In the novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory, by Edwidge Danticat, the author, who grew up in Haiti, uses specific details and characteristics of Haiti itself to add detail and creative aspects to the book. One of the first Haitian aspects introduced to readers is the specific language spoken by the Haitian people, particularly, the main character Sophie. Citizens in Haiti speak both French and Creole, although it is considered a privilege to learn English. Most of the dialect spoken amongst the characters is Creole. The origins of Creole are still debated. Some scholars believe that it arose from a pidgin that developed between French colonists and African slaves in the colonies. Others believe that Creole came to the colony of Saint-Domingue as a full-fledged language, having arisen from the French maritime-trade dialect. Whatever its origins, Creole is linguistically a separate language and not just a corrupted French dialect. For example, in the novel the “bólét” man greets Atie and Sophie by saying “Honeneur, mes belles.” (5) Also, the words “non” and “mwin,” meaning “no” and “me, mine, or mine,” respectively.
A famous aspect of Carribean culture is the alluring sounds of calypso music. Calypso is heavily rooted in West African traditional music, and was originally used as a means of communication between slaves, as well as a form of entertainment. Calypso is generally played on folk instruments, including the guitar, banjo and various types of percussion. In the novel, Sophie comments that she and Joseph buy albums at a nearby Haitian record store. They listen to the “drum and conch shell beats” as they eat lunch everyday. (73) Creole food is also an important part of Haitian culture. When Sopie and her mother go out to dinner with Marc to the Haitian restaurant, Miracin’s, Marc complains about his boudin. Boudin is a specialty sausage is made with a mixture of pork, pork liver, green onions, green bell peppers, spices and cooked rice, piped into sausage casing. However, Marc complains that he can “still taste the animal” and Sophie’s mother replies “it is a pig’s blood after all.” (55) This is referring to a different kind of boudin called Boudin Rouge that uses the blood of the freshly slaughtered pig.
When Sophie returns to Haiti, readers are introduced to the “macoutes” which in Creole, translates into “boogeyman.” The Macoutes were the personal police force of dictator Francois Duvalier of Haiti. They were unpaid volunteers who were given virtual license to torture, kill, and extort. They murdered hundreds of Duvalier's opponents, sometimes publicly hanging the corpses as warnings. When Francois Duvalier’s son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, took over, he changed their name to the National Security Volunteers, though they continued to terrorize the citizenry. Even after their disbandment and overthrow, the group continued to spread terror. In the novel Louise claims that the Macoutes murdered Dessalines. Sophie also comments that parents used to scare their children when they were misbehaving by threatening that the Tonton Macoute will take them away. (138)
Works Cited
"Creole Favorites." French Creoles. Web.
Danticat, Edwidge. Breath, Eyes, Memory. New York: Random House, Inc., 1995. Print.
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