A Wall of Fire Rising by Edwidge Danticat Essay Example

Edwidge Danticat uses her short story "A Wall of Fire Rising" to portray a picture of Haiti for both the proletariat as well as the bourgeoisie. The elemental story is both haunting and sad. It focuses on a father's guilt, shame, and innocence and the love of a mother. The story focuses on the many difficulties that poor families face in a country still characterized by economic and political oppression of those of lower socioeconomic status. Guy, the story's protagonist feels guilty for not providing a comfortable life for his family (Chen43). Guy feels trapped and desperate as he is unlikely to escape the situation. Guy is deeply in love with his wife and children, but their absence and inability to live a fulfilled life are a reminder of how much he has failed.

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The story is dominated by the themes of hope and despair, with Guy, Lili, and Little Guy representing both the former and latter. Guy is particularly known for complaining about and lamenting his generation. Guy claims that his family tree is a cycle of despair. Guy claims that Guy's father was a poor man who had a meagre income and inherited his poverty from his grandfather. Guy spoke to his wife in Guy's own words: "I recall him as a man that I would never want" (Danticat155). The story's title "A Wall of Fire Rising" is derived from Dutty Boukman, a play Little Guy is currently acting in. Boukman, a famous Haitian revolutionary whose valor led Haiti to independence from France, is the subject of this play. Danticat used the play to symbolize hope for Little Guy. Boukman, in essence, is a figure that resonates with the already-solidifying emotions and themes of freedom and hope in the story's setting.

Guy and his family are Danticat's main characters. They have different views on freedom. Little Guy views freedom as one of the main concepts or subjects in the play. Little Guy learns this from memorizing lines of the play about future freedom (Danticat 61). The 7-year old boy doesn't know much about living a happy and free life. Guy, on the other hand, believes freedom is impossible because of his past struggles. Guy focuses on the high unemployment rates in his towns and the scarcity of food. His family survives on flavored water and thoughts. Lili believes that the Assads are too powerful and is optimistic. She also hopes for her husband's success. The story of Danticat in "A Wall of Fire Rising", which is an engaging account of the difficulties faced by Haitians, and their heroic efforts towards freedom, is ultimately what Danticat tells.

Works Cited

Chen, Wilson. “Figures of Flight and Entrapment in Edwidge Danticat’s Krik? Krak!” Rocky Mountain Review, 2011, pp. 36-55.

Danticat, Edwidge. “A Wall of Fire Rising.” Krik? Krak, 1996, pp. 51-80.