kate-saldivar

[kate-saldivar]

An outside source that the novel is similar to is the song by Alicia Keys and Jay Z, “Empire State of Mind”. This song has some correlation to the novel because it shows the difference in what people expect when they come to America, and New York specifically. The song has lyrics like “In New York/Concrete jungle where dreams are made of/There’s nothing you can’t do”. It emphasizes this idea that simply being in New York makes dreams come true. However the song really ignores the harsh reality that just being in New York doesn’t mean you’ve made it. You need to work now to make a living. Some people get lucky but the majority of the population in the state is underpaid, overworked and struggling to pay for a $2500 single bedroom apartment. This was the case in the novel where even though the idea of America can be exciting, the reality is name calling and struggles. It’s all brand new and readers watch as Sophie struggles to make it her new home with all the new obstacles she now has to face such as learning english, living with an estranged mother, etc. It really isn’t all that it’s made out to be but at least now she has more opportunities according to not only the song, but to this idea of the American Dream.

[kate-saldivar]

A novel we’ve read in class that can relate to this week’s reading is “Miguel Street”. It relates to “Breath, Eyes, Memory” because the idea that “in order to do better for ourselves and for our education, we need to leave and go somewhere else” is very prevalent in both novels. In “Miguel Street”, the narrator and Elias both share the same desire to leave their home and go to England for an education and what they believe is a better chance at progressing in life. The first time that the narrator leaves, he expects those around him to better themselves and to have improved their way of life. However, he is disappointed to find that this is not the case and so it kind of enforces this idea that they can’t do better unless they leave. While “Breath, Eyes, Memory” has a similar take on this theme, it is not expressed in the same seemingly hostile manner that Naipaul expresses it in. In the novel, Sophie is pushed to her limits when it comes to school. While she grew up with her aunt in Haiti, she’s sent off with her mother in America because her family believes that it is in her best interest. It’s not to say that she wouldn’t be able to do well for herself in Haiti, it’s just that having the opportunity that she has to grow and thrive, why wouldn’t she take it? In this case, the opportunity to get a better education is seen as more of exactly that-an opportunity. Rather than an escape, the way that Naipaul expresses it as in his novel.

[kate-saldivar]

In this week’s reading of “Breath, Eyes, Memory”, there were many topics such as womanhood versus motherhood, growth and education in the Caribbean. The first theme is expressed through the relationships that the main character, Sophie, has with her aunt and her mother. In the beginning of the book she attempts to give her aunt a mother’s day card. This is significant because it shows the strong bond that she has with her aunt and how she views her as a maternal figure. Her aunt does her best to attempt to decline the card seeing as her mother is very much alive and well, and also plays a role in her life. For her to receive the card, she’d feel like she was taking this role away from Martine. Biologically speaking, she’s Sophie’s mom, but the person who raised her is Atie. And while Martine is trying to help Sophie grow into a woman, she does so with these patriarchal approach where checking for purity is “the responsibility of a mother”. On the other hand, while Atie pushed her to get her education and to be a good person, she did it with a seemingly different approach than Sophie’s mother. This brings into question what kind of woman Sophie will become under the influence Atie had on her versus the influence that her mother and grandmother will now have on her. Furthermore, it’s her conversation with Atie that also sparks this theme of education in the Caribbean. As an older woman who didn’t seem to be able to obtain the kind of education Sophie can, it seems like Atie finds it embarrassing to have to learn to read and write with children who are younger than her. This theme begins to take life especially after Sophie moves to America and it seems like the only thing that’s really important is for her to get an education and prosper.

