Edwidge Danticat’s Breath, Eyes, Memory, Essay Example

Comparative analysis of the relationships between mothers and daughters and friends in Edwidge Danticat’s Breath, Eyes, Memory, and another novel studied in class

Motherhood has been traditionally perceived to be an institution of that deserves respect and honor. For many mothers, this institution has deprived off women their rights and potentials. Motherhood is accompanied by lack of individual rights and control. This not only over the mothers’ lives but also their bodies too. Women have been victims of many forms of violence such as rape thus pushing them to forced motherhood and confinement to marriage. Even in marriage, motherhood is perceived as an underrated obligation that must be fulfilled by all women. However, women who cannot achieve it are always despised and considered invisible by the entire society.

Danticat and Cristina Garcia explore the existing complexities entailed in motherhood and mother-daughter relationships in relation to the material world. In their works, the women are spurred to restructure relationships. These relationships mainly deal with the land and female body. Motherhood is an institution that primarily concerns with women. Adrienne Rich defines motherhood as an institution whose aims are to ensure that all males have control over women. According to Rich, many women are resistant to perform their roles as women because they believe this indicates an end to their individual freedom and exploration of their potentials. Motherhood is the definition of women. The role of mothers is universally imposed on them because it is their main identity.

Representation of gender abuse in Edwidge Dantica’s Breath, Eyes, Memory, and another novel studied in class.

There is a cult of female purity that only centers on an obsession with the body of a woman, which is elevated to a status of a sacred object. The woman no longer owns the body is but rather a symbolic vessel of honor. It is regarded as a vessel whose utility and purpose e is discussed and decisions made upon by others. In this regard, the body of a woman is alienated from her. Martine’s rape paves the way to the beginning of madness and nightmares since violence towards her body is perpetuated by violence to her soul. She commits suicide as a way of destroying the body of the rapists, which has become integrated with her body.

The experience gone through by Martin represents the dramatic imprisonment experienced by her female contemporaries. While attempting to deal with her failed womanhood, Atie seeks solace in alcohol. On the other hand, Sophie is unable to have sex without doubling, and the difficulties she has with her body increase with time. In order to reconcile with her body and soul, Sophie seeks therapy.

Compare the trials and a tribulation of Nnu Ego in Buchi Emecheta’s The Joy of Motherhood with those of Aissatou in Miriama Ba’s So Long Letter.

The point of Emecheta’s book was aimed at writing a story about the real lives of women. Nnu Ego, con not feel as a real woman, she is driven to produce a male child. This child must also live for a specified number of years. She had been married to her first husband, but since she could not bear a child with the first year of marriage, he rejected her. Nnu later realizes that she can conceive and bear children, which relieve her off the burden of neglect. Her son dies after four weeks of life, and this makes her feel as a failure in the society.

Nnu Ego bears many children and almost all of them survive. They realize that together with her husband they can support the children anymore. The offspring grow up to support their mother. Although she struggles throughout life, she looks upon her children for support. The above sentiment brings unity in Ba’s and Emecheta’s literature in regards to the issue of motherhood in the main characters. As much as the characters endure different kinds of hardships, they are said to experience the same emotions and frustrations.

Miriama Bâ’s book is about a character that is more articulate and does not accept the narrow role imposed to women in society. In contrast to Emecheta’s women, Bâ’s female characters have been recognized d as being champions and pioneers of change and justice in the society. Ba’s character is an inspiration to other women encouraging them to live and carry on their lives. As much as Ramatoulaye chose her own husband, by virtue of being a woman and a mother, she also suffers lack of freedom of movement just as Nnu. Most of her life is filled with feelings of lack of control. Her marriage and her husband’s desertion are dominated by her in-laws.

Nevertheless, due to sufficient education and money, Rama opposes some of her society’s expectations. She forces herself to enjoy things that men do not allow women to do, especially married women. She further accepts her daughter’s out of wedlock pregnancy something that tradition and society does not expect of her. Ba is regarded by other writers as the first writer to emphasize on the adoption of a new generation especially in marriage. She insists that Africans should break from the aged marriage customs and adopt modern forms of marriage. She suggests that marriage should be based on a free and mutual choice of both partners. Rama’s daughters have well represented a new direction that women should take in the society.

The representation of sexual abuse in Edwidge Danticat’s Breath, Eyes, Memory, and another novel studied in class

Martine’s rape paves the way to the beginning of madness and nightmares since violence towards her body is perpetuated by violence to her soul. She commits suicide as a way of destroying the body of the rapists, which has become integrated with her body. The experience gone through by Martin represents the dramatic imprisonment experienced by her female contemporaries. In an attempt to deal with their failed womanhood, Atie seeks solace in alcohol. While Sophie is unable to have sex without doubling, the difficulties she has with her own body. In order to reconcile with her body and soul, Sophie seeks therapy.

Assess and discuss the use of the epistolary style in Alice Walker’s the Color Purple and Miriam Ba’s So Long a Letter

Epistolary is the writing of a novel using letters from one or many characters. This style presents an intimate thought without interfering with the work of the author. The writer portrays the character’s point of view. This style has been used in the color purple by walker. In the beginning, Celiie writes letters to God. By use of epistolary, there is direct contact between characters. She narrowed her story since she only wanted Celie’s and Nettie’s points of view. If she had chosen another style, she would have been involved other characters. She gives us the impression that these two are not characters but real people. This changes the w ay we think, walker shows they are together no matter how distant they are. This style makes characters as human as and real as possible. The story is not told in a narration, and the reader sees the things seen by the characters. This proves to be historically correct since women in those days only communicated through letters.