An empowering journey

In Edwidge Danticat's Breath, Eyes, Memory begins in Haiti in the early 1980s. Danticat's heroine is Sophie Caco, who has spent a happy childhood in rural Haiti with her grandmother and her beloved aunt Atie, who raised her as her own child. Sophie's mother, Martine, lives in New York City and supports the family with the money she sends home. When Sophie is twelve years old, Martine sends for her, and Sophie must leave the only home and family she knows and begin a new life in a strange country with a mother she hardly remembers. As Sophie overcomes her initial fears and becomes closer to her mother, she learns that Martine has for many years been tormented by memories of the anonymous man (Sophie's father) who violently raped her when she was a teenager. Martine's move to Brooklyn was a form of escape, since she was raped at age sixteen by a Tonton Macoute, or guerrilla, one of many allowed by the government to kill, torture, and rape anyone he wanted to. This rape resulted in Sophie's birth, but Martine, unable to bear the painful memories of her past, Martine brings her feelings of terror and guilt to bear upon her daughter. Even though Sophie has to deal with such emotional problems, she continues to empower herself to keep going in life.

Talking Letters

I find it amazing how Atie communicates over great distances with her sister Martine with the clever technique they have devised of recording their messages on cassettes and sending them via mail. This replaces writing letters which Atie maybe capable of, if she was willing to learn. Its is obvious Atie neither is movtavatived or willing to learn how to read and write, this is evident when Sophie asks Atie to go to the reading classes and she denies because she believes she is to old to learn. I find this way of communication ironic to the story line in that there are many missing voices in this novel. Sophie mother Martine wants Sophie to be a doctor when it is obvious that Sophie would prefer not to even insisting during there dinner with Marc. Another time was when Sophie was not able to truly disclose the characteristics or name of the guy she liked because her mother would disapprove of him. Even Martine voice is missing, it manifests inside of her and she has nightmares which haunt her everynight. A Cassette can be played in public without the voice having any hesitation, as opposed to one being able to communicate in a person where fear of taboo or shame is present.

Symbolism of Daffodils

In Breath, Eyes, Memory, Danticat uses the daffodil to symbolize strength and perseverance in the face of hardship. These flowers “grew in a place that they were not supposed to” (Danticat 21). Although daffodils were originally European flowers adapted to growing in cold climates, they were brought to Croiz-des Rosets and a strain had developed which could withstand the heat. This symbolism is applicable to Sophie, who must move from her village to New York, as well as her mother, whose story is still unknown to readers. Moreover, Danticat seems to be foreshadowing Sophie’s successful adaptation to her new life apart from Tante Atie.

Interestingly, Danticat also introduces the story about the people of Creation to readers. Although these individuals do not know who they are, they are “chosen to carry part of the sky on [their] head[s]” (25) because of their strength. Through this passage, there is further emphasis made on the fruition of Sophie’s conquest of adversity later in the novel.

Easy Adjustment to New York

Although it must have been extremely hard to move from Haiti to New York, Sophie seems to be adjusting unbelievably well so far. She clearly saw Tante Atie as a mother figure before she left because of the card that she made her on mother's day. When her real mother finally greets her at the airport, their relationship was a little bit stifled at first but surprisingly natural after a few days. I think what made Sophie feel so comfortable was the fact that her mother needed her so badly. When her mother was constantly having horrific nightmares, she sounted on Sophie to wake her up. I think this did multiple things for Sophie. For one, it seperated her mother from her Tante Atie. It took away all the pressure that she was feeling before leaving that her mother would somehow replace Tanta Atie. After her mother showed her all of her unique vulnerabilities, this difference couldn't be more stark. Another thing that it did, was create the type of mother-daughter relationship in which they both rely upon each other. This relationship of exuality works out well for Sophie while she is adjusting but not so well for her mother when she wants to come down hard on the rules. As Sophie continues to grow up, it becomes harder and harder for her mother to play the disciplinarian.