[kate-saldivar]

An outside source that can be related to this week’s reading, is “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”. This is a well-known film surrounding the horrific events that took place during World War 2 and the Holocaust in Germany. The film follows a boy, Bruno, and his family as they move into their new home so his father can overlook a concentration camp. Of course, Bruno is unaware of this and he becomes friends with one of the Jewish boys at the concentration camp. Their innocence and their youthful ignorance to what is truly going on around them, leads to their demise. While it can be said that any film regarding tragic events of mass oppression can be related to the reading, this one in particular draw a connection between the narrator’s initial innocence and ignorance to the harsh reality around them. When she was younger, her and Zoe used to ply around and have fun together. Little did she know about the things they’d go through. Eventually, when they deal, their innocence has almost been stripped away.

[kate-saldivar]

This week’s reading relates to V.S. Naipaul’s, “Miguel Street” in many ways. The first is in the way that both narrators choose to leave the place they were born in only to find something really wrong, whether it be with the hometown or the world around them. In the case of “Miguel Street”, the narrator leaves Trinidad and Tobago to go to England for a job/education opportunity. It’s when he returns a “better version” of himself that he realizes that nothing has changed and that the people that were dealing with these issues of domestic violence or alcoholism or homelessness, still continue to struggle with these issues. This causes some resentment between him and the people from his hometown. On the other hand, in “If I Could Write This In Fire”, the narrator starts off by describing the happy life that they had in Jamaica. She brings up her friends Zoe and the fun times that they had before she went to left. It’s only after she leaves Jamaica that she comes to realize the problems with the world around her. While the narrator (and really the author, in “Miguel Street” seems to almost glorify England, the narrator of “If I Could Write This In Fire” resents England and their treatment of those around her.

[kate-saldivar]

In this week’s reading of “If I Could Write This In Blood”, the author of the writing piece discusses her resentments with British royalty and English people in general as the Royal Wedding and other events take place. She, her family, and those that she loves face discrimination on the basis of their race when they attempt to do certain things such as drinking at a bar. She describes situations that have occurred to her in the past “then” and how things have changed or work for or against her, currently. This is all written with the themes in mind that range from the effects of colonialism; to the resentment many former slaves/natives of certain countries felt; to their admittance into the real world as they navigate what it is to seek higher education or a job, etc. First and foremost, the resentment that the author holds against the Englishmen and women is made very apparent throughout the course of the passage. They even resent themselves in some ways for their former ways of thinking due to have a lighter complexion than other Jamaicans. Additionally, through this narrator’s perspective, we are able to follow with her as she begins to pick up on little things that progressively make her resentment grow towards them. She first begins to notice it once she leaves Jamaica.

[kate-saldivar]

A connection can be drawn between “The Dragon Can’t Dance” and “The Black Swan”. This latter is a film about a ballet performance of the Nutcracker and the process leading up to the show. However, behind the scenes, there are multiple things happening that threaten the show and the people set to partake in it. The same can be said about the characters in the novel. While they are preparing themselves and getting costumes ready for Carnival, there are things going on behind the scenes between community members (a mother-daughter relationship that is strained, gangs, poverty, etc) that can make everything go horribly wrong. Despite the threat of bad things happening, they work towards this common goal to be able to celebrate Carnival and it’s almost like a glimmer of hope/sunshine despite everything that is going n around them.

[kate-saldivar]

As previously mentioned, a big connection can be drawn between “Miguel Street” and “the Dragon Can’t Dance”. The first connection that can be drawn is in the way in which both novels are written. “Miguel Street” was written in a way that each person’s story was told every chapter. While “The Dragon Can’t Dance” is not written in that same manner, this idea of community and the fact that “everyone knows each other’s business” is still a very prevalent theme. They all know what’s going on with one another which is what typically occurs in tight-knit communities. Additionally, the setting of both novels are the same meaning that a lot of the things that the characters deal with in terms of struggles related to lack of money, familial problems, etc. will all come up again in this novel but from the perspective of Lovelace rather than Naipaul. While both are set in the Caribbean, it is pretty easy to see that Lovelace and Naipaul share differing views when it comes to life in the Caribbean and what it means to be in Trinidad. Naipaul seemed more impatient to leave Trinidad, while Lovelace seems to embrace it and take it for what it is. “Miguel Street” and “The Dragon Can’t Dance” are almost seems like the negative and somewhat positive connotation of what it is to live in Trinidad.

