Danticat on Storytelling

It is clear from Danticat’s book Krik? Krak! that storytelling is an important part of both her culture and background. From the way she writes her short stories, to the actions and opinions of her characters, it is only highlighted by her use of storytelling. For one, I would say that her writing style is a form of storytelling in, and of itself. The way that she presents these stories allows the readers to understand the events easily. It is almost as if she is telling the stories to you personally. Danticat uses language that is straightforward but is relevant to the story. For example, she says in A Wall of Fire Rising, “‘Papa, could you play lago with me?’ the boy asked. Lili lay peacefully on the grass as her son and husband played hide-and-seek” (Danticat 53). At first, I did not know what ‘lago’ was, but Danticat smoothly defines it for me in the next sentence. It shows that she knows what she is talking about and deepens her authenticity.

The title of the book alludes to a part of Haitian storytelling as well. Danticat explains in the very first story how the people on the boat would tell stories when they had nothing to do. Part of this almost ritual-like event was that one person would exclaim ‘Krik,’ and the rest of the group had to respond ‘Krak.’ Through storytelling and call-and-response activities like these, the people on the boat were able to realize that they were not alone. Especially in the setting of a boat, leaving your own country to find a better life, it can be difficult. This allows them to know that there are others who are going through the same emotions and thoughts as them. Danticat mentions this again in the Epilogue. She writes, “And over the years when you have needed us, you have always cried ‘Krik?’ and we have answered ‘Krak!’ and has shown us that you have not forgotten us” (Danticat 195). I think that, in addition to the communication between the two groups, the remembrance of their background and culture also plays a large role in this. She shows the readers that through the telling of these stories, their own histories will never fade. They want to maintain their Haitian identity while also looking to their future. I think these themes resonates with Danticat as a person because, in her talk, she discussed how it felt to be stuck in between two worlds; that of the U.S., and her homeland Haiti. I believe she felt more connected to her Haitian background when she wrote about various traditions and beliefs of the Haitians. For her, I think that remembering and informing others about her culture, allows it to thrive and continue to live on. She knows that telling these stories to others is another aspect of who she is. And to share her own stories is ensuring her stories will get passed down, and kept for future generations. Without telling stories, the intimacy and reality of those stories are lost. Danticat writes to keep her passion and her people alive.