Krik? Krak!

Javance Graham January 14, 2008

Room - 512 Ms. Jones

Final Paper for Krik? Krak?

The novel known as “Krik? Krak?” is base on a writing type of short stories and Haitian American fiction. The novel gives much similarities to Haitian American hardship in actual tangible reality. “Krik? Krak?” gives fictional stories based off real history that apprises the reader about the true malign history of Haitian history. The novel also gives key facts or information that actually exist that can be example in comparison to the fictional story and history.

Edwidge Danticat was born in Haiti in 1969 and grew up during a tumultuous period in the country’s history. Her novel “Krik? Krak?” gives reflection to Haitian American hardship in which Danticat lived through during the time of her age. This gives her fictional stories a reflection of what she learnt and known from the reality she faced in Haiti. Danticat says that the memories of Haiti are still extremely vivid in her mind, and that her love of Haiti and things Haitian deeply influences her writing.

In the story “Krik? Krak there are many themes that go along which emphasize in her fiction stories that give real hardship about people in reality. “New York Day Women” pertaining to the novel stories of “Krik? Krak?”. A lady name Suzette who lives in Brooklyn New York and stalks her mother undetected. This story gives a similarity to Edwidge Danticat’s actual life when she start growing up in Brooklyn New York at age 12.

“The Massacre” happen just a few weeks in October 1937, Dominican soldiers killed 30,000 Haitians along the border because the victims' skin was dark, even though Dominicans were just a few shades lighter. “Nineteen Thirty-Seven” was a story pertaining to the novel “Krik? Krak?”. This story explains on how many Haitians were slaughter including Josephine’s grandmother. Which is based upon a fictional story, but with real information that pertains to the made up story.

The Massacre river isn’t given its name through geographic, but through tragedy that was express in actual reality and through example in the story “Nineteen Thirty-Seven”. In the story the author gives emotion upon the water and its dangers. The water that defines their world continues to overwhelm them even as they escape it, for example the macoutes attack in “Children of the Sea”. Is an example of the fictional story pertaining to the reality in which the Macoutes were ruthless and were dangerous.

In the story “Children of the Sea” the male narrator, also a member, has fled Haiti. In his boat is a pregnant teenager, Cйlianne, who was raped by a macoute. This emphasize the theme in which the author writes about the water for being a obstacle that is not so easy to over come. The Massacre river is an example of the water that still in reach of evil. Just as Josephine visit’s the bloody waters of The Massacre river.

In the story “Krik? Krak?” Papa Doc or Duvalier is a prominent figure in the novel. Who is the dictator in Haiti which relates with the story in “Krik? Krak?” called “Children of the Sea”. In this story The Tantons Macoutes involve themselves within the story who are the militia of dictator Duvalier. The fact that this is right shows that the stories theme is based of the past of the Haitian American hardships. During this time a struggle begin which is exampled of through the stories of “Krik? Krak?”.

During the time in which Duvalier ruled and his militia dominated-The Tantons Macoutes. Hardship moved up and struggle began due to malnutrition and economic conditions. The example of hardship is through the story called “Night Woman”. In this story a mother makes the best of her hardship by being a prostitute to gain money to take care of her young son. Her son questions