Danticat, Edwidge: * 1969

Breath, Eyes, Memory, 1994 - Information About the Book

General Information | Facts | Author | Commentary | Articles

General Information
- Good for Discussing:
  Mother-Daughter Relationship
  Shaping of Identity within Haitian Culture
- "Breath, Eyes, Memory" is about a young Haitian girl named Sophia, whose mother leaves her with an aunt in Haiti as a baby and moves to New York to escape bad memories and get a better life for herself. See Summary.
- Information from Wikipedia
- Information from Symbolism
- Edwidge Danticat’s inspiration for writing “Breath, Eyes, Memory.”
  
  Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1969, Danticat was separated from her parents at a young age when they emigrated to the United States. She was raised by her aunt and uncle in Haiti until she joined her parents in New York at the age of twelve. This personal history mirrors that of Sophie, the novel’s protagonist, who also experiences a childhood in Haiti before moving to the U.S. to reunite with her mother.
  The story explores the complexities of identity, family relationships, and generational trauma, reflecting Danticat’s own struggles with assimilation and cultural preservation.
  Writing the novel was a way for Danticat to process her own memories and familial bonds, making it an intimate exploration of identity and healing.
Facts
- Awards:
  
  Some of the most notable awards are:
  American Book Award: In 1999, Danticat received the American Book Award for "Breath, Eyes, Memory." This award recognizes outstanding literary achievement by diverse authors.
  Oprah's Book Club Selection: The novel was selected for Oprah Winfrey's book club in 1998, which significantly boosted its popularity and readership.
- Topics
  
  Trauma and Sexual Violence
  The novel delves into the intergenerational trauma caused by sexual violence, as Sophie's mother Martine was raped at a young age, leading her to impose harmful "testing" rituals on Sophie to ensure her virginity. This cycle of abuse and its lasting psychological impacts on women is a central focus.
  Mother-Daughter Relationships
  The complex, fraught relationship between Sophie and her mother Martine is explored, shaped by Martine's own trauma, cultural expectations, and her attempts to instill certain values in Sophie. Their bond evolves as Sophie comes to understand her mother's past.
  Haitian Culture and Identity
  Danticat vividly portrays Haitian culture, traditions, folklore, and the challenges of navigating identity for Haitian immigrants like Sophie who move to the United States. The novel highlights the difficulties of assimilation and maintaining cultural ties.
  Memory and the Past
  Memory plays a crucial role, as the characters grapple with haunting memories of trauma, loss, and their connection to their personal histories and Haitian heritage. The novel suggests confronting and reframing memories is necessary for healing.
  Gender Roles and Patriarchy
  The novel critiques patriarchal structures and expectations placed on women in Haitian society, exploring how practices like virginity testing and gender-based violence stem from female oppression.
  In summary, "Breath, Eyes, Memory" is a poignant exploration of trauma, cultural identity, gender dynamics, and the powerful bonds and struggles within families and communities
- Key Facts
- General Perception
  
  The novel was praised for its lyrical prose and poignant storytelling. Danticat's narrative style, which weaves together the personal and the political, resonated with many critics.
  Readers have generally responded positively to the novel, appreciating its emotional depth and the strength of its characters. Many readers find the book's exploration of generational trauma and resilience both heartbreaking and inspiring.
  
  "Breath, Eyes, Memory" is often included in discussions of important works in feminist literature, immigrant narratives, and books that tackle the themes of trauma and healing.
  
