Days of Awe

   The protagonist in Days of Awe, Alejandra San Jose, struggles with her identity and her self-belonging. She grew up believing she and her family were Catholic. After revisiting Cuba as an interpreter, she discovered that her family was not Catholic but instead Jewish. Her family was known as "converses" which were Jews that converted to Christianity in order to survive. After learning this, Ale struggled with a bit of an identity crisis. Who was she? She was now faced with the truth of being Cuban and American and Catholic and Jewish.
   I can somewhat relate to this "identity of crisis" in a way because I am adopted. Luckily I was never faced with the "crisis" because I grew up always knowing that I was adopted. My parents read me books ever since I was a baby. There was never a day that went by that I did not know I was adopted and I grew up never thinking anything about it. I thought it was completely normal. I had a friend who did not find out she was adopted until she was 15. She had always known that I was adopted because I was always open about it. I remember one day when she called me and told me that her parents had just told her that she was adopted. I mean talk about identity crisis.
   In the beginning, Ale says that being Cuban was just an accident of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I feel like that could be true for some people, depending on the circumstance but I feel like you are whoever you want to be. No matter what the circumstance or where you are born. However, I do feel that it is important to at least acknowledge where you came from and appreciate the culture for what it is.
   Just like finding out you are adopted after believing that you came from your mom's stomach for your whole life, learning that you are a different faith can be just as rattling and cause you to question everything about yourself.
   I enjoyed this book, I did think it was a little too in detail for me though. I like how I could compare and contract this book with The Farming of Bones. They both had a lot of the same themes such as "self-belonging" and memories. I found it interesting how they both ended with water playing a significant, ironic role.

The End of The Farming of Bones

The ending of the book brings me mixed emotions. I was happy that Amabelle survived and that she found some form of pleasure in sewing and a sense of family with Yves and his mother. I was overjoyed that she wasn't as fragile as Yves. Yves had many hang-ups after the massicer, he hated parsley, couldn't swim, and hated the smell of sugar cane. He began using rum to help him cope. I admire her strength and will to keep on going. I also respect her for revisiting her former boss, Señora Valencia. She was able to reconnect with her past and gained comforting information while there.

There were many things in the ending that saddened me. In the last scene of the book Amabelle is in the River floating and I like the sense of calm and peace that the author gives us here. Up until that point the scenes were harsh at times and filled with sadness. I hated that Sebastian and his sister were killed. I hated even more that we don't know if she evere did find love again. After she didn't find love with Yves and left, we are left without anything further. The author leaves us with only our imigination to finish her fate with love and true happiness.

Over all I enjoyed the book and it's vivid scenes. The struggle and horror of the time was well conveyed. As I reflect on the ending a quote stands out to me from chapter 39, "Famous men never truly die. It is only those nameless and faceless who vanish like smoke into the early morning air." This quote sums up the book for me. Once the characters die they will be as of smoke, just like Sebastian was. Only the famous and world leaders at the time will be the names that we still reflect upon. The thousands of people who lost their lives at the hand of these leaders will forever be nameless.

   I really enjoyed reading the last half of Farming of the Bones. I got a lot more into detail and really tried to focus on some key points and themes of the book. Throughout the last chapters of the book we see themes like memory, death, silencing of voices.
   we talked about the pattern we saw throughout the book dealing with these silencing of voices. First, we see it when Amabelle describes her vivid dream of  the sugar woman. "dressed in a long, whit gown, wearing a shiny silver mussel around her face. collar with clasped black around her." I believe this theme is to give readers examples of how haitians were dehumanized to dominicans during this "anti haitian racism" movement. another example, is when the parsley is shoved down the throats of the travelers in order to depict who was haitian or dominican. This is such a harsh example and we see just how harsh it is once Joel dies from it... Another we see toward the end of the book when Amabelle's way of copping is to not speak. Because what she had gone through was so awful.
  Another big theme we see through the book was memory. Most of the book is told from memories and Amabelle going back and telling stories of her past. A wonderful example is how frequently she talks about her parents and childhood. These memories mean so much to her because her parents are now dead. One of my favorite memories Amabelle tells us is about the lantern and asking her dad to make one that looks like him so shell never forget what he looks like. this makes me so sad because, I bet after everything that happened she wishes she had one to hold onto.
  Death plays a huge role in this book as well. The whole background of the book is based on the massacre of 1937. It was says that almost 25,000 people were murder in only 3 days. Only because of the hatred and racism going on toward the Haitian during tis time. Also, the death of the baby, joel, and her parents plays a huge role. because all these deaths lead up to some memory or tragedy that happens in the book. I really enjoyed the book and just like Freedom papers, this story really makes me think how lucky i am to be free.

