‘Breath, Eyes, Memory’
WELCOME BACK, students. I know that you have been wondering when we would return to our exploration of Breath, Eyes,
Memory. Well, this is the week that we rejoin our characters.Wow, haven’t there been developments?
We find Sophie in Haiti and she has a baby girl, Brigitte. At the end of the last section, she had been looking forward to living in Providence with her husband. It was clear that she found the name of this place reassuring, for she connected the name with her belief in God, and this tells us that being Haitian does not mean that one is a worshipper of false gods. The word ‘providence’ means, among other things, ‘the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power.’ The name would have brought her hope for a better or an improved future, especially under the circumstances that found her homeless. She longs for and believes she will find happiness with Joseph. Sophie had left the place of her birth as a child and has returned as a woman – an attractive one it seems, if the taxi driver is to be believed. It is remarkable that she accepts without condemnation or putting on airs the simple rural life that unfolds before her. Notice what the taxi driver says about her speech, something with which we in the Caribbean are all very familiar. Someone takes a holiday abroad and returns with an accent that is so thick that people have difficulty understanding him or her.
Sophie observes and is conscious of the everyday happenings of her fellow Haitians. Consider her reaction to and interaction with Louise and Tantie Atie, and what we learn about her as a person. Her aunt sees features of her sister, Martine, in the baby Brigitte. How significant is this? Sophie considers her child a Caco, aligning her with the strength of her family and, by doing so, suggests the power of survival that they possess. Four generations are present in Grandme Ife’s home. There is some unease on the part of Grandme Ife about Tante Atie’s nightly pursuit. She is concerned at the closeness between Louise and her daughter, who is clearly unhappy. This leads us to wonder about the relationship between her and Louise as we think, too, of the connection she had shared with Monsieur Augustin. Both mother and daughter make Sophie and Brigitte very welcome. Sophie is not only comfortable with her family, she embraces the culture of her country.
When Sophie comes home to visit her grandmother and aunt, it is clear that her husband is not with her, and until we find out why he is not, the question of the state of their relationship is one that must be on our minds. Soon, we learn that she has walked away from him without a word and he has had to reach out to her mother. Of course, this is a way for mother and daughter to reconnect. Sophie had made several attempts at reconciliation and her mother had rejected all of them. One wonders why, after ignoring her daughter, she responds so very well to her son-in-law, until she shares later that it was what her mother told her that caused her to join her daughter in Haiti. In addition, she seems to have been having second thoughts about her action, but had not been able to convey that to Sophie; and because of her inability to express her feelings, she had not responded to a single overture from Sophie.
Next week, we will conclude our work on part three of this text. It is in the latter chapters of this section that we really find out much about Haitian culture. Can I tell you something? I believe Danticat shows her strength as a storyteller as she wades with honesty into the culture of her country and, in so doing, reveals some aspects that are painful to hear. Keep enjoying your studies, and God bless! Beryl Clarke is an independent contributor. Send comments to kerryann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com.