‘Breath, Eyes, Memory’
HELLO, STUDENTS, and welcome. Syncretism! In our last lesson on Breath, Eyes,
Memory by Edwidge Danticat, we looked at aspects of life as it was then in Haiti. We did not, however, discuss religion as it was practised there, and I believe that we should now take a brief look at that before going on to our exploration of Part 4. So, back to that word syncretism with which you may already be familiar. If you are not, this is a very good time to make use of your dictionary. As we go through this book, we learn that Roman Catholicism and voodoo are the religions or faiths that Haitians practise, but not independently of each other. In other words, a person could believe in both and follow the rituals of both.
Early in our story we are informed of Ginen, the place where creation was said to have taken place and where the tall, strong, mighty inhabitants carry a piece of the sky on their heads. Later reference is made to the great gods of Ginen. Do you remember what Sophie saw on the old dresser in her grandmother’s room when she pays her first visit with her baby, Brigitte? You do recall that she saw “a statue of Erzulie, our goddess of love who doubled for us as the Virgin Mother”. It is evident from this that Grandma Ife and Sophie hold both entities as being sacred, seeing no difference between them. The funeral service for an indigent is announced by the ringing of the cathedral bells, Martine asks Sophie to pray for her as she agonises over her pregnancy, Manman powders her face with ashes, covers it with a black veil and twirls her rosary as she goes to Dessalines’ funeral – all demonstrating the existence of their Christian belief.
Part 4 could be called Reunions and Goodbye. It begins with Martine and her daughter and granddaughter returning to the airport in Haiti and then on to Brooklyn. We get a hint that something may not be quite right with Martine because of the number of visits she makes to the bathroom on the plane. We could have concluded that she is suffering from air/motion sickness or something else, but it should not surprise us when she later tells Sophie that she is pregnant. Before this, we see them opening up to each other. We learn that Sophie has bulimia, and wonder why. We get information on Martine’s background when she speaks of overeating when she first arrives in the US, and explains that she does it out of fear that the food would run out and she would have none. This, she said, used to happen to her in Haiti. Twice the matter of her cancer illness is mentioned as they spend time together as adults. We also find out about what may be considered her peculiar attitude to marriage and reasons for this. It is obvious that she has a long-standing relationship with Marc, who loves and wants to marry her. We know that she is a very, very troubled woman who does not consider herself worthy as she is. She carries the baggage of ‘testing’, a brutal rape and a daughter, the product of rape. Sophie is a constant reminder of her painful experience.
I wonder if you agree with me that red is Martine’s signature colour. Have you thought about the way she surrounds herself with this colour and what this says about her? Her end is a bloody one, emphasising her chosen colour. Sophie recognises her mother’s affinity for the colour red and, despite what mourners would say or what, according to Marc, St Peter would do, has her mother dressed and buried in an eye-popping red dress.
Anyway, we are getting ahead of ourselves. When they get to Martine’s house they each ‘touch base’ with their partners. It appears that Marc loves or cares deeply for Martine, while Sophie is loved by her husband, Joseph. Martine goes off to spend some time with Marc, saying that she has something to tell him. Joseph and Sophie reconnect on the telephone and, although she had disappeared from his life without a word, Joseph does not exhibit the sort of anger that may have been expected. He shows more interest in seeing his wife and daughter than in quarrelling. So then, we can see that there is the possibility that if Sophie can be cured of her phobia, this family can be a happy one.
The morning after the ladies return, Martine reveals that she is pregnant. Her nightmares of which her daughter is aware are plaguing her fiercely, and Marc has been of great help as he wakes her out of them. She speaks of how she and her mother had tried to abort Sophie because of the torment she had suffered and that this is what she is facing again. Do notice that Sophie does not react with anger at hearing this. They have a mother-daughter talk, with Sophie taking the role of the mother. It is she who asks if her mother has considered abortion. She sees her mother’s condition as one of anxiety, “a nervous disorder marked by excessive uneasiness and apprehension, with compulsive behaviour or panic attacks” (according to the Oxford Dictionary). It is important that we see here the awfully destructive effect of rape. The invasive practice of ‘testing’ was bad enough to destroy or damage a woman’s sexuality, but rape is so much worse. Martine’s mental/emotional/psychological issues stem chiefly from the rape. She decides that she has to have an abortion, but she postpones it while her suffering continues.
Sophie goes home where she and her husband talk about her sexual situation. Joseph’s understanding is remarkable, but while his wife accomodates his desire, she hides her tears. ‘Testing’ had caused her to damage herself and the effects of both are long-lasting. Sophie hopes that Brigitte will never go through similar experiences.
In our next ‘class’, we will follow and contemplate developments and their effects as our story draws to its end. Please be careful, and God bless! Beryl Clarke is an independent contributor. Send comments to kerryann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com.