Ybón Character Analysis in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

An older Dominican woman who has made her living as a prostitute escorting powerful men from the Dominican Republic and countries all over Europe, Ybón lives next door to La Inca in Santo Domingo. Oscar falls in love with Ybón, and she thrives on his attention. Oscar chooses to die at the hands of Ybón’s boyfriend, the Capitán, rather than renounce her love.

Ybón Character Timeline in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The timeline below shows where the character Ybón appears in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...keeps his mind off it with his writing. Then Oscar meets a puta (prostitute) named Ybón Pimentel, and says that she is the start of his real life. (full context)

La Beba (Babygirl). Ybón, a gorgeously golden-skinned middle-aged woman, lives two houses over from La Inca, and has just... (full context)

Oscar decides, for once in his life, not to overwhelm Ybón with the strength of his crush. It drives him crazy thinking of Ybón all day,... (full context)

A Note from Your Author. Yunior breaks in to address the fact that Ybón is not the stereotypical underage, drug-addicted prostitute. Yunior says he could have replaced Ybón with... (full context)

The Girl from Sabana Iglesia (Church.) Ybón looks young, even though she is 36. She complains about the little imperfections in her... (full context)

Ybón tells Oscar everything that has happened to her in her life, and about some of... (full context)

...La Inca gets one small paragraph of narration, to say that Oscar did not meet Ybón outside her house. He met her in a cabaret. (full context)

Ybón, As Recorded by Oscar. Ybón says that she never wanted to come back to Santo... (full context)

...whether, in all the talking, Oscar ever had a chance to be physically intimate with Ybón. Yunior says that nothing sexual happens that summer, but Oscar remains hopeful that if he... (full context)

Oscar at the Rubicon. As August begins, Ybón starts to talk about her boyfriend the Capitán. Oscar insists that the Capitán won’t be... (full context)

...a strange feeling of premonition. But Oscar ignores all of this and heads over to Ybón’s house anyway. (full context)

...back to explain how this all happened. Oscar follows Clives’ taxi home from dinner, with Ybón passed out in the front seat, when he is pulled over by the cops. As... (full context)

...says that he is, too. Oscar insists that he didn’t do anything wrong, and that Ybón had said that she and the Capitán were broken up. The Capitán grabs Oscar by... (full context)

...plane flight home to Paterson. Oscar insists that he wants to stay to be with Ybón. He resists all attempts to move him, despite the extra pain it causes his recovering... (full context)

Oscar tries to get himself to Ybón’s house, but sees that her car isn’t there. Finally, three days after the beating, Ybón... (full context)

Some Advice. Yunior extends Ybón’s advice to the whole world. Travel light. (full context)

Art, Life, and Latinos in America Theme Icon

Paterson, Again. Oscar returns home and heals, but can’t let go of his love for Ybón. He dreams of his family getting beaten in the cane field in his place, but... (full context)

...once the plane lands. He calls Clives to pick him up and take him to Ybón’s house. They wait for Ybón, and Oscar considers letting her go, but then she pulls... (full context)

Ybón calls Oscar mi amor (my love) and tells him to leave immediately, but Oscar professes... (full context)

...house for 27 days, researching and writing a book about his family and waiting for Ybón. He follows her around town, even though Ybón is terrified that the Capitán will punish... (full context)

Nineteen days after Oscar arrives back in the DR, Ybón sneaks out on a date with him. The whole family is aghast at this development.... (full context)

...of Oscar Wao. Oscar writes almost 300 pages during the 27 days he waits for Ybón. He tells Yunior to wait and see what he has found out. But on the... (full context)

...mother, his uncle, Lola, and all the girls he had ever loved, as well as Ybón. The officers walk Oscar into the cane, and he tries to stand up bravely. Meanwhile,... (full context)

Oscar begins to tell the officers in Spanish of his deep love for Ybón, and what a sin it would be to take that love out of the world.... (full context)

...murder, but nothing happens. The American embassy and Dominican government refuse to help as well. Ybón stays in her house at Mirador Norte, but La Inca moves back to Baní. Lola... (full context)

...the post office. However, the first package does contain the huge news that Oscar and Ybón actually did get a week of bliss together before Oscar was shot. In it, Oscar... (full context)