Literary Theories and Criticisms: "The Farming of Bones" by Edwidge Danticat
I don't know what's gotten into me... Maybe one thing is that I haven't posted anything for the past week... So now, I wanted to share one of my papers which I passed a month ago... It's only written in more or less 700 words... Yes! It is academic related so... Here it is...
Historical-Biographical Analysis in
“THE FARMING OF BONES”
Edwidge Danticat
The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat was indeed a very great novel. She clearly stated through her novel the hardships the Haitians had experienced during that time. She was able to convey her message not only to her fellow Haitians but also to the world. She revealed the truth behind her novel believing that people should give importance on remembering the past so that they would be able to go further as they live the present and prepare for the future.
Danticat pointed out certain events in her book that reflects the real events happened between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Some important events in history that reflects the events in the novel will be stated on this paper.
The Haitians, being born in a poor land, doesn’t have enough opportunity in their home land even to have their needs so they migrated in the neighboring land, the Dominican Republic in order to work as laborers in the sugarcane fields. And with this situation, the Haitians were looked down on their social identity. In the novel, his was considered on the characters of Amabelle, Sebastien and the other Haitians presented. They struggled so hard in order to live by serving the Dominicans. Some of them were treated rightfully like Amabelle who gained the trust of Senora Valencia and Don Ignacio and some were treated as lower level people. Also, their crossing the boundaries made them to be treated as ‘others’ and ‘inferiors’ as Sebastien has mentioned. It is very much seen on the novel that Haitians were struggling to find their own identity since they didn’t have documents to prove who they are and where exactly they came from that’s why they were not given much attention and opportunities for themselves aside from labor. Also, these experiences emphasized the homeless and stateless conditions of the Haitians.
But the most significant event during that time is the reign of Rafael Trujillo which caused the greatest misfortune to the Haitians particularly to those who live in the Dominican Republic. It is so ironic that Haitians migrated to the Dominican Republic in order to escape poverty and work as laborers but, instead of living their lives peacefully, the governor has taken control of almost everything especially on raising the tax on every item most needed by the people after the hurricane that struck the country in 1931. Based on my understanding, this hurricane event is parallel to the death of Amabelle’s parents during the great hurricane near the Massacre River. Though a lot had died and some were injured, they still survive which lead them to have poorer lives and struggle more in life in order to continue on living. On the contrary, even though they wanted to have peaceful lives, the Haitians distrust the Dominicans because of the death of one. Not long after, the Generalissimo announced that they will ‘clean the country’ which means getting rid of the outsiders who happens to be the Haitians. In history, Trujillo also becomes so strict about it so he also ‘cleaned the country.’ Cleaning the country doesn’t only mean to drive the Haitians away but to kill them all for they see the Haitians as rubbish and abuse their stay at the Dominican Republic.
Each person has his/her own identity to protect, own life to live on and own freedom to do what he/she thinks in right. Each land has their own laws to be followed but embracing too much on power as if feeling that everything is in your hands will lead one to his end and a start of new beginning but despite all of this, people should learn from the events in the past so that everyone could live a harmonious relationship.
References:
Danticat, E. (1998). The Farming of Bones. New York: Penguin Books.
Dalarna, H. The Construction of Identity in Edwidge Danticat’s The Farming of Bones.
Adlerberg, S. (n.d.). The Richmond Review, Book Review, The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat. Retrieved from The Richmond Review: http://www.richmondreview.co.uk/books/farming.html
Wikipedia - Edwidge Danticat. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwidge_Danticat
Wikipedia - Parsley Massacre. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley_Massacre
Wikipedia - The Farming of Bones. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farming_of_Bones
Historical-Biographical Analysis in
“THE FARMING OF BONES”
Edwidge Danticat
The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat was indeed a very great novel. She clearly stated through her novel the hardships the Haitians had experienced during that time. She was able to convey her message not only to her fellow Haitians but also to the world. She revealed the truth behind her novel believing that people should give importance on remembering the past so that they would be able to go further as they live the present and prepare for the future.
Danticat pointed out certain events in her book that reflects the real events happened between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Some important events in history that reflects the events in the novel will be stated on this paper.
The Haitians, being born in a poor land, doesn’t have enough opportunity in their home land even to have their needs so they migrated in the neighboring land, the Dominican Republic in order to work as laborers in the sugarcane fields. And with this situation, the Haitians were looked down on their social identity. In the novel, his was considered on the characters of Amabelle, Sebastien and the other Haitians presented. They struggled so hard in order to live by serving the Dominicans. Some of them were treated rightfully like Amabelle who gained the trust of Senora Valencia and Don Ignacio and some were treated as lower level people. Also, their crossing the boundaries made them to be treated as ‘others’ and ‘inferiors’ as Sebastien has mentioned. It is very much seen on the novel that Haitians were struggling to find their own identity since they didn’t have documents to prove who they are and where exactly they came from that’s why they were not given much attention and opportunities for themselves aside from labor. Also, these experiences emphasized the homeless and stateless conditions of the Haitians.
But the most significant event during that time is the reign of Rafael Trujillo which caused the greatest misfortune to the Haitians particularly to those who live in the Dominican Republic. It is so ironic that Haitians migrated to the Dominican Republic in order to escape poverty and work as laborers but, instead of living their lives peacefully, the governor has taken control of almost everything especially on raising the tax on every item most needed by the people after the hurricane that struck the country in 1931. Based on my understanding, this hurricane event is parallel to the death of Amabelle’s parents during the great hurricane near the Massacre River. Though a lot had died and some were injured, they still survive which lead them to have poorer lives and struggle more in life in order to continue on living. On the contrary, even though they wanted to have peaceful lives, the Haitians distrust the Dominicans because of the death of one. Not long after, the Generalissimo announced that they will ‘clean the country’ which means getting rid of the outsiders who happens to be the Haitians. In history, Trujillo also becomes so strict about it so he also ‘cleaned the country.’ Cleaning the country doesn’t only mean to drive the Haitians away but to kill them all for they see the Haitians as rubbish and abuse their stay at the Dominican Republic.
Each person has his/her own identity to protect, own life to live on and own freedom to do what he/she thinks in right. Each land has their own laws to be followed but embracing too much on power as if feeling that everything is in your hands will lead one to his end and a start of new beginning but despite all of this, people should learn from the events in the past so that everyone could live a harmonious relationship.
References:
Danticat, E. (1998). The Farming of Bones. New York: Penguin Books.
Dalarna, H. The Construction of Identity in Edwidge Danticat’s The Farming of Bones.
Adlerberg, S. (n.d.). The Richmond Review, Book Review, The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat. Retrieved from The Richmond Review: http://www.richmondreview.co.uk/books/farming.html
Wikipedia - Edwidge Danticat. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwidge_Danticat
Wikipedia - Parsley Massacre. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley_Massacre
Wikipedia - The Farming of Bones. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farming_of_Bones