Lets just call him a kid toucher and be done with it

I think that it is interesting that there are two views of rape in the novel Disgrace, firstly there is the supposed rape of Melanie and then there is the rape of Davids daughter. I understand that Melanie was a college student but she is also someones child. Davids constant dips between what is really going on and the fantasy he lives in because of his love of poetry demonstrate two things, he is out of touch with reality and is constantly delving into moments of fantasy because he is bored with his own everyday life. His fascination with Melanie seems to be him fulfilling another fantasy, since he is no longer the handsome ladies man he once was Melanie a student of his someone that does not know him romantically seems like the perfect target for his advances. I know it sounds weird to call him a kid toucher because Melanie is obviously college age since she goes to a University, however the way shes portrayed in the novel paints her as childish and David as some shuffling middle of the road balding CPA type who is trying to re live his glory days through someones child. He is projecting his sexual desires onto others and writing it all off as a mans purpose. Sorya seemed to be the only person I could successfully say he fit with. I say this because she provided him with not only sexual companionship but a fantasy that in the beginning was not hurting anyone. By pursuing Melanie he is not only putting his job and student in danger but by attempting to live out a fantasy through her is displaying a sort of psychological imbalance. Atleast with Sorya his afairs did not affect anyone in his work environment. I also find it Ironic that since David endangers his job by having and affair with Melanie although he is someone her parents should trust he is not. In this way he can be contrasted with the hired help his daughter has taken on to help with the farm work. Ultimately this is not someone she can trust, thus making him no better than the stranger she has known.

David's Relations of an Animal to a Human

David relates himself to animals, which is ironic because he never wanted to help Bev Shaw at the animal clinic in the first place. While helping her, David is drawn to the animals and somehow feels obligated to make sure that the dead animals are disposed of correctly. His concern for the animals helps him gain a sense of compassion that he was initially missing from his life. His desires led him to hurt himself and others in the process. David compares his desires to that of an animal, justifying it as being in his nature and you can not force an animal to do something that is not in his nature. As humans we all have instincts and develop behaviors in life because of our environment. I believe that David's environment while with Melanie consisted of relations with romantic objects amongst them. Melanie assisting him to remove her clothes, her young body, her unique mannerisms and her silence. 

The environment of an animal is somewhat different they develop instincts from wild life and or under human care. David becomes connected to animals. Towards the ending of the novel, David is upset to learn that Petrus is depriving two sheep of food and water because he ties them to a nearby stable. Petrus will slaughter the sheep and he believes that it is being immoral considering that the people around will eat them afterwards.  Lurie begins to show a concern for the animals and takes the sheep close to a dam where they can gain nourishment. I believe that this is David way of explaining how he is feeling and why he has not acknowledged the fact that he was wrong in some part and should show remorse for what took place with Melanie. David develops some sort of bond with the two sheep and studies there every move. He does not love the sheep, but I think he considers the sheep part of life and his penance. Ironically earlier in the novel he thinks if he helps Bev Shaw it will make him a better person and he does not want that to happen. In a way his priority for animal care has made him a better person and I am not sure if he is aware of his improvement or if he just denies it . David does not admit his remorse for Melanie but the influence led by the trauma to his daughter and the animals (not being an individual) has touched him in someway that it has created a different David internally.

Violence and abuse (unposted blog due to error from last week)

  

       In the novel Purple Hibiscus, Kambili is forced to stand in a tub as her father pours hot water on her feet initially burning them, putting her in horrible pain. He tries to justify this abuse as a lesson to teach his children as someone once taught him as a child. This time instead of getting her mind to forget it her father comforts her letting her know why he did this to her. Is it alright for a parent to abuse their child and then comfort them giving them some kind of reason to think that it was the moral thing to do? How can he have handled this lesson differently? At one point in the novel Papa take a belt and strikes his entire family,Mama, Kambili and Jaja because he believes the devil has caused them to sin. Papa has certain beliefs and uses different methods which turn out to become violent to help his family realize what they are doing right. Kambili never speaks about her abusive experience nor does she defend herself against her father. Does Papa mean well? Does he do this because it is in his nature? How does it affect his family?

    A child is a joy, Papa abuses Mama and as a result kills their unborn baby. Jaja and Kambili seemed to be really excited about the baby in the novel and later are upset  to find out the baby will not be born. How does a woman get over a normal miscarriage or  abortion, let alone losing your baby to abuse? Throughout the novel, silence is a form of forgetting this abuse. Kambili is not rebellious and later in the novel, rebels by defending her grandfathers painting after her father wishes to destroy it. She accepts the abuse and defies her father by remaining on the floor as a way of protecting the painting. Kambili then thinks of her unborn sibling and tries to relate her position to the baby. Throughout the novel the characters tend to either rebel as a result of the abuse or accept it by ignoring it and keep it bottled up inside. To expand this discussion, we can think about protection. Both Kambili and Jaja want to protect the baby from their father, Kambili wants to protect the memory of her grandfather as well as herself by not talking back to her father and or speaking out about this abuse. Aunty Ifeoma tries to protect Mama after she learns that Mama lost her baby to domestic violence of Papa and so she asks her to stay with her for a couple of days in fear of further abuse.  Mama wants to be free so she protects herself by poisoning Papa (murdering him) and Jaja protects Mama by taking the fall for Papa's murder. It seems like an on going thing. How can they change their former life? How can they function without Papa?