Breath Eyes Memory by Danticat Edwidge - Essay Example

? Analysis of Literary Critical Article Introduction: The Donette A. Francis in her article, “Silences too horrific to disturb”: Writing Sexual Histories in Danticat’s Breath, Eyes, Memory, has well described the situation of women who were sexually assaulted on their own land, their struggle, their traumatized memories and their quest of running away from the memories of their horrific past that haunts them everywhere. This situation of Haitian women was well narrated by Danticat Edwidge in her famous piece of writing known as Breath, Eyes, Memory, which made different writers and scholars to think critically on the grave situation that women are sexually abused in their own country by their own people in the times of political instability and how these women live with the trauma of their deep dark memories that are “passed on through generations like heirlooms” (234). Critical Analysis of the Article: This article critically discusses the famous novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory by Danticat Edwidge. In her critical article, Francis has well pointed out the situation of all the women who are stuck in political challenged countries; struck with fear of saving their lives, honor and pride of womanhood in a conflict zone, these women face the horrors of the past throughout their lives afterwards. Here the author has emphasized on the burning topic that was raised in the actual novel by Danticat. The author D.A Francis agrees with the concept that majority of women as represented in the novel as Coca women, are faced by the same amount of sexual, physical and psychological abuse in Haiti by their own people either in cane fields or in their own homes. It is a well accepted fact that in areas like Haiti; those who are political unstable and faced by poverty have an increased percentage of frustration and it is common to observe violence against women in all forms of ill-treatments. In such areas, women are vulnerable; they are helpless and therefore they are misused by their own people. The author highlights the importance of “how the state and cultural institutions work, not only to enforce the sexual violence but to conceal it” (Francis). State laws and cultural norms and traditions play an important role in safeguarding the respect and rights of women in almost all the countries around the world. However, in some countries especially that come in third world countries such as Haiti, India, Pakistan and in some African states, women receive little or no rights by their state, laws enforcement bodies and their cultural institutions. It is obvious to see that in many countries including Haiti; lack a proper legal frame work which can safeguard the rights of women. Francis also points out the bitter fact that Haiti has always been faced with the political crisis and a major role was played by the US marines in bringing the violence against the Haiti women; who were there in Haiti to safeguard the rights and to stable the country’s political situation but unfortunately these marines failed to give respect to the Haitian women. These American service men harassed the local women and their acts were often justified by their officials; stating them as mentally unbalanced due to their service period in a politically unstable environment. “Therefore, they could not be held responsible for their actions” (164). In her article, the critic Francis has well pointed out that how Haitian women rose up to their feet. They have strived hard to form their own Haitian women movement for the protection of their rights but that movement was put to an end due to Haitian government’s unjust attitude towards women. Danticat in her novel has mentioned this very fact that Haitian women faced a higher level of sexual abuse in the early twentieth-century. Danticat has opened its novel in the scene of cane fields where one of the woman characters was raped, sexually abused and disgraced by her own people. The critic Francis has highlighted the agony of every Haitian woman who was raped in the sugar cane field. It is true that majority of women are raped in the most deserted areas of their own locality. Many women in an attempt to run away from these memories flee to other countries for refuge and better future just like as it is explained in the novel. Even despite enormous efforts to forget the past, it is hard for the sexually abused victims to forget what happened in their lives which made them to leave their own people and their country. Danticat has well narrarted this into her novel as Martine speaks of her past with the daughter, she feels no pain, no agony but the wounds of a deadly past remains there as a fact that she cannot change it. Martine’s daughter notices the same in her mother that “[her mother] did not sound hurt or angry, just like someone who was stating a fact. Like naming a color or calling a name. Something that already existed and could not be changed” (61). Families and children of such women also face the equal amount of trauma and it gets hard for them to bear the truth. The same happened in this novel, it was hard for Sophie to cope with her mother’s trauma of her deadly past which was indirectly affecting her life as she states that “It took me twelve years to piece together my mother’s entire story. By then, it was already too late” (61). D.A Francis also agrees on the same fact that it is hard for the families and the children to live under the shades of that trauma especially daughters of such victims are more effected by their mothers’ haunting past and their lives are deeply disturbed by the horrifying incidents happened in their mothers’ lives. However at one place in the article, Francis has critically discussed the customs and traditions in Haiti that in this society as woman is given a class or the respect on the basis of her martial status. In Haiti, a marriage guarantees respect and freedom to a woman without whom she would be treated as a slave and moreover, her virginity makes her more respect in the eyes of her husband and in return increases her husband’s respect in the Haitian society. In my opinion, such norms have degraded the respect of women in such societies where women are treated no less than any sex object for fulfilling the lust and desire of men. This is mainly because of unawareness from the basic rights and illiteracy. Conclusion: Women should be treated with respect and honor but unfortunately in many countries including Haiti women are treated with no respect and honor. From centuries, black women have remained under sexual, physical and psychological abuse by their own men, locals or sometimes by outsiders. These women are not protected by their states and cultural institutions. It is an agony to see victims in silence with their families suffering from their traumatic shades while the state conceals such political rapes and the perpetrators are not held responsible. Even if such victims flee from their native land, the memories of their past follow them and bring no good to their children especially daughters. We are living in a world where women are not given any respect, they are killed on the name of honor and religion, they are treated no less than an animal and where women are perceived as sex object for satisfying the lust of men. Women should know of their fundamental rights as well as on the other hand, it is the duty of the international humanitarian bodies to safeguard the rights of such women who become the prey of political rapes and abuse. Work Cited: Danticat, Edwidge. Breath, Eyes, Memory. New York: Random House, 1994. Print. Francis, Donette A. "“Silences Too Horri?c to Disturb”: Writing Sexual Histories in Edwidge Danticat’s Breath, Eyes, Memory." Research in African Literature. 35.2 (2001): 75-80. Print. Read More