How we cite our quotes: (Act.Chapter.Section.Paragraph), (Act.Special Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
In the days of the Trujillato, Belaguer was just one of El Jefe's more efficient ringwraiths. Much is made of his intelligence (he certainly impressed the Failed Cattle Thief) and of his asceticism (when he raped little girls he kept it real quiet). After Trujillo's death he would take over Project Domo and rule the country from 1960 to 1962, from 1966 to 1978, and again from 1986 to 1996 (by then dude was blind as a bat, a living mummy). (1.3.5.1)
Notice how Díaz mixes references to the supernatural and actual history here. Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo was a real Dominican dictator, just like Trujillo. Díaz compares him to a "ringwraith". (If you've ever read The Lord of the Rings, you'll know that ringwraiths are these superscary witch dudes.) The point is that Díaz links real, political power with fantastical, supernatural power. Why does he do that, do you think?
Quote #5
Let me tell you, True Believers: in the annals of Dominican piety there has never been prayer like this. The rosaries cabling through La Inca's fingers like line flying through a doomed fisherman's hands. And before you could say Holy! Holy! Holy! she was joined by a flock of women, young and old [...]." (1.3.17.3)
In case you thought Wao was all about fukú and evil powers, here's La Inca. In the book, she harnesses the power of good magic. Her version of good magic is prayer.
Quote #6
And now we arrive at the strangest part of our tale. Whether what follows was a figment of Beli's wrecked imagination or something else altogether I cannot say. Even your Watcher has his silences, his páginas en blanco [blank pages]. [...]. So as Beli was flitting in and out of life, there appeared at her side a creature that would have been an amiable mongoose if not for its golden lion eyes and the absolute black of its pelt. This one was quite large for its species and placed its intelligent little paws on her chest and stared down at her. (1.3.18.15)
What? Beli is in real trouble in the canefields, and what comes to save her? A magic mongoose? Or, at least something that looks like a mongoose. We can't fully explain the presence of mongooses in this book (see our "Symbols, Images, Allegory" section for more information). But like La Inca, the Golden Mongoose is clearly a positive supernatural force in the book.