The use of water in the three novels Roumain’s “Masters of the Dew,” Danticat’s “Krik? Krak!” and Paul’s “Praise Song for the Widow” has a symbolic meaning. The main innovation of the writers is the image symbol which replaces the traditional artistic image. The early forms of poetry and visual creativity were read literally and depicted exact meaning. However, the new methods assume a wide use of allusion and references as well as hidden meanings. Symbolism is used in tangible form to embody specific meanings and express diverse ideas in the text. Different forms of water, such as crosscurrents, tears, and sweat, symbolize different elements in the novels. The use of water in the three novels is significant and symbolic as it signifies the beginning of new lives and the loss of freedom.
“Krik? Krat!” by Edwige Danticat applies the symbol of water to represent escape and new beginnings. The writer shows that trying to begin a new life is difficult for the Haitian people. In the story “Children of the Sea,” water is used to represent a method of escape from Haiti. The story consists of two letters written by two people to one another, but they cannot get to send the letters. Danticat states, “I also know there are timeless waters, endless seas, and lots of people in this world whose names do not matter to anyone but themselves” (Danticat 3). This part shows the male character’s letter that portrays trials in an attempt to escape from struggles in Haiti.
Danticat uses water to symbolize freedom and hope in the “Kit Krat” novel. The water is often linked to the oceans used by the people of Haiti to escape the oppression of poverty and violence. The use of water is presented as the help of the sea. At the moment of the situation, a young couple faces the threat of death and dreams of dying in the sea. Disapproving parents and political persecution have separated the couple, which portrays the oppressive Duvalier regime.
The couple’s love continues to shine despite the distance between them, which is created by the sea. Danticat consequently associates the sea with the meaning of an archive of sorts, a fluid repository of lost lives (Danticat 180). Further, the sea is linked to problems experienced by the people of Haiti and African ancestors who perished in the middle passage route to slavery (Danticat 168). In the story, the sea is a continuous movement showing changes in images, life, and death. One cannot find a moment that is an exact duplicate of the other, nor a wave that is a perfect copy of another. Getting washed away by the ocean is a metaphor for regaining one’s innocence and starting over in a fresh, new life. Taking a plunge into the ocean is a metaphor for shedding old skin and starting fresh. However, separation can be represented as a journey over a river of death or another body of water. As a source of both life and death, water has the potential to bring people together while also driving them apart.
Jacque Roumain in “Masters of Dew” novel demonstrates a story of a man called Manuel, a Haiti peasant who struggles to save his village from severe draught and division among the villagers. Later, the man finds a large water reservoir but only tells one person this secret. Manuel then unites the people of the Fonds Rouge to work together to end the village famine caused by drought and earthquake (Roumain 13). Manuel introduces a new method of farming to the people to save them from death by hunger. Water in this context is a source of peace for the people. The village can only find peace when there is water for the irrigation of their crops and personal use.
Water represents unity as Manuel uses it to bring people together to work as a team. The water is channeled from a distance and requires a combination of the community’s people. Hence, people must work together to channel the water through the pipes. Bringing the water to their area helps eradicate poverty in the community. The absence of water in the community represented the lack of peace where the community experienced thirst, hunger, and death (Roumain 53). These conditions bring worry and sadness to the people of the village. The drought has left the river and water sources dry, leaving the people with nothing for personal use or for irrigating their plants.
When Manuel arrives from Cuba, he tries to look for a water source for the people who make him the community’s savior. Joy, peace, and happiness are restored in the area, and the people can go back to their daily activities peacefully. The village experience a source of freedom in their lives as they can continue with their life endeavors (Roumain 113). They have freedom as they can escape the challenges caused by issues draught and natural calamities.
The protagonist in Marshal’s novel “Praisesongs for the Widow” is a young widow who lives in North White Plains. The name refers to social dancing often tolerated in the target culture. The water here is a metaphor for innocence and purity, given that it calms the mother’s cries after her kid has died. Water symbolizes optimism and hope since it is the catalyst for positive change in Avey’s life, ensuring that she will not succumb to stress and depression at her North White Plains home (Marshal 88). This was due to the rituals and boat journeys along with the occasion. The young Widow finds solace in the water stream, for it is the only thing that can wash away her grief after the death of her husband. Living on an island makes her concentrate on the sea around her. Activities that take place on or near the water are ones she enjoys. Observing the river’s crosscurrents, she could divert her thoughts from her painful history.
Water is often used as a mode of transportation by different communities. After leaving a slave ship across the Atlantic Ocean to Africa, Avey and her family eventually make their way back to the water. Island travelers must navigate the sea to get where they need to go. They use ships and boats to navigate the ocean (Marshal 61). Crosscurrents move the water up and down, symbolizing the same way one must deal with difficult situations, yet we can ultimately find comfort and calm in the end. A river’s downward flow represents the purifying effects of living things. “Praise Song of the Widow” discusses water as a metaphor for life. In the novel’s third chapter, a thirsty and exhausted Avey finally makes it to Lebert’s store; as she drinks, her energy and vitality return.
Water is represented in different forms, such as tears and sweat. This is shown in how characters struggle with life challenges in the three novels. For instance, in Praise Song of the Widow, Rosalie Parvay sheds tears as a symbol of realization and acceptance when she narrates the challenges that her family experienced during the slavery era. Sweat represents difficulties encountered by characters as they pursue their dreams. For example, Avey sweats when she remembers the loss of family members and future uncertainties (Marshal 130). Manuel shed tears and sweat upon the realization that drought has changed his place of residence, and the villages are not ready to unite and convince authorities to solve the problem (Roumain 37). Tears and sweat represent the challenges that characters face as they are forced to accept such situations.
Furthermore, Avey uses water to wash her head as part of the ritual. After the death of her spouse, she was considered impure hence this act represents purification. She started throwing up food right in the middle of the prayer service (Marshal 204). As a means of rehydration, water is given to Avey after she throws up. In this sense, water is a metaphor for a fresh start. There were signs that her body was trying to rid itself of the poisons she was taking in. Water also represents freedom, whereas Ibos, the protagonist, uses water to free himself from slavery and bondage.
In conclusion, in each of these books, “Children of the Sea,” “Masters of the Dew,” and “Praise Songs of the Widow,” water represents a potential for change and transformation. Water is used to escape oppression; people feel comfortable in the presence of water, even though some people suffer and even perish during a drought. The presence of water in a community can also contribute to peace and tranquility. In “Masters of the Dew,” the community works together to secure a reliable water supply for their residents during the dry season. Water is a source of life generally, and organisms of every kind need access to it to stay alive. For instance, “Praise Songs of the Widow,” depicts Avey’s recovery from a prolonged period of thirst, when he can regain his health and vitality. “Masters of the Dew” shows how peasants used water to improve crop yields.
Works Cited
Danticat, Edwidge. Krik? Krak!. Soho Press, 2004.
Roumain, Jacques. Masters of the Dew. Collier Books, 1971.
Paul Marshall. Praisesong for the Widow. Robin Brooks, 1996.