To Read or Not to Read: Main Themes and Opinions

"Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat is a very well written book with a lot of Haitian culture, but still some very worldly themes. A constant theme throughout the stories within "Krik? Krak!" is separation. A prime example of separation is within "Children of the Sea" and how the two lovers will never again be together in the flesh. Doomed to this fate after escaping Haiti, they are separated physically yet they still communicate with their writing. Within the story "Between the Pools and the Gardenias," the main character Marie finds and keeps a dead baby, which she doesn't realize, and is therefore separated from the norms of society. Marie, while connected by living her dream to finally have a baby, doesn't realize that hers is more like the doll she had always wanted. When there is separation, there is hope. Hope is a very important theme in all of the stories as well. The two kids in "Children of the Sea" continue to write each other because they have hope for their relationship and hope to see each other in this life or another. In "Between the Pool and the Gardenias," Marie keeps up that after every miscarriage the next baby is going to come out healthy and become her child. Even though it seems as if she is cursed to never have a living child, she continues to hold up hope.


Should you read "Krik? Krak!"? Other than this being a good book to read with interesting and entertaining stories, there are very heavy events that take place within. The story "1937" revolves directly around the Parsley Massacre, the massacre carried out by the orders of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo against the Haitians living in the Dominican Republic. Approximately 20,000 Haitians were killed in this massacre and most of the bodies were chopped up and thrown into the Dajabón River (Massacre River). Within the story "1937," Josephine's Manman has to cross the blood filled river to save herself and her unborn child, and is then imprisoned for being a witch. In the story "A Wall of Firing Rising," the father, named Guy, ends up dying from jumping from a hot air balloon, and his son, Lil Guy, who spent a while learning lines for a play, recites them over his father's dead body.

Overall, my opinion is that this book should be read only by a mature audience and to enrich one's knowledge on Haitian culture. The stories are full of strong and important themes, yet heavy and scary themes as well. Reader discretion is advised.



- IL

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 16, 2018 at 9:48 AM

    This was a great analysis of the book and I think that you succeeded in giving it a mature review and recommendation in terms of considering a mature audience. I agree with everything that you said, nice job:)

    DT

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJanuary 16, 2018 at 9:50 AM

    Good. If you had to give it a movie rating, would it be PG-13, R, on NC-17? :)

    ReplyDelete

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