Overall, I like Aberlard's character. He is very wise to handle Trujillo the way he does by keeping a low profile in politics while still maintaining his status as a wealthy social light and scholar. He also manages to help those who have been harmed by Trujillo without showing outward opposition to his reign. His care for his family is one of his most admirable traits, but in the end it is his downfall. He played it smart up until he became sick with worry. Once he let paranoia take over him because he was afraid Trujillo would rape his daughter Jacquelyn, he began drinking and letting every aspect of his life fall apart. As his world came crashing down, he brought more attention to his family and became vulnerable to Trujillo and his secret police. In the end he lost the battle and Trujillo cursed them with fuku.
Diaz makes a wise decision in narrating the story from different perspectives and messing around with the typical chronological order. This makes the book more interesting and allows the reader to experience different outlooks on Dominican culture. Each generation and gender is affected differently by Trujillo's reign and the family curse. It also makes the novel more interesting to read because each chapter is a different piece to the puzzle, and by the end they all fit together to create a clear picture.
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