Fridge / Olga Dies Dreaming

• The book shows how meaningful Olga's name is (as she was named after a Puerto Rican activist). In Dick's focus chapter, he insists on calling her "Cherry", claiming that her real name is "too harsh for such a sexual creature." His refusal to refer to Olga by her name, and giving her a name that can be put in a suspiciously sexual context ("cherry" being a slang term for the hymen), shows how he's reduced her to an ethnic sex object that he, as a white man, is fully entitled to.

• Dick appears to be the personification of the wealthy, white male who is ignorant, willingly or not, of his privilege. Case in point, he is pissed at Olga after she gave America a collective "The Reason You Suck" Speech on TV for its role in Puerto Rico's oppression, reasoning that she's made a lot of money off of him. It has somehow not occurred to him that well-off members of marginalized groups can, and sometimes will, use their advantages to speak out on behalf of their communities.
  • Likewise, Dick crediting the "American Dream" for Olga's climb to success is tone deaf, considering the systemic disadvantages she had to face as a woman of color. This includes gentrification of native islanders, mainland America's treatment of Latinos (with many living in low-income neighborhood like the Acevedos), and Generational Trauma (something that Blanca is all but stated to suffer from, which may have triggered her decision to walk out on her family and help liberate Boriken—by any means necessary). There's also the fact that the American Dream was originally made with white immigrants in mind. Therefore in crediting the American Dream, Dick is also crediting the concept that caused the modern day colonialism in Puerto Rico.

• The politics surrounding white-passing Latinos is shown through Olga. It's made clear early on how Olga's appearance has given her certain advantages. Her mother even lampshades this early on when she implies that her Ivy League school did the bare minimum in offering her, a fair-skinned Latina, an affirmative action spot. There is also the fact that her primarily white Midwestern clients tolerate her being Latina. On the flip slide, the book reminds readers that the acceptance of light-skinned Latinos (and other people of colour) within white American society is conditional: Olga's Latinx heritage being flaunted in her original commercial for her wedding business freaks out white test audiences, resulting in it not being aired on that network. Later when she calls out then-President Donald Trump for his poor response to Hurricane Maria, and America as a whole for their continued exploitation of Puerto Rico, her business is boycotted, and white America as a whole lets Olga know exactly what they think of her.

• In some of the book's reviews, some readers complain how Dick never gets his comeuppance for raping Olga. Aside from the fact that successfully accusing someone of rape is still difficult (even by the 21st century), one also has to remember the balance of power here. Dick, being a rich, white male would more than protect him from any accusations made against him. Olga is a Latina who has fallen from grace for criticizing white society. She would not only not be believed, she would be accused of trying to use Dick as a meal ticket. And considering she's from an ethnic group whose women are stereotyped as being inherently spicy and sexual, people would accuse her of coming on to Dick.

• In the distant epilogue taking place in 2025, we see that Dick has lobbied for the solar panels being used in Puerto Rico to be taxed. While he wanted to cash in on the impoverished Puerto Ricans' new energy source, it's not hard to assume that he likely also did this to spite Olga, eight years after their breakup.