  Overall, "Breath, Eyes, Memory" is regarded as a powerful and moving debut that introduced Edwidge Danticat's compelling voice to a wide audience, receiving both critical and popular acclaim.
- Reader Rating:
Author
- Edwidge Danticat on writing her first novel "Breath, Eyes, Memory." Minnesota Public Radio; Sept. 25, 2013
- Edwidge Danticat reads and talks about the novel. Introduction by Amber Edwards, host of State of the Arts, New Jersey PublicTelevision; 1994
Commentary
- This novel weaves together issues of sexual development, sexuality, and body-image as well as the relationship of political violence to sexual violence. It also looks at family relationships and the possibility of healing even within ravaged histories. The book is beautifully evocative of Haiti and of the experience of immigration. (Sophie recalls the hell of going to school with non-Haitians where "HBO" –-Haitian Body Odor-–was a common complaint and where one was immediately suspected of having HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). She also remembers the ways a trans-national Haitian community was forged in New York.) The brief section that deals with Sophie's therapy experience barely escapes trendy cliché, but usefully looks at the issue of cross-cultural, multicultural therapeutic methods. Danticat links the political reality of Sophie's mother's rape by one of Haiti's highly feared Tonton Macoute (government death squad members) with Sophie's own troubles, but insists that healing must go beyond political analysis to include personal growth and change, a growth that includes coming to terms with the secrets and trauma of one's own individual and familial history.
  Stanford, Ann Folwell, DePaul University
  Excerpted, with permission, from the Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database at New York University School of Medicine, © New York University.
  
  The novel, though uneven, especially in the later chapters, and rather too full of incident, offers much insight into lives shaped by poverty, sexual violence, cultural displacement, and broken relationships. Despite the many hard experiences depicted, the depiction of female bonds, the ways women sustain community even in situations of abandonment and sorrow, conveys hope. Sophie, her aunt, and her mother are all memorable characters--women who have survived and borne much, who carry pain and sometimes inflict pain as a result, but whose resourcefulness and capacity to choose life on compromised terms testifies to the depths of resilience many find even after deep trauma. The mother's eventual suicide is tragic, but the fury it evokes in Sophie seems yet another reassertion of life force in the midst of violence and loss.
  Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, UC Berkeley
  Excerpted, with permission, from the Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database at New York University School of Medicine, © New York University.
Articles: General Information | Detailed/Scholarly Information
- General Information:
- Structure, Narrative devices and conflict: "The video gives a general overview of structure and narrative but based on the title alone it’s not clearly deeply detailed or comprehensive."
- How to analyze the themes: "The video provides a thematic breakdown and interpretation of Breath, Eyes, Memory that can help viewers understand key ideas like trauma, identity, and mother‑daughter relationships, but it likely isn’t comprehensive compared with full written analyses or study guides."
- Daffodils symbolize strength and resilience. When Sophie leaves for New York, she is wearing a yellow dress embroidered with daffodils. She also describes the daffodil as a flower that was not supposed to grow in Haiti but was brought there anyway and was forced to adapt to survive in the heat.
- Daffodils: "The article offers a narrow symbolic focus on daffodils (e.g. how Sophie likens herself to a resilient flower uprooted from home)." January 21, 2012
- Analysis of Chapter 1: "The article gives a useful overview of the start of Breath, Eyes, Memory and introduces key characters and emotional setup, but it’s not deeply analytical compared with full literary criticism." CSEC English B; June 3, 2020
- Detailed/Scholarly Information:
- Review: "A thoughtful summary highlighting key themes like generational trauma, mother‑daughter relationships, cultural identity, and the psychological weight of memory and sexual politics". Kirkus Reviews; May 19, 2010
- Review: "The article is a solid review that clearly explains the novel’s themes of generational trauma, Haitian culture, and a mother‑daughter relationship shaped by past violence." I Would Rather Be Reading; February 21, 2024
- World of Words: "The article is quite informative and effectively highlights the novel’s core themes of identity, trauma, and the mother–daughter relationship, though it focuses on personal reflection rather than academic analysis." The Stanford Daily; April 10, 2024
- Characters and symbols: "The video is a brief summary/analysis of characters and symbols in Breath, Eyes, Memory rather than a deep scholarly discussion."
- Immigrant Maladies and Mythical Norms: "The article provides a thoughtful academic reading that deepens understanding of the novel’s immigrant and cultural dimensions". Isabel Valiela; Gettysburg College. July 4, 2015 (pdf 13pp)
- Trauma, Hybridity, and Creolization: "The article offers a detailed, academically grounded analysis that explains key themes like trauma, identity, memory, and mother‑daughter relationships in Danticat’s novel". Chloé Gonthier; August 2020