This shape works since humans are unpredictable and react to certain situations in different ways. The author illustrates this effectively by writing in the perspective of a highly intelligent but impulsive teenage girl.



Throughout her life, her decisions were based on the expectations thrust upon her by her domineering mother. Traditions and societal norms were expected to be abided by which she resented. Upon realizing her ability to break away from those norms, she throws herself into a series of events that ultimately take her to her mother’s homeland where she discovers secrets that offer both explanation and inspiration.