Junot Diaz's short story “Fiesta, 1980” offers an insight into the daily life of a lower-class family, a family with a troubled boy, Yunior, and a strong and violent father, Papi. Conflict, man against man, is one of the central themes of this story. This theme is represented through the conflicts between Papi and his son. Papi asserts his dominance in ways that may be considered old-fashioned. Subconsciously, every action Papi takes causes negative reactions for his family. Yunior simply wants a closer bond with his father, but he knows, just like many other members of his family, that Papi's erratic ways hurt him. As the story unfolds, it becomes obvious that the conflicts between him and Papi, along with the conflicts between him and Yunior, are not just about them as individuals, but about their family as a whole. From the beginning of the story it is very clear what kind of man Papi is. When he gets home, he goes to “quickly wash away the evidence” (150) because he was probably with the Puerto Rican woman Yunior talks about. That moment showed Papi's adulterous side. This is a clear conflict. (Man vs. Man) In a way he shows respect by going to wash himself in the presence of his family, but the way he shows respect overrides everything. His respect is almost in vain. Papi struggles to be his poor self. He doesn't like the life he lives. Papi wants to impress people. He went out and brought a VW van, knowing they couldn't afford one, “new or used” (173) All of Papi's actions affect the other characters in the story. He had begun bringing children around the Puerto Rican woman he was having an affair with. In the end his betrayal becomes normal and something that doesn't s... middle of paper... pushes Yunior into isolation. The story written about his father was a cry for help, Yunior took the opportunity to show someone who his father really was, and unfortunately he was not believed and was forced to write a different story at school. Yunior can't seem to decide whether to love his father or stand up to him. Yunior struggles with personal acceptance, because his father does not fully accept him. Papi struggles with being the head of a lower class family. Both personal conflicts with oneself and conflicts between themselves constitute the theme of “Fiesta, 1980”. Junot Diaz described a scenario that a plethora of people know all too well. Both Yunior and Papi love each other, both have strange ways of showing it. The man-on-man conflict within this story shows that regardless of age, an internal struggle can greatly affect the people around you.