How to Date a Brown Girl (Black Girl, White Girl, or Halfie)

There are multiple times when the narrator mentions and employs an assumed set of social behaviors. What are some of these behaviors? To what extent do other characters present similar behaviors around others?

The narrator hides aspects of his identity and heritage throughout most of the narrative. How does Diaz present the idea of identity in the story? How does it differ between the narrator and other characters?

Masculine performativity or the idea that there is a set way that men should behave is referenced throughout the story. What are some examples of performativity in the narrator and Howie? How do they differ, and what does it have to do with the idea of courtship versus everyday life?

The narrator refrains from naming most of the girls in the text. Why is this? What effects does it have on the way that the protagonist sees the girls? How do the girls conform or differ from the narrator’s ideas of women throughout the text?

The story takes place primarily in the second person. To what extent is this satirical or personal? Is there a way that the narrator changes his relationship to his instruction in the text? Does the tone point to a different idea outside of how to successfully date?

There are many cultures in the text, some easier to understand than others. How does the narrator use culture in relation to his approach to courtship, friendship, or negative social interactions?

How does the introduction of Spanish terms shape or change the way readers understand the narrator and his world? In what ways does language play a part in the story as whole? How does Diaz characterize characters through their use of Spanish and English?

How does the identity of the girl of multiracial heritage create a parallel to the narrator’s identity? In what ways are they the same? In what ways are her experiences different from the narrator’s?