“New York Day Women”

Ibrahim Mfosah

Journal #6

English 1121(Prof. Scalan)

April 27th, 2020

New York Day Women

I chose Edwidge Dandicat’s “New York Day Women” as my favorite story. The story is about a woman named Suzette who spots her mother in the middle of the city. She is surprised at her mother for leaving the house, as she thought she never leaves the house. As she follows her around as a detective, she finds out that she has a life outside their home. The story is a sort of critique from the narrator about her mother. Suzette finds out that it was probably a daily routine for her mother, who seems to have even made friends from outings. 

On second look, it looks as if both Suzette, and her mother constantly criticize each other. At the end of the third paragraph, Suzette points out that her mother accuses her of random things, saying, “My mother, who accuses me of random offenses as I dash out of the house.” Anytime Suzette criticizes her mother she starts the sentence with “My mother” followed by a comma. She seems to not like anything about her mother. She refuses to use the gifts her mother gets her, and ends up giving them away. 

I would describe the relationship between them as bitter-sweet. They love each other, because they are family, but they do not like each other on many grounds. She used her lunch hour to follow her around the city, but refused to let her see her.  She loves her mother so much to do that, but not let her know that she has seen her. Also evident is after Suzette decided to go back to work. She was filled with guilt, and emotions as she rode the taxi back to work thinking, “Would Ma have said hello had she been the one to see me first?” 

I think this is more the relationship that people have with their parents as they grow up. Mostly people of other descents(people of the diaspora). It could be due cultural assimilation, or just people trying to fit in, and not necessarily assimilate. 

(358 Words)