Themes of Krik Krak

Blog post # 6: Choose a theme that appears in more than one of the stories and explore the connections. What is Danticat doing with this theme? What interests you in the way the stories present this theme? Do some creative thinking & analysis! 500 words

I think that the most relevant and important theme of Krik Krak thus far has been gender roles. Within gender roles, Danticat had exposed stereotypes, cultural expectations and contrasting roles of different characters. The story that displayed the exploration of gender roles the most was the first piece, Children of the Sea. This chapter told a story of a boy, around 19 years old,  escaping Haiti by boat and leaving behind the girl he was in love with. The first way that Danticat relates to the theme of gender roles was in the style of writing in the letters of each gender. For example, the boys writing is obviously educated, polished and sophisticated. In contrast the girl's writing lacks proper grammar and is structured as a diary. The boy's piece is written as a recount of history, he wrote of his experiences on the boat with the intention of his words being remembered and studied by others. This idea shows hat men get to control history, that gender determines who is remembered and how when we look back on the past. His writings promote a sense of posterity that push forward the moral of 'men telling the story'. This is an important concept that defines how women are seen in the Haitian society. From the first chapter we know that woman cannot go to school and they must be obedient to their father's, this instilling a patriarchal societal structure.

In the next chapter, 1937, this theme continues as women are put in jail for 'flying'. While the flying in a literal sense has to do with the voodoo religion, I believe it also has to do with women excelling or having power. The women were out into prison after 'flying' or escaping the government's wishes. I believe this relates to governments perpetuating oppression of women and continuing unequal gender roles. Contrastingly, in A Wall of Fire Rising, the father of the family, Guy, feels inferior and weak because he cannot fulfill the societal norms of a man's duties. It is valuable to recognize that almost all the characters in Krik Krak so far seem to be defined by the standard expectations of their gender. The other themes of Krik Krak also all somehow relate back to gender. For example, the themes I have found and connected between chapters have been power/pride, desperation and relationships. All of these themes can be traced back to a root of gender. For example, desperation in 1937, the women could be 'desperate' to be freed from the prison of their gender. In A Wall of Fire Rising, Guy is controlled by his want for power and held back by his pride and insecurities that stem from his displeasure in his inability to provide for his family, as he believes a man should. So far, the themes of gender roles have developed layers to the text and characters in a unique and wonderful way. It has allowed for a different kind of depth specific to Danticat;s writing and experience. It also teaches readers a lot about Haiti and Danticat;s perception of the country as a woman. I am interested to see other ways Danticat can introduce gender roles into Krik Krak.