Under the Sea

If I were a buffalo, I would probably be seen most commonly roaming the plains of North America, contently munching on a bit of grass. However, The Brown Buffalo is much different from the average buffalo, never being content even after pounds of sugar and fat. However, there is another thing that seems to be untouchable to Oscar, and that is the sea: buffalo can't swim, and he seems to lack a lot of contact with the sea himself. Regardless, it seems to be the source of power in his book, and it seems to be set apart as another unattainable blessing.

Acosta's father served in the military, and thus necessarily went overseas (106). He squanders his GI loans on a bar, and thus wastes what he gained from his association with the sea (106). Similarly, Ted Casey is a seaman who gets rich dealing drugs. Even Trader JJ's has associations with the sea. Yet somehow, when Acosta goes into the airforce, he manages to return to very little with very little to show for his work. In short, he gets very little of the ever promising sea.

In short, the sea is a mirage of unattainable potential for a grounded buffalo.