Now that I have reached the ending of novel Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat I have a very different view for each character in the novel then I did from first begging the novel. To start with main character Sophie, I believe she turns into a mature women. It hurt me that only through Sophie’s mother’s death is where Sophie has grasp new understandings with life, and her mother, but its better late than never. Yes, the death of Martine is extremely sad, especially it being that it was a suicide, but it gives us, the readers a better understanding of Martine’s true pain. Martine was not a stabled character; she was sad, depressed, and tragic. Also, it gives us a new type of Sophie who’s able to now understand her mothers pain. Sophie is also now able to love her mother to the fullest, as she was not able to do before.

As I continued reading the novel Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat chapters 20-27 I was extremely surprised that Sophie’s mother, Martine has come to Haiti. I was even more surprised that she had planned for Sophie to take her back to New York City within three days to be with her husband. I found this very hypocritical of Sophie’s mother, Martine. The reason I say this is because the entire time Sophie spent in New York with her mother raising her, her mothers spent all of those years keeping Sophie pure, and away from men. Martine did not allow Sophie to think of men, breathe near men, or even look at men. So because of this it shocked me that all of a sudden because Sophie has a child with a man it is now her duty to be at his every beck-and-call. It proves that Martine still believed that a wife is to be compliant with her husband, and be only dedicated to him. Now, when I see that Martine tries to take back Sophie is proves that she has a lot of growing to do, and it made me curious to know if she will ever change as I further continued to read.

As I continued again reading the novel Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat I witnessed a great change to new places and people in the book. I was surprised that Sophie now has a baby girl. For some reason I thought Sophie would pursue her life in a more educational way graduating from college with a degree or becoming a doctor. Perhaps her mother’s mindset of Sophie made me to believe that Sophie was really like that. Thats what I found astonishing. That although most of the reading was about Sophie finally setting herself free from the person her mother encaged her in. That I too saw her as a very almost angelic girl/ or perfect girl. I was surprised that when Sophie finally got away from her mother she did thinks a totally different way then her mother wanted her to.

To continue Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat Sophie has been following all of the rules her mother gave her. Her mother wants her to practice religion, go to school and educate herself, and come straight home. Sophie has truly been an obedient daughter up to this point. Something that stood out throughout this chapter is Sophies infatuation with her neighbor Joseph. Joseph is a much older than Sophie which I find to be very creepy that Sophie likes him. However, being that Sophie’s mom has always been strict with Sophie telling her she can not date until the age of eighteen, or always expecting things for Sophie like her becoming a doctor, Sophie never really had the chance to live her life her way. So I believe now that a man is finally looking upon Sophie in a new way than anyone has ever, she is falling for him and falling in love. Joseph soon goes from stranger to lover to Sophie and they both seek ways to seeing each other as long as Sophies mother is not around. When Sophie mother finds out she likes a boy, she starts to perform ‘testings’ to Sophie to make sure she is still a virgin. Due to the hate that Sophie has against this performance of ‘testing’ she sacrifices and takes her own virginity. When Sophie mom finds this out she kicks Sophie out. I quickly wondered if Sophies mom even loved her to kick her only child out for something she caused?

As I continued to read the novel Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat I began to admire the relationship with Tante Atie and Sophie. I found it interesting that although Tante Atie was Sophie’s aunt, they had a connection like a mother and daughter. It quickly went from Tante Atie having Sophie, to Sophie’s mother now having her. It was weird to me, the transition because Tante Atie has been rasing Sophie since she was a little baby until her now, and all of a sudden the mother is ready for her. I found it odd, because although Sophie’s mom is in fact her mother, I considered Tante Atie to have much more value. Then as I further thought about Sophie finally leaving Tante Atie in Hati to live with her mother in Port Au Prince then NYC it was for Sophies own good in a way. And then I further realized that things like happens  all of the time. For example, many of my uncles and aunts were still in Guyana when they were little kids while my Grandma was in NY trying to make a living for them so when they finally do come to America they won’t suffer. And I really only thought about how something like that can be depicted onto someone.

