Women in Haiti versus America

The women in Danticat’s stories are intertwined in a way that shows the effect of a new country on the younger generation. This difference is very clear when one compares the way that Little Guy’s mother, for example, is portrayed and how the readers see Caroline. The stark differences in how others see them and the role in their communities are just two areas where they differ. For example, in A Wall of Fire Rising, Lili says, “‘I am here with my husband,’ she said. ‘You are here to protect me if anything happens.’” (Danticat 52). The fact that she knows that her husband will be the one to protect and provide for the family tells us that she knows her place in the family. She has to take care of Little Guy and the house. Standing up for herself, or even protecting herself is a job of the males and a line that she is not willing to cross. Also, because she told Guy this is also significant. She wants to please him and make him happy and saying statements like this probably adds to his own confidence and image of himself. It is clear that she puts her family’s success and happiness over her own. This can also be seen with the pride that she has for her son and his role in the play. For her, this means that her son can have a chance at having a better life than she did. This is why she chooses to push back on her husband when he suggests putting the son on the ‘work’ list. She is willing to speak her opinions when it comes to things that she truly believes in.

That is a quality that I believe transcends the difference in native countries. We can see this spirit and fearlessness in Caroline as well. She knows that her mother does not approve of her fiance. But she knows that her relationship with him is true and important to her. She overlooks her mother’s views in order to be with the man that she loves. To be able to speak their minds and rely less on parents is something that changed a lot for the American women. For example, Grace and her sister both keep things from their mother. The best example of this is with the red panties. Her mother felt that they would protect them from their father’s spirit, when in reality, they wanted to see their father in their dreams. I think this shows the distance in their mother-daughter relationship. It is hard to them to talk and connect with their mother because of the vast differences in their background and upbringing. They have understood how this gap is something that separates them. But the sisters have filled that void with each other. To have someone who understands what they are going through is all they need. I think that Danticat wanted to highlight the difference between the Haitian women and American women because there is a part of her that identifies with both types of women. To be an immigrant, like she was, at such a young age puts you in a situation where you have grown up with things that your parents cannot even begin to understand. You can’t talk to your parents about it because they will not have any meaningful advice because their own experiences can you so far. I think that she understood the feeling of being in between two countries. This understanding really shined through in her writing of the women of this book.