Haiti

6 Pages 1500 Words

In the Haitian culture children are considered to be their parent’s property. In American culture children are conditioned to believe that they are free – even from their parents. The two philosophies regarding parent-child relationships causes conflict in cross-cultural families. In her short story, “Caroline’s Wedding,” Edwidge Danticat exposes the cultural struggle between mother and daughter. The daughter, Caroline, is raised in America, and as a result, has adopted the country’s customs. The mother’s homeland, however, is Haiti. “Ma,” as she is referred to throughout the story, has difficulty preserving the Haitian traditions that she values, and accepting the American customs that surround her. Furthermore, she has difficulty accepting that her daughter has become “Americanized.” In Caroline’s Wedding, Ma is initially upset that her youngest daughter is marrying out of the family’s Haitian culture. Ma struggles to accept that Caroline is engaged to a Bahamian man, and that their engagement and wedding plans are non-traditional. Throughout the story, Danticat shows Ma’s growing acceptance of the wedding. She shows Ma increasingly being able to understand her daughter’s decision to marry. Finally, Ma fully accepts the marriage. Her acceptance of the marriage results because she sees herself mirrored in her daughter. She realizes that despite cultural differences, they both experience genuine love. Second, Ma uses her oldest daughter, Grace, as a bridge between the two cultures. Ma is Haitian, Caroline is American, and Grace can associate to both cultures. Grace, then, helps her mother and sister understand one another. Finally, Ma accepts the marriage because she lets go of Caroline, realizing