Krik Krak Character Analysis

Pamel Peralta Juxtaposition is often used in this book of short stories. It is the fact of two things that are completely different and create a contrasting effect, being put together. Danticat uses the variety of stories to help break down the harsh Haitian life. In each story, each character is experiencing their own problems and trying to take things day by day. In the book Krik Krak, a series of short stories, the author Danicat utilizes juxtaposition to create strong and positive characters that in return create the overall sense of hope throughout the book. The specific examples that best display positive characters creating an overall sense of hope, are a girl separated from her boyfriend, a daughter with a positive mindset, and a father who tries to be strong for the sake of his family. In the beginning of the book, the girl from the short story, Children of the Sea, stays positive through all the negativity in her life in Haiti. She writes a letter to her lover, who has escaped Haiti and is at sea, where she writes, “and when we see each other again, it will seem like we lost no time” (Danticat 8). She has strong hopes that her and her boyfriend will both survive and
see each other again and refuses to let anything negative, like the black butterflies, make her think otherwise. “Now there are always butterflies around me, black ones that i refuse to let find my hand” (Danticat 28). Although there are signs of death around her like the black butterflies, the reader remains optimistic because she truly believes that her lover will return, or she will escape and they will see each other again, which is why she continues to write letters to him. This character’s positive spirit helps build the upbeat mood of the story. In another short story, Nineteen Thirty-Seven, the girl, who is the main character is going through hard times because her mother was accused of doing witchcraft on children and killing them. Although, she still has faith that everything will turn out okay with the help of her crying Madonna doll. “She pressed the statue against her chest as if to reward the Madonna” (Danticat 37). That Madonna doll was very important to her and her family, “I held out the small statue that had been owned by my family ever since it was given to my great-great-great grandmother” (Danticat 34). Even though the character know her mother will pass away in the prison, which eventually does happen, she keeps in mind that her mother said to let her flight be joyful, creating a sense of peace knowing that her mother is in a better place. This gives the reader a feeling of hope and overpowers the negative happening in the story. Lastly, in a Wall of Fire Rising, one of the main characters, guy, isn’t very happy with the person he has become, but for the sake of his family, he is strong and hopeful that he will escape the harsh living conditions of Haiti. Guy felt like he became the man his father was, which was exactly what he didn't want to be. “I remember my father who was a very poor man all his life. I remember him as a man i would never want to be” (Danticat 75). Throughout the story, he dreams of riding a hot air balloon to get away from Haiti. “Sometimes i just want to take that big balloon and ride it up in the air” (Danticat 73). This gives the reader hope that he will be free and get away but unfortunately, he does this by committing suicide, but on the other hand, the overall sense of the story remains positive knowing he ultimately got what he wanted, to be free.
The characters in the stories Children of the Sea, Nineteen Thirty-Seven, and a Wall of Fire Rising are all good examples of positive characters in this book.
The author of the book Krik Krak uses juxtaposition to create determined, strong characters in the short stories. The personality of these characters help construct a sense of hope throughout the stories. Some readers might argue that the mood is overall sad and depressing because of immorality the characters go through but in the end, they don’t lose hope and keep a positive mindset for the most part. I believe the majority of Haitians are determined and learn to deal with poverty and their difficult life conditions because it has been something they’ve had to deal with for a long time, which Danticat expresses through her
stories,