Literature connects people and reveals the deep issues influencing people’s decisions in life. Many people find it hard to balance reality and their dreams and fantasies. Character choices, setting, symbolism, and themes in a story highlight the most important lessons intended by the author. The story The Wall of Fire Rising by Edwidge Danticat highlights three key themes surrounding the family unit. The author shows that a family is the most important pillar in a person’s life that supports them and insulates them from outside pressure. From the thematic analysis, it can be seen that, in the end, a man is finished by that which he holds inside. Danticat’s story focuses on the themes of parenting, poverty, and exclusion and their impact on a person’s decisions.
Parenting is a huge responsibility that requires parents to strive hard to lead their children through life’s challenges. The story The Wall of Fire Rising by Edwidge Danticat revolves around parenting and portrays it as a source of motivation and unity in a family. The story uses three characters to highlight the theme of parenting: Lil, the Guy, and their son, little Guy. Lil and Guy are portrayed as responsible parents who want the best for their son. They teach him to follow good mannerisms such as not reading or talking when eating (Danticat 149). Although the parents were strict in behavior matters, they allowed their son to break the rules on special occasions. Danticat comments that they allowed little Guy to keep muttering his play lines as he ate food, a behavior that would be prohibited at other times (149). This instance showed that Lil and Guy understood that parenting requires a dynamic approach to issues. The role of parenting on unity and companionship is also a significant point raised in the story.
The author reveals that parenting brings unity among family members, although they may have different perspectives of life. Lil and Guy approach life differently, as shown by their discussion on work (Danticat 152). Despite their differences, they joined hands to support their son. This is evident in their support for Little Guy’s effort in memorizing his part of the play. As Little Guy said his lines before dinner, the parents watched him in admiration and applauded him. The words “Long live my boy” and “long live our super” reveal how the parents were united in their willingness to support the Little Guy in his role (Danticat 149). Danticat also mentions that the boy’s speech so touched the parents that “they stood on the tips of their toes” in admiration and pride (149). Essentially, the boy had a way of bringing the family together and bridging any gaps caused by different perspectives. The child’s future is also is also shown as being controlled by the parenting style.
Danticat shows that parenting calls for a future-focused approach in everything. Lil and Guy interpreted their futures differently and lived by their beliefs. However, it is evident from the story that when it came to matters of their son’s future, Lil and Guy wanted him to have the best in life. Lil could not accommodate the idea of having her son working at the sugar mill since she believed that he deserved better. She boldly told Guy, “I don’t want him on that list…For a young boy to be on any list like that might influence his destiny” (Danticat 153). Although Guy believed that working at the sugar mill was the boy’s right following the family line, she later agreed with Lil.
Earlier, Guy showed his focus on his son’s future when he questioned the impact of Boukman’s character on his son. He innocently asked his wife, “do we want him to be all that” following the comment that the boy was a rebel leader in a revolution (Danticat 149). This question proves that Guy knew the act might have future implications for his son. Danticat uses the concept of future-focus to show that parents have a responsibility to question any event that may negatively impact their child’s future. The parents’ roles are in a way shaped by their economic status, as shown below.
In society, poverty implies a lack of resources that places one below other people’s living conditions. Every person desires to live a good life, free from the pangs of poverty. Unemployment and a low-paying job are some of the key causes of poverty, as depicted in the story The Wall of Fire Rising by Edwidge Danticat. The author highlights the theme of poverty by describing the housing condition and food used by the family. The words “rainwater trapped in old gasoline containers” reveal that the family lacked sufficient water and good storage containers (Danticat 150). The word choice also depicts abject poverty, especially when the author says the water was “trapped” as opposed to stored.
Lack of food and drinks shows the family lived in poverty. Danticat explains that the family “boiled clean sugarcane pulp” as tea (Danticat 150). The special tea was meant to sustain the family until Guy and Lil got something from their daily routines. The living conditions described by Danticat also show that the family was struggling to sustain their needs with the meager resources within their reach. The author points out that Guy tended to some mushrooms growing next to the boy as he slept (Danticat 150). As anyone would expect, clothing was also a problem for this family. Danticat notes that the boy’s sandals were coming apart, implying that there was insufficient income to buy clothing (150). These conditions kept Guy on his feet as he tried to improve his family’s living conditions. In spite of the abject poverty inflicting the family, love and hope kept them together.
Everyone wants to belong and feel a part of something greater than themselves. Danticat applies the theme of exclusion in this story following the feelings and perceptions of Guy. Exclusion implies that a person, who should be in a particular position, is denied their rightful place. According to Guy, working at the sugar mill is his right, as that is where his father worked and added him on “the list” (Danticat 152). Based on the fact that he was born and raised at the sugar mill, Guy argues that “If anyone deserves to work there, I should” (Danticat 152). Guy felt excluded from the only meaningful work he knew. When assigned to clean latrines, he felt as if he was plunged into a role far below him. Although it was “honest work,” as described by Lil, Guy wanted what he knew he deserved- working at the sugar mill (Danticat 153). Working at the mill was considered a noble and desirable job, without which Guy felt excluded.
people prefer to live in their dream world rather than face the harsh reality. This case is shown through the effect of exclusion on Guy. Danticat shows that since Guy was excluded from the sugar mill and was under pressure to sustain his family, he developed the idea of being in the “flying balloon” (Danticat 153). He was so obsessed with the idea that he tried to convince Lil how he could make a paper fly, and in the same way, he could fly too. This was not fuelled by curiosity but the need to escape the harsh reality facing him. In the end, Guy got access to the balloon and, in achieving his desire, lost his life (Danticat 156). At this point, Lil saw the reality of Guy’s obsession with the sky and realized there was nothing she could have done to deal with the ravages of exclusion in his life.
In conclusion, the story The Wall of Fire Rising by Edwidge Danticat thematically highlights the critical factors that influence family life. When poverty and exclusion inflict on a person, they may develop negative perceptions of life with grave consequences. The authors show how poverty and the need for inclusion pushed Guy to his grave through the “flying balloon.” Danticat addresses the theme of parenting, focusing on Guy and Lil’s roles and responsibilities in their son’s life. Parenting can be overwhelming, especially when one lacks the necessary resources to support their family. Although Lil and Guy loved their son and helped him by all means, they could only direct his behavior and feed him on the little they got in the hope for a better future. In essence, Danticat uses the characters’ words, attitudes, and perceptions of life to demarcate the themes of poverty, parenting, and exclusion. The choice of words and symbolism also helps to emphasize the three themes.
Work Cited
Danticat, Edwidge. “A Wall of Fire Rising.” Krik? Krak (1996): 148-157.