analyzing the Haitian life comparatively

analyzing the Haitian life comparatively

Haiti is an island in Hispaniola. It was once a sanctuary for most people. During the olden days, slaves were imported from Africa and brought to work in the fields in Haiti. The slave trade was put to an end after the first revolts by slaves. Haiti gained its independence later. Unfortunately, the leaders who took over the leadership of the country impacted misery and suffering to the people. The sufferings undergone by Haitians have been well described in works of art by Danticat and Krik Krak.  The use of literature as a reflection of society’s woes was very effective. The two writers narrate how Haitians life have been influenced; they also note how some leaders have used religion as a political tool for manipulation. Haiti has suffered a lot, and most people have been fleeing away to the United States. This paper focuses on analyzing the Haitian life comparatively.

The first novel by Danticat is narrated by a Haitian girl who had a similar history with hers. Her name was Sophie, and she was raised by her aunt but later joined her mother in the United States. It is after joining her mother in the united states that she realized her mother conceived her after being raped.in a sense, Danticat’s novels have a significant historical appeal to the country of Haiti. They capture the historical events that led to the current state of the country. Haiti, which is an island of Hispaniola, was once a treasure field. This was back when French had occupied the western side while the Spanish controlled on the eastern side. They used to take slabs from Africa who would work in their plantation. The slave trade was brought to an end by General Toussaint. Ever since then, Haiti remained independent, and its first ruler, executed all the white population.

Subsequent leaders derailed the success of Haiti. They looted public resources or their gains. The country was replaced by extreme poverty and illiteracy.  The United States tried hard to bring democracy to Haiti, but it was effortless. In 157, a rigged the election saw the accent into the power of one of Haiti’s worst rulers. He had a secret police force that he used to brutalize anyone who critiqued the government. He relied on foreign aid while looting every treasure in Haiti. The leader avoided disposition to the United States of America by aligning himself with the Dominican leader. It should not be forgotten that the same Dominican ruler had ordered the execution of Haitians at the border. Duvalier died in 1971, and his son took over the helm in a reign mapped with exploitation and corruption in the highest degree. Most of the population languished in poverty while few of the literate fled to the United States, like Danticat.

Mix-model patterns exist in Haiti, and they help with socioeconomic status. (Marks, Lam,  & McHale, 2009).  Parents, especially women, spend their time within the house and with children. According to stories from Krik Krak, society has depicted gender roles. Men have been opiated to be the superiors, while women are mostly taken as inferior. There exist distinct gender roles dictated by divergent gender and family patterns. Women are supposed to look after the family and are responsible for the upbringing of children.

On the other hand, men are the providers and protectors of the family. Family units produce subgroups that have similarities and formed between different age groups. From Dancat’s work, Haiti’s families integrated units which are self-organized in response to either external or internal forces. Therefore, in Haiti, the family is the building block of the individual’s co-existence. These units have also depicted the roles of each gender. There exist harmony between the roles of men, women, and children. The harmonious understanding of the distinct gender roles has led to peaceful existence within the country.

The perception of social existence has highlighted the roles of parents as the main instructors. In this case, most of the instructors are women. The men are only required in a child up bring only when there is an instance of discipline. The parents communicate the communities’ beliefs into the children; they ensure the children learn the ways of life of the community. They instruct on how some important things are done, and they show what is not accepted in the community. Parents in Haiti have a special attachment to their children. They are obligated to help them realize their destiny. As such, the parents are there to help the children attain their adulthood and know what to do. They have them participate in different types of activities. These activities are aimed at improving the social perception of children and prepare them for their adult life.

One of the most corrupt rulers of the Haiti republic used religion as a tool of manipulation. Duvalier employed tactics of manipulation using the Haitian voodoo. This cult was created in the context of slavery time. The first revolt against slavery was organized by a man with the help of voodoo. Since the country gained independence, this practice was abolished and banned in Haiti until Duvalier revived it. Voodoo was persecuted by the State and the Catholic Church as well. However, in 1930, it was recognized as part of the Haitian culture. (Hurbon, 2010).  Ever since then, we have observed elements of political integration to the extent of manipulating citizens. There have been studies that aimed at analyzing the possibility of voodoo giving rise to Haitian politics. This is because the ritual was first practiced in a political context when the slaves were revolting. The practice was recognized as the Haitian culture.

Unfortunately, some leaders used the practice to instill fear and manipulate people. In a sense, the voodoo practice has been well articulated in the political context. Duvalier was one of the leaders who used religious tools to manipulate the citizens. He equated himself with Jesus Christ and self-named himself president for life. His actions have left deep impacts on the economy of the country, as well as those families that were affected by his cruel political tools. Religion has been hailed as the tool that helped instill morals to the people of Haiti. In a sense, it could be understood. Although, the same religion has been used to instill fear and help political clowns cling to the leadership positions.

Overly, the work of literature is often a reflection of what the society I going through. The work of Danticat and Krik Krak is a better representation of this truth. They narrate the miseries the people of Haiti have undergone under their greedy politicians, who have been using religion to manipulate them.

Reference

Hurbon, L. (2010). Haitian Vodou, church, State, and anthropology. Anthropological Journal on European Cultures, 8(2), 27-37.

Marks, J. L., Lam, C. B., & McHale, S. M. (2009). Family patterns of gender role attitudes. Sex roles, 61(3-4), 221-234.