Krik? Krak! Assessment Story One

In Danticat’s first story, “Children of the Sea,” the language used when writing from both narrators vary significantly. The first speaker, the anonymous male figure, has a more formal, educated style of writing, characterized by his use of English only, whereas the female writer mixes her native French/Creole language and English in her more random , bursted, thought-like styling. The styles not only give insight on who the characters are past what they tell us directly but illuminate smaller details of each narrator’s character. For example, the male figure using English as he’s fleeing his homeland where English is not the primary language shows the readers his disdain for his home, namely its government in this case. The same can be said of the female writer as her influential father, a proud countryman who dislikes the male figure for his rebelliousness, clearly is somewhat responsible for her mixed use of language. However, though staying true to their original stylings, when the two address eachother in their writing, they take on a more poetic, heartfelt feel to their writing, allowing the reader to more clearly see the affection the two share.

Given the universality of a mutual love that can’t be expressed or even a shunned love, the anonymity of the two speakers makes the story more personal on an emotion level. The reader is invited to be empathetic and feel that which Danticat vividly describes the two are feeling for each other; reminiscent, heartbroken, hopeless, etc. At the same time, it can also be assumed that as Danticat uses contradictions often in her writing, the anonymity is yet another one. As it makes it easier to relate to the two lovers, it also makes it easier to place them as just another nameless love in a story, much as the two were seen as from their government and the girl’s father. The text, “lots of people in this world whose names don't matter to anyone but themselves" supports this thought. In essence, they are common citizens, despite the male’s radio taboos, and easily forgettable, reminding the reader, that tragedy, of both large and small scale, happens not only in Haiti, but everywhere and is hardly remembered or even read about.