Ending of Farming of Bones

Towards the end of the novel, several important themes become evident. The theme if memory is an ongoing theme throughout the book. We also see the theme of masks in several of the chapters. In chapter 21, Amabelle reminisces on a moment she shard with her father. He said, "A fanal, a lantern, is like a kite. A kite that glows but does not fly." She asks her dad to make her a lantern of his face so that she can carry him with her but he declines, saying that it would be too vein. In chapter 25, Amabelle has a dream about her parents, and they are taken away by the storm. She wakes up reaching in front of her, trying to reach out for her parents. It is apparent in this chapter that she is dealing with an inner struggle with the loss of her parents.  I think the theme of memory and masks are very important in this chapter because it is trying to explain that sometimes memories are not always pleasant. Some of them are harsh, and some of them transform over time. My favorite chapter to read was chapter 23. We see the theme of masks play a big role in this chapter when Amabelle has a dream about the Sugar Woman. Amabelle describes the Sugar Woman as a woman dressed in a long, three-teired ruffled gown, with a collar around her neck. She wears a shiny silver muzzle around her face so that she would not eat the sugarcane. This chapter is very interesting to me because I could not seem to wrap my mind around this "Sugar Woman".  Although she is just a figment of Amabelle's imagination, she represents something that Amabelle is afraid of-herself. I believe that Amabelle sees the Sugar Woman as herself in the events she is faced with in her life, or she sees her as a representation of a past lover of Sebastian. Either way, they are both unsettling representations that Amabelle has conjured up in her dreams. I have enjoyed this book, I think it has been a lot easier and more enjoyable than the other books we have read so far.

farming of bones/birthright crisis

Farming of Bones and Birthright Crisis go hand in hand when talking about the Dominican Republic's deportation of the Haitians. The only difference is that in the Farming of Bones, the deportation took place in 1937, and Birthright took place in 2005.

In the Birthright Crisis, it didn't matter if you had papers that allowed you to live in the Dominican Republic or even if you were born in the Dominican Republic and had never even been to Haiti. It was easy for the Dominican military to do this because he Haitians had darker skin. The Dominican Republic's press also lied to everyone, saying the Haitians were armed with guns, when they actually had nothing.

This 18 year old Haitian student that was born in the Dominican Republic and had never even been to Haiti was deported because she was Haitian. She was very worried about missing her exams and schoolwork. She had no idea what she was going to do next. There were many other people in the same situation.

The Jean and Bosico Dominican Republic supreme court case ruled that children of migrants aren't eligible for citizenship in 2005. One has to prove their bloodline connects to the Dominican Republic now. In Farming of Bones, the government is forcing the Haitians to leave in order to "cleanse the country." That was in 1937. It is so shocking that the Dominican Republic is still so adamant of keeping the Haitians out just because they are of different nationalities/race.

The Farming of Bones

The first portion of the book is indeed intriguing. I am in love with the way Amabelle describes her love story with Sebastien. The love they share seems as if it is a pure one, one that natural and unforced. I was also intrigued by how Señora Valencia was so quick to judge the color of her child's skin. She just finished such a beautiful moment of giving birth and the shock of having twins; for her to so quickly comment on the child's color disgusts me. The comment she made, "They might mistake her for one of your people" also disgusted me. The farther even "shuts up" the doctor from commenting on the child's color. Children change drastically from their time of birth to even the age if one. I think that color should not have been a factor so early on. They were babies and I think that parents and everyone else should just enjoy them being babies.

Radical Moves

While reading, Radical Moves, I came across a beautiful quote by "Jamaican-born, New York-based journalist W. A. Domingo." He described the Carribbean migrants to Harlem in 1925 as:

"Dusky tribe of destiny seekers...eyes filled with visions or their heritage-palm fringed sea shores, murmuring streams, luxuriant hills and vales who bring with them vestiges of their folk life-their lean, sunburnt faces, their quiet, halting speech...their light, loose-fitting clothes of ancient cut telling the story of a dogged, romantic pilgrimage to the El Dorado of their dreams."

I feel that this quote perfectly and beautifully captures the essence of the people at the time. Harlem had a great influx of migrants, many of Haitian decent, and they carried a heavy past with them on their journey. Harlem was no fairytale, living conditions weren't as grat as they could be, and inequality was still ever so present. Despite this, the people were able to stay true to their roots as well as create a new sense of culture. I feel that the Harlem Renaissance and the birth of jazz amplifies this meshing of chulture and "destiny seekers."

Radical Moves

   Laura Putnam's Radical Moves, examines the British Caribbean migrants through a fictional account of the experiences during the war period. She focuses specifically on how the issues of gender, race, class, and identity affected the migrants during this time. On page 7, Putnam argues that 'the black internationalist and anti-colonial movements that would shake the twentieth century were rooted in the experiences of ordinary men and women – not only in the cosmopolitan streets of Harlem and Paris but also in the banana ports and dance halls of the tropical circum-Caribbean'. Putnam takes the general idea of 'black internationalism' and brings it to life by telling it through the lives and experiences of these Caribbean migrants. By doing this, it is easier for people to relate and become more involved and interested. Simply reading the facts about an event in history does not allow a person to really see it as something that really happened. It is almost like you are reading about it because you have to or because it's just "something to know in history". However, when a real person or "like-real" person is linked to the historical facts, it makes it easier to comprehend and imagine/believe that the events actually took place. On page 49, Putnam says "This was a world in which common people took seriously the responsibility to listen for messages from God and to preach themselves if that was what dreams, visions, or intellect guided them to do." She further explains this concept as a 'world marked by 'constant religious creation'. 
    Putnam's book illustrates the lives of Caribbean migrants from different angles by studying several different countries. This variety makes it easy for the reader to make connections and pull out distinct traits that are unique to each specific country during this time. I had a little bit more difficulty reading this book because it was not written as smooth and intriguing as The Farming of Bones. It was more informative and included more hard facts and controversial ideas and themes. However, I feel like it was a good source to tie the course's theme together. 

