A Wall of Fire Rising, Book Review Example

This paper is an actual and original short story narration of the material of renown Haitian author Edwidge Danticat called; ‘A Wall of Fire Rising,’ of the Haitian American genre published by the Vintage contemporaries. In this publication the author uses narrative parallax to follow the short story cycle of this moving storyline narrated on a third person dimension including some insight on internal thought of the characters. This papers addresses and expounds on Guys dilemmas; what he want? What did his desires cause him to do, feel and think? How did this character change during the story?

This is a story of poor peasant working man called Guy trying all his effort to provide a decent living and a hearty meal and also hungered the need to escape their native country for the greener pastures in America. Guy is seen to be very frustrated in the story at the inability to provide for his family security and is very embarrassed of the menial work he has to wage for his livelihood.

This is because of his undying love for his wife Lilli and their son Little Guy whom Guy takes pride off and the son admires the dad and would do effortless to please him. Although the son constantly reminds Guys of his failure as a parent to support and tend to his family needs.

Lilli Guy’s wife is very resourceful and tries all her best to make ends meet and her feeling of lack not compromising her love for her husband, whom she loves with all her might although their lives had turned to routine of revolution reciting from the Little Guy trend of trying to cheer his dad up. Lilli thought are engulfing at the love Guy once had openly and lovingly showered her with making her feel like a woman writhing with sentimental ecstasy.  “ she lives with a man whom one time in life made her feel comforted, discovered, loved and needed, at night she would make to her husband and occasionally experience waves of sentimentality through her writhing flimsy figure,”

The need for drastic change made this character (Guy) become remorse and repulsive even toward his wife whom he loved and cherished much. This paranoia of achievement drives Guy to the height of desperation and lust over the hot balloon of his boss to take him and his family to America to source for better life. His wife notes in the story that when he looks at his husband eyes she sees a flame in his eyes which is brighter than the lighter’s quoted in the narration Lilli; she notes that “guy has developed a flame visible in his eyes brighter than (a) lighter’s”

Guy’s premature exit in the lives of his family leaving them with no father and any source of income is an act of cowardice portrayed by his capability and acceptance of the condition of the sate tier live pattern held. He breaks the heart of his son who observes his gruesome suicide from the fall off the hot air balloon to a pad of blood consuming his life. The son shed a tear for the dad and recites a revolution lines which his dad loved to hear him recite.

Guy killing himself and leaves his family in destitute condition, due to his wish for a better life is the best example of the hardship the peasant who resides in this state of Haiti undergo in their daily lives, the mental anguish that made them result to unexplainable deeds in fulfilling their longing for good life, and escape their daily struggles and difficulties.

Work Cited

Danticat, Edwidge. Krik? Krak!: Edwidge Danticat’s. New York: Soho Press. 2004.