To begin, chapters 1-4 of the novel Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat is very brief. However, although it doesn’t jump right into the main idea of the novel it gives us a lot of detail on the characters. Sophie Caco and her Tante (Aunt) Atie both live together in Croix-des-Rosets, Haiti. Sophie is twelve years old, goes to school and knows how to read so she is educated. Her school offers night classes for the adults/parents to attend to learn to read with the children being involved in the teaching. Sophie often finds her self longing for her aunt to go to the reading classes, but Tante Atie is very against it. When Sophie constantly asks her aunt to go to these classes, Tante Atie says things like, “I do not want a pack of children teaching me how to read.”,  “The young should learn from the old.”, and, Besides I have to rest my back when you have your class. I have work. ” What stood out to me is Tante Atie’s personal beliefs that were similar to how many older generations of people think. For example my mother would always tell me about how difficult it was for her growing up due to the heavy load of work, and chores that she had to take part in helping my grandmother out. It hurts me when my mom tells me her stories of her not getting the education she would have liked, or choose the path in life she would have much better preferred. I do think of my mom as being a very successful women, but it wasn’t easy for her. And just as Tante Atie believes in education for her younger generation, my mom does too because if they had the choice, the easy choice, education would have been top priority.

As I’ve approached the ending of the book I became eager to know if Tituba would finally be on the road of peace. It was truly a rough and long journey throughout the book with Tituba. I especially liked the parts in the book were Tituba would conversate with us the readers. She would ask us questions about if what she thinks is on our mind is correct. Tituba had such a long, bitter journey through life. It really gave me a new insight on a slaves journey through life, and how non-stop it was with endless suffering. In these few chapters I liked the way Tituba claimed to finally have dropped her interest in men who has done nothing beneficial for her. Tituba often leans onto her spirits, Abena, and Mama YaYa her mothers, Hester and Yao. It saddened me that Tituba now only had spirits with her, but it seemed like enough. However soon Tituba met Iphigene who she cured when he was very sick, She allowed him to stay with her because he had no where else to go. Soon later the relation had become sexual. It was weird for me and Tituba because she knew he was much younger, but due to the harship of life they connected in a way of what probably is the only type of pleasure in the word Tituba lived it. Soon later people surrounded Tituba’s cottage, and as they exclaimed, “They are there to finally finish what should have been done years ago.”

Chapter 8-14 were very weird chapters for me. I often felt, saddened, happy, hopeful, confused, and eager while reading. Something I found to be hopeful was the way that the Jewish man Cohen d’Azevedo took care of Tituba. Tituba was saved out of jail by Cohen d’Azevedo, he wanted her too look after his nine children, because their mother had recently passed away. Cohen and his family were a very spiritual man and believed in ‘goodness’ so Tituba no longer had to deal with being whipped which I really appreciated. Cohen eventually took a liking in Tituba and began to encounter in sexual acts for her. It hurt me to see the way Tituba appreciated her new home, but at the same time was more so being used for her body by Cohen, because Tituba never really desired it the way he did. In class we often say that Tituba loves sex, but does she really? I believe Tituba never really had a choice to refuse it, so she just went along with it, which seemed better in her head than to be forced and raped.

As I continued reading the novel, I Tituba, I found John Indians character to be disgraceful. Tituba was very fond of John Indian; she was in love with him. The way that Tituba described to find peace, and confinement in John Indian through the bitter life she lived, it made me fond of John Indian as well. I liked the way that I thought sweet Tituba finally had someone almost like herself who gave her the love she always deserved. However, I was soon shown to be wrong about my admiration for John Indian. For when Tituba was locked away in jail for being a “Witch” John Indian lost all interest for Tituba. It made me question if John Indian truly loved Tituba and if her just simply kept her around for his very own pleasures of sexual interest. Throughout reading the book I did always get the sense that is hard for slaves to love another. For their entire life has been them being controlled, and them being betrayed. So it shown through the characters of John Indian, who had us all fooled.

Tituba’s giving personality is still shown as I continue to read the book. Tituba is the most courageous character in this novel. Something that I admire about Tituba is the way that she always stands up for herself to those who sees her her for what she is not. She stands up to those who thinks she is the opposite of her real views, morals and goals. For example on page 61, Mary Walcott say’s to Tituba, “Tituba, is it true you know everything, you see everything, and can do everything? You’re a witch then?” Tituba immediately replies with her fuel of rage, “Don’t use words whose meaning you don’t know. Do you know what a witch really is?” Tituba doesn’t think twice on representing herself. Tituba considers herself a healing person, or a “good witch”. Tituba associates being a witch with being positive, being able to heal, and protection. However, the society around Tituba associates witches with negativity, evil, and having bonds with the devil. Furthermore, Tituba is shown to be very courageous throughout the text especially compared to other characters in the novel. Such an example would be Good Wife Parris who is often being pushed around, and physically abused by her husband Samuel Parris.