Sophie did not have the physical presence of her mother for several years of her life although her mother provided for her, Tante Atie and Grandmother Ifé during that time.

As Sophie and her mother started to overcome their differences and started to develop a good relationship, Sophie was informed that her mother was pregnant (pp.189-1). The pregnancy brought Sophie and her mother (Martine) even closer because Sophie became a support system for her mother who had started to depend on her a great deal.

The pregnancy brought Martine to a psychotic state while she recalls the rape that traumatized her all her life; she is traumatized, this time more than ever although the sex was conscientious. I felt really sad that Martine committed suicide leaving her family and loved ones in grief. Perhaps, memories of the rape brought her pain that was too much for her to bear.

Martine made great effort to reunite with Sophie while she was spending time with Grandmother Ife and Tante Atie in Haiti. I found the moment strange after Martine avoided communication with her daughter for a long time. Sophie’s mother used the opportunity to make arrangements to fulfill Grandma Ife’s wish upon her death. Also to take care of other family legal matters, to make up with her daughter, and to meet her granddaughter all in one trip.

Sophie had the opportunity to ask her mother why did she have tested her the ways she did. Her mother did not have quite a good answer but told Sophie that she had to go through it as well when she was a child. Sophie’s mother told her that she had to live with the memories of both testing she received and the rape she endure (pg.170)

Decisions we make in life can either cause us harm or good. I felt sorry for Sophie when she made her decision to use the mortar pestle on her private part to stop her mother from inspecting her. After this episode of rebellion, her life changed and likewise her relationship with her mother.

Sophie appears to have endured suffering since she left her mother’s home.  I believe Sophie is a danger to her own self despite the situation with her mother’s inspections that caused her to injure herself. Although she was suffering pain from the damage to her private part, she would still rather go through painful sex with Joseph soon after moving-in with him while she was not healed from her trauma. In addition to the pestle trauma, the painful sex with Joseph, she conceived a baby which she later turns up in Haiti with. Her mother Martine had never seen the baby but her Aunt Atie and Grandmother Ife welcomed the addition to their family.

West Indian parents like to have dreams about their children becoming doctors, lawyers or reputable persons in society. Parents tend to be harder on their daughters than on their sons when it comes to relationships. Parents want to see their daughters in relationships with someone of good stature and in a position to provide for their daughters adequately.

Martine secretly spies on Sophie and find her secrets without Sophie’s knowledge; that’s what parents do. Martine knew about Sophie’s love secrets before Sophie wanted to talk or give clues about her relationship that is brewing with Joseph. Martine, Sophie’s mother would do the Haitian test on Sophie to find out if she was sexually active; despite Sophie was an adult. The test seems to be a method Haitian mothers use to prevent their daughters from having sex until the time is right (allegedly). Sophie became rebellious and wanted to be with Joseph whom she desired. So, one night after the test, while Sophie’s mother was asleep, Sophie went to see Joseph at his house and demanded to get married. Sophie’s action shows how quickly a child can change from being appreciative and being considerate towards a parent to taking drastic action to fulfill their own desire.

I have seeing traits that love was fundamental to women in old literature from the time of slavery and soon after. Mary Prince’s and Tituba’s novels gave strong indication of how sex was important. Those novels also show the extent women would go to get their sex, and here again, a young girl from Haiti (Sophie) that move to live with her mother in America is giving strength to my suspicion although her story is not related to slavery.

Sophie had the opportunity to live with her mother in America. She was so attached to her Tante Atie and Grandmother that she would rather stay with them than to move to live with her mother she barely knows.

During Sophie’s trip to America, she experienced quite a bit of things she was never exposed to before. She experienced some nice scenes along the way and, of course, some bad moments had to be in the mix. There was a riot near the airport that almost caused her to miss her flight. While on the plane, there was an unruly and bad behaving boy sitting next to her; she tried to comfort him as he was crying but he bit her and he continued doing bad things to other people he encountered. As the story continues and Sophie is in the care of her mother, she continued to see unpleasant scenes starting with her mother’s old raggedy car; to the neighborhood and home where her mother lived. Martine, Sophie’s mother looked ragged herself. I was concerned about the way these bad exposures may affect Sophie in her new life because of the nice and happy home she was leaving from in Haiti.

