Davis Summary

        In this journal Davis analyzes Danticat’s Krik?Krak!, and how the oral narrative in her literature develops the identities of her characters, cultural and historical background.  The author portrays how Danticat’s application of the “short story cycle” allows her to present stories portraying the individuality of the characters yet at the same time presenting the community’s impact on the work. Davis states that the short story cycle allows Danticat’s work to be both independent and interdependent.

To analyze and present this concept to the audience Davis views the stories from Krik?Krak!, the themes, and subjects handled throughout them and presents other’s scholars opinion of the literature. Davis observes that Danticat’s work replicates storytelling, and through this storytelling Walter Ong argues she creates a sense of unity with her readers. Another expert, Sarah Hardy argues that Danticat’s spoken narratives and short story cycle allow for the creation of different stories with an analogous theme that immerge the reader in a Haitian story sharing tradition. Davis highlights that the immersion of factual events of Haitian history and traditions heals and maintains links of the present with the past. This can be seen in many stories, such as “Nineteen thirty-seven”, “Children of the Sea”, “A wall of Fire rising” and “Women Like US”, Davis argues. Throughout these stories Danticat presents the traditions of Haitians, such as verbal games. These verbal games entertained them in times of suffering, and portrayed how they were a unity, as only they knew those verbal games, as is the case in the interchange of word when Jacquelyne sees Josephine in “Nineteen Thirty-Seven”.  Another tradition that is kept in Danticat’s writing is that mother-daughter bond which collectivized linking all women together, Davis highlights. Due to the employment of the short story cycle recurring images and themes are presented, such as the butterfly, wish of flight/escape, and death of infants/innocence. These themes represent the historical facts and events of the Haitian people; they look for reconciliation after losing their identity and even after death.

Davis concludes that the short story cycle presented by Danticat unites the reader with Haitian history. Due to the repetition of themes and oral narrative the tribulations and plight of Haitians is clearly depicted as they attempt to transform and grow. This journal helps me understand how to execute a literary analysis in a different manner.