Blog post #7

Haitian VS American Stories 

I feel that there was a great difference in the stories by Danticat when they took place in different locations. The characters faced different problems depending on where they were located. Readers got to experience how setting affects a character's way of life and how they avoid different kinds of obstacles. All of Danticat's stories took on their own life, but there was a specific correlation between the area they were in. You could relate where the characters were to how they spoke and the kind of dialect they were using as well.

In the stories that took place in both Haiti and America, women had to deal with the severe oppression to their male counterparts. In Haiti, the problem was extremely apparent and would completely affect how the stories came to life, as well as the motivation for a character's actions throughout their journey. When a woman was placed in New York, it was automatic for readers to assume she was oppressed. That did not necessarily serve as the main obstacle though. In the NY stories, it was much more obvious that a bigger issue was the culture difference. There was a constant pull and argument over keeping old traditions and cultures of Haiti, or embracing a new setting. 

When the characters were not focusing on creating a new life in NY, they had to deal with remembering the ones they left behind in Haiti. There was a great divide in the stories, and the feel that Danticat was able to achieve was extremely effective. Before the characters even said they were in New York, readers could already tell that the setting was new, or affecting them in some new way. Danticat played with the possibilities of how some people could end up moving away from where they were born, VS being the first of their family to be born in a new place. It was very natural for the older folks to have a harder time embracing a new culture, the middle-aged having somewhat of a hard time, and the youngest having the easiest (with the most exposure.) 

Caroline's wedding was a great example of the difference of cultures. It is based in NY with three ladies who are all at different stages in their lives. They each face different obstacles, and have very different opinions. The story shows how families can experience a clash when it comes to their choices of living their lives. Certain members of the family in that story were extremely connected to their past area, and others wanted to be as American as they could. The story covered many areas of conflict and showed how difficult it is to make decisions in a tight-knit family.