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…
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…
