In the novel The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, the character of Lola experiences a traumatic event that changes her life. how she perceives herself in a strict Dominican society. At a very young age, Lola discovered a tumor in her mother's breast, which meant that her mother, Beli, had breast cancer. This awareness of death changes Lola's perception of life, forcing her to become the person she always wanted to be and live the life closest to her dreams. Thus, this experience begins his journey of self-discovery. The novel presents Lola as a figure who learns to protect herself from life's painful experiences through her unwavering determination to change herself. By accepting the frightening changes in her life and using those changes to create a better self, Diaz uses Lola as a character who motivates contemporary readers to take charge of their own lives, regardless of the negative experiences they have faced. Lola is a symbol of positive change. Through her mixed emotions of fear and hatred towards her mother, the lingering feeling within her that forces her to change, and her inability to let go of her desire to become a better version of herself, Lola teaches North Americans about middle class that it is possible to overcome your deepest scars to create the life you want. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Lola's determination to change her life comes from her problematic relationship with her mother, Beli. Throughout her childhood, Lola was unable to express her true identity due to her mother's specific views on how a girl should be in a Dominican household. This is explained when Lola says: “from two to thirteen… I was the one who cooked, cleaned, did the laundry… I wrote letters to the bank… I had the best grades in my class. I never caused any trouble…I stayed home and made sure Oscar was fed and everything went well…I raised him and I raised myself” (Diaz 56). After completing countless chores and caring for her brother Oscar, Lola didn't have a normal childhood where she could play with her friends or learn more about herself because she was too busy trying to be a good girl. Lola was forced to be her mother's "perfect hija" (Diaz 56), that is, the perfect child, because in her mother's eyes, "that's what you're supposed to do" (Diaz 56). Because of all this pressure, Lola grew up with mixed emotions towards Beli. Now Lola fears and hates her because of all the physical and emotional pain she has put her through. However, Lola chooses to use this pain to motivate her to become a stronger person. This is seen when Lola says, “she dug hard, searching for my seams, wanting me to rip like always, but I didn't falter, I wasn't going to do it” (Diaz 60). Beli constantly tries to tear Lola from her dreams by forcing her to be the perfect Dominican girl in which Lola is unable to do what she wants, such as cutting her hair short or dressing like "a punk girl" (Diaz 54). As Lola has felt enough pain from her past, she forces herself not to give in to her mother's demands and strives to be the person she always wanted to be. For Lola, this process of change is not easy due to her innate fear of her mother. This fear is expressed when Lola explains how she feels when she leaves home for the first time. “The next morning I was on the bus to the shore…I was sofear. I couldn't stop shaking. The whole way I was waiting for the heavens to open and my mother to reach down and shake me” (Diaz 63). Even though Lola feels fear, she doesn't let this emotion stop her from moving forward. The complicated feelings Lola has towards Beli motivate her to change her living situation. The lingering feeling within Lola forces her to change the way she sees herself and the world she lives in. When Lola feels the knot in her mother's chest, her perspective on life immediately changes. From this traumatic event, Lola realizes that death can happen to anyone at any time. This realization triggers Lola's uncontrollable feeling about changing her life. This moment is described by Lola when she says: “a knot just under her skin, tight and secret like a plot. And in that moment, for reasons you will never truly understand, you are overcome by the feeling, the premonition, that something in your life is about to change” (Diaz 53). This premonition that Lola experiences after discovering her mother's cancer tells her that change is coming. She doesn't understand exactly what this feeling is, all she knows is that "it cannot be doubted" (Diaz 53). Lola chooses to take this inevitable change and apply it to how she views herself. A physical change brought on by this feeling is described when Lola says: "One day I was walking home with Karen Cepeda...and all of a sudden I said: Karen, I want you to cut my hair. As soon as I said it, I knew. The feeling in my blood, the death rattle, invaded me again” (Diaz 58). With this feeling lingering in Lola, she decides to change her appearance by cutting her hair. Lola undergoes many physical and emotional changes throughout her life due to this dominant feeling. Even though some of these changes are negative, such as Lola being unhappy while living with her first boyfriend, Aldo, ultimately each change brings Lola closer to understanding the life she wants. Through these experiences, Lola learns more about herself and what she deserves, which allows her to be the person she wants to be and live the life she desires. Lola's inability to let go of her desire to become a better person allows her to transform into the person she always wanted to be. At the beginning of her life, Lola was not herself. This is seen when Lola says, “I looked at the girl in the mirror for a long time. All I knew was that I never wanted to see her again” (Diaz, 59). Every time Lola looked at her reflection, she felt like who she was didn't match her ideal since she wasn't completely in control of herself. This lack of control was the result of her inability to escape her mother's perception of what a perfect hija should look and behave like. However, because Lola is unable to let go of her desire to be a better version of herself, she forces herself to undergo many physical and emotional changes. These changes include moving to Santo Domingo, establishing a serious relationship with Max Sanchez, and letting her friend Rosio dress her up like a "'real Dominican girl'" (Diaz 71). These situations created by Lola's dedication to finding her true self allow her to discover the person she wants to be. It is in Santo Domingo that Lola realizes that she is finally happy. Additionally, through these life-changing experiences, Lola learns an important lesson. She explains this lesson when she says: “If these years have taught me anything, it's this: you can never run away. Never. The only way out is to enter” (Diaz 209). In the end, Lola., 2007.