I find Sophie to be a well-mannered and humble child. She is respectful to her Tante Atie whom took very good care of her while her mother was living in America. Tante Atie showed Sophie much love; Sophie also showed Tante Atie much love in return. Although their family seemed to be a small family, they were kind and loving to each other. This is evident from the Grandmother down to Sophie.

The scene that appeals to me most is when Sophie made a mother’ day card for her Tante Atie, and she even attached a flower to the front of the card to show her love and appreciation to a good mother. Tante Atie refused to accept the card, she believed that Sophie’s mother—Martine deserved to have the card more than her. I Believe Tante Atie did not feel special to take care of her niece that also makes her happy by doing chores around the home while being a good girl overall.

Tituba has suffered greatly all her life. Her toughest times existed when she lived in America. The part that stood out to me most while reading the above section of the novel is how Tituba wanted to return to Barbados at any cost. After escaping all she had been through in America and made it back to her beloved Barbados where she thought she would be safe and free; she and her young lover “Iphegene” were hung.

Although Tituba was said to be a witch, she was surround by bad luck wherever she goes. I believe Tituba was not meant to have any lasting lover. Abena, her mother, has always cautioned her about her desire for men (lovers). Although she finds a lover quickly, they never lasted and she always pays a price after being with a man for some time.

Tituba’s life has a trail of misfortunes despite her ability to possibly curtail most of them. However I still admire her strength through all that happened to her. Is it that she accepts her dilemmas as destiny for a black slave woman as they occur? Maybe she does, then, find her strength to carry on through acceptance.

I believed old rich Jew Benjamin was Tituba’s last hope to live a normal life after he bought her from prison. Benjamin Cohen d’Azevedo showed care and kindness to Tituba (pp.124 – 3). She soon got more than kindness but satisfaction of her heart and soul which she can’t live without. As she started to be hopeful for a better life, misfortune took its course wiping out her every bit of hope. The house she lived in with Benjamin was burnt down killing all his children. He suffered significant losses in his properties and likewise his businesses. Tituba had to be separated from Benjamin. Another source of her happiness had been taken away.

Tituba was once told by her predecessors that she would be the only witch to survive and surely, she did. She made it through her stormy lifetime, back to Barbados, her island of paradise where she was so longing to be again (pp. 139- 6).

Although Tituba was a free person, she enslaved herself for the sake of John Indian. John Indian was an opportunist who seeks to make the most of every situation and of every person by compliance and\ or corporation. John eventually showed disloyalty to Tituba who lost her love for him.

Towards the end of Tituba’s time in prison, all the other prisoners were either freed or have died leaving her behind. Her life was never easy. Samuel Paris had stopped paying the fees to keep Tituba in prison, causing the fees to accumulate and had to be paid before she could be released. I admire her strength during this tough time; she did not make the situation get to her head. Perhaps, she had faith, tolerance, and could condition her mind to her changing situation or she knew she did not have control over her future at any time after being born a slave.

Tituba’s fate lies in the balance of being sold as a slave to pay the prison fees incurred that should have been paid by Samuel Paris (pp.120- 2). I cannot imagine how horrible a feeling this could be for her. After seeing how she sacrificed her freedom for a man (John Indian) and he was not there to rescue her, and now she may have to return to the hardships of slavery again; was frightful.

It occurs to me that, the white men who were slave masters used the Christian religion to hide their evil deeds but they are really the devil themselves. I believe this type of conduct is merely deception to the poor slaves that are being encouraged or forced into knowing God through Christianity.

Tituba was accused of performing curses through witchcraft on several children, the ones she dearly looks after and protects. Four respected high ranking men of the church— including Pastor Samuel Paris, met to pass their own judgment on Tituba. They veiled themselves in black with only eyes exposed to hide their identity to perform wrong doing. The four men tied and tortured Tituba, they punched her in the face and inflict pain through her genital with a sharp stick while mocking her that it is her husband Indian’s prick (pp.91-3).

The act the men performed was more evil than what Satan himself would perhaps do to anyone. When Tituba helped her master’s wife to become well from her illness, Paris did not have any suspicion of Tituba being a witch; yet, he is quick to persecute her for the accusation bestowed upon her now. I named Samuel Paris,Tituba ’s master, the “Evil Pastor” for being so wicked. These cruel white men had no respect for humanity let alone respect for women once they are slaves and black.