Farming of Bones

   In class on Tuesday, Ali and I led the class discussion on The Farming of Bones. We discussed the important themes of the book and the background and plot surrounding the narrative. As we mentioned, the most important theme of this narrative is the importance of memory. Throughout the story, Amabelle frequently remembers her parents and times they shared before they died. By recalling these memories, Amabelle is making sure that she does not lose them. Memories are one of the most important things that we possess. Memories allow us to maintain who we are and stay close to our roots. These memories are extremely sacred to Amabelle epecially during such drastic changes in her early life. She misses her parents, and misses her home in Haiti. 

   This theme of remembering one's past is a theme that is studied throughout this course and has been exemplified in each book we have read so far. It is interesting to be able to make connections between each book and tie them together, while still being able to separate them and distinguish their differences and unique stories. 

On page 224, Amabelle recalls a saying that her father always said, “Misery won't touch you gentle. It always leaves its thumbprints on you; sometimes it leaves them for others to see, sometimes for nobody but you to know of.” I think that this is a very powerful quote that captures the book as a whole. Not only does it help the reader to get further into the mmd of Amabelle and understand her story, it also encourages the reader to apply this concept to his or her own life. Sometimes it is easy to forget that everyone is fighting a battle. No matter how big or small, it is extremely important to remember that you are not the only one going through a hard time, nor are you alone in it. I really appreciate the meaning of this book because it is extremely humbling. This is my favorite we have read so far. I actually might even go back and read it for pleasure when I have more time to really get into it and enjoy it.  

The Farming of Bones

     In our class Tuesday, we briefly talked about "anti-haitian racism" in the book The Farming of Bones. But throughout reading this book and watching that film Tuesday it has brought to my attention how much we have suppressed the importance of this "cleanse" or massacre of 1937. Many do not know that nearly 20,000 people were murdered during this massacre. Its so sad because growing up you hear of the horror of the holocaust, but not once have i ever heard of the 1937 Haitian immigration workers massacre. Both deal with the same thing, racism and dictatorship. This makes me think a lot of what Trouillot was taking about in Silencing the Past. The only History we know is what we are told, and if we are never told about it, then we will never know.  The silence of the 1937 massacre is a perfect example to me.

    Throughout this novel Edwidge Dandicat really uses this event as a background for the life and time period in which her main character Amabelle is living. By doing this I think it gives readers a more relatable story line to go off, coming from a personal story. Like our character from Freedom Papers Rosalie, Amabelle's story makes the events during this haitian racism time become more real by becoming more personal to readers. 

   We briefly talked about the importance of Senora Valencia's giving birth to twins. This event is important because it a perfect example of how strong the "anti-haitain racism" was during this time. Senor Pico had darker skin than Senora Valencia, and because most of the racism was based of skin tone, she was scared that her daughter might be mistaken as haitian. "My poor love, what if she is mistaken for one of your people?" ( Danicat 28) This is very significant to readers because it gives you a real perspective on just how harsh racism was in the Dominican Republic during this time. Learning about both Amabelle and Rosalies hard journey thru slavery, and racism makes me feel so lucky to be free from that. Reading these stories makes me feel like we take our freedom for granite.

          The Farming of Bones,  by Edwidge Danticat, has grown on me throughout my time reading it. I have come to understand why she chose to write about this time in history through a young girls perspective throughout the process of reading the book. The way she uses Amabelle's life to show how others might have felt during the massacre is a way people can get important ideas of the time period through story telling. There were some parts of the book that caught my attention.
          One main thing that came to my attention in the book is the use of the word parsley, or Perejil. The  Dominicans used this word to distinguish the Haitians from the Dominicans by the way they pronounced the word. "You can never hide as long as there is parsley nearby" (Danticat 304). We see where Amabelle is confronted by this action on page 193. She didn't get the chance to pronounce the word and was shoved onto her knees with parsley put in her mouth. The Dominicans would kill most of the Haitians who could not correctly do this action.
         They also had an idea of "cleansing the country." Parsley was considered a way of cleansing the Haitians from the Dominicans. Amabelle was beaten along with many other Haitians in her position. Her stories throughout the book give readers imagery into her personal struggle, along with those around her. I liked this because is was a story and not just facts. It made it easier to understand and realize the awful struggles many faced. Amabelle was stronger then I believe I could have been if I was in her situation.