Rather, it criticizes this culture through its portrayal of women. The narrative centers on a male and is told by a male, which reflects the chauvinistic society in which it is set. However, when we compare how the narrator sees these women with who they really are, the discrepancies act as a criticism on Dominican culture. Yunior, who represents the typical Dominican male, sees women as objects, conquests, when in reality their actions show their resistance to being categorized as such. Beli, whose childhood was characterized by the male domination of Trujillo and the family he worked for, attempts to gain power through sexuality, the path towards which culture pushes women. This backfires, creating a critique of the limited opportunities available to women. Inca portrays a different side of this, working silently but in ways that are not socially acceptable through self-employment. Society tries to cage these women, but they continue to fight against this. Diaz, in an interview, quoted James Baldwin, stating, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced” (Fassler). It exhibits the misogyny of the system but does not support it, rather criticizes it through strong female characters. By drawing attention to the problem, the novel advocates change, he writes, at the end of the first part, “Nothing more exhilarating…than saving yourself by the simple act of waking up.”