[kate-saldivar]

In this week’s assignment for “The Dragon Can’t Dance”, the author, Earl Lovelace, tells the story of a community of people living in a yard in Cavalry Hill in Trinidad. Similarly to “Miguel Street”, Lovelace uses the idea of community and struggles in order to convey the deeper topics of race relations, post-colonialism, and other similar topics. In terms of post-colonialism, the book is set in a place in time where the community is getting ready for Carnaval. This was formally and event that was used to be celebrated by the white creoles but was taken back by the natives of the island of Trinidad. The fact that the entire novel is surrounding this major celebration and the way in which the natives took back it’s significance and rebranded it, show that this will be a very important topic as the community members get ready to celebrate. Additionally, another topic of discussion that has come up a lot in our class and other novels is this idea of a class system on the basis of race, wealth, etc. In this case, while the community members are all poverty-stricken, even amongst themselves, there’s some sort of class system. This is seemingly a topic that will continue to show up in the novel.

[kate-saldivar]

wide sargasso sea

When it comes to relating the novel to outside sources, I’ve found that it relates to two: Disney’s Frozen, and “Grey’s Anatomy”. First and foremost, the relationship between Antoinette and her husband (Rochester) starts off built on his own greed and ambition. He looks to gain money from marrying her (which he does), because his father has chosen to leave his fortune to his older brother. This relates to Frozen in the way that Hans, prince of the southern isles, looked to marry Anna for monetary gain. He, like Rochester, have made their female counterparts believe that they were genuine in their proposal for marriage. When Antoinette’s marriage heads south and we fast-forward many years, we get “Jane Eyre”. At this point, Antoinette’s marriage relates to that of Dr. Addison Montgomery and Dr. Derek Shepherd’s. In the show, “Grey’s Anatomy”, Derek, who is married to Addison, begins to have an extramarital affair with Dr. Meredith Gray. He paints his wife to be this raging, mad woman in order to continue to be with both women. Similarly, in “Jane Eyre”, “the mad woman in the attic” who is supposed to be Antoinette, is only “mad” because of the mistreatment she has faced from her own husband, who keeps her locked up in the attic of the home they were supposed to share together. The mistreatment that all of these women share causes them to act out in certain ways, and their reaction to their mistreatment is looked down upon.

[kate-saldivar]

wide sargasso sea

One connection that can be drawn between “Wide Sargasso Sea” and “Back to Africa”, is the idea of not being sure of one’s own identity. In “Back to Africa”, the writer, Louise Bennett, discusses the thought process behind the Back to Africa theory. The premise behind this is that all previously enslaved black men and women, return to Africa in order to “go home”. However, in her article, she argues that many of the people that would be “returning home”, have actually never been there since they were born into slavery in another country. Though they may have African roots, they shouldn’t be forced to go back to a place they don’t even know, but should remember to hold onto their roots in the lives they now lead. Furthermore, this relates to “Wide Sargasso Sea”, because in the novel, the protagonist, Antoinette, faces her own identity crisis when she and her family are forced out of their home in Coulibri after the enraged black population sets her house on fire. As she is leaving, even her own friend turns against her. This kind of puts everything into perspective for Antoinette because while the natives chase her off so she can return to “her country”, they’re really pushing her out of the only home she’s ever known. So the whole idea behind the “Back to Africa” movement plays into Antoinette’s situation, as well, as she tries to navigate life after Coulibri.

[kate-saldivar]

wide sargasso sea

In Jean Rhys’s, “Wide Sargasso Sea”, the week’s assigned readings are interesting in that they all tell the sad story that is Antoinette’s life. The first section focuses on her traumatic childhood as she recounts the events that led to her quick escape from Coulibri. Some of this course’s major themes that appear in the novel include, but are not limited to: colonialism, enslavement, independence, creolization, decolonization, etc. For example, the concept of decolonization is prevalent in the novel when Antoinette’s family is forced to leave their home in Coulibri due to the uprisings as a result of Jamaica gaining its independence. Their home is set on fire and Antoinette’s whole life is turned upside down as everything quickly falls apart around her. This plays into the idea of creolization, decolonization, independence, and though she is white creole, she deals with an identity crisis because of the betrayal she not only faces from her friend, but also the island she calls home. Eventually things become even worse as she not only loses her brother (and mother), but faces ill treatment at her next school. It kind of reinforces this endless cycle of pain for Antoinette, especially when she eventually finds herself in a marriage built on greed and ambition. It’s hard not to sympathize with her, which is the opposite reaction she got from the audience for her role in “Jane Eyre”.

[kate-saldivar]

they came in ships/ruins of a great house

Another media source that relates to both texts is the movie “Get Out”. In this movie, Chris and Rose, a bi-racial couple, prepare to more forward in their relationship as they plan for Chris to finally meet Rose’s family. As the weekend goes on, Chris begins to notice things about Rose, her family, and their community that alarm him. As he starts to piece things together, he finds himself kidnapped and psychologically manipulated. Furthermore, in “Ruins of a Great House”, one of the biggest takeaways is the fact that the events that took place in that house still haunt today’s generations. Today (at least in America), this looks like police brutality, systemic racism, hate crimes, etc. Furthermore, the fact that the foundations behind slavery continue to prevalent today, is supported by “Get Out”, as racial micro-agressions lead to the very serious events that follow. Before even meeting Rose’s family, Chris had already assumed that they would have an issue with him due to his race.This alone already supports the fact that society continues to outcast and suppress the black community, which relates back to one of Walcott’s points that the ideas that support slavery are still around today.

[kate-saldivar]

they came in ships/ruins of a great house

While both “They Came in Ships” and “Ruins of a Great House” have to do with the same overall theme of the enslavement of different peoples, there is a distinct difference between the two pieces of writing which is the single moment of guilt displayed in Derek Walcott’s poem. The entirety of the poem is based on his feelings of resentment as he continues to describe this once booming house that prospered at the expense of slaves. However,the tone of the poem somewhat shifts as he describes that even in his rage, he stops and thinks for just a second about how Great Britain was once “a colony like ours” (Walcott). For a short moment, he seems to feel some sort of guilt for the resentment that he holds for them. However, eventually those feelings fade just as quickly as they came. This sentiment of guilt and compassion is something that doesn’t really come across in “They Came in Ships”. In her piece, Mahadai Das only speaks about the things she observes and experiences as she lives through these events. Additionally, both texts also differ in how they chose to get their points across. They both use their current observations and feelings, but they are set in different times. While Das is currently living through it, Walcott talks about the events after they have already occurred and discusses its aftermath.

[kate-saldivar]

they came in ships/ruins of a great house

In “They Came in Ships”, Mahadai Das, recounts the events that take place as slaves are brought over in ships, and speaks of their destruction as they are put to work on farms to serve the “plantocracy” (Das). Interestingly enough, Das makes the choice of describing to readers the events that took place, however, she then shifts gears and inserts herself into these events, thus making it more personal. She talks of children and people she must have known personally and the way in which they were treated. She talks about the way in which bodies could be found anywhere due to the way in which these people were mistreated. This ties into the themes of Caribbean Literature because these are all very real, very painful events that have taken place and affected the culture and history of the Caribbean. Their ancestors have been impacted by a history of slavery and this idea is similarly shown in, “Ruins of Great House”, by Derek Walcott. In his writing, he takes a different approach as he describes the ruins of a farm/plantation that benefited from the labor of enslaved men and women. While Das describes events that take were currently taking place, Walcott talks about what happens after the slaves were freed. He does so, by not only describing the condition of the once great house, but also takes a moment to voice his own thoughts as he stands before a place that holds such a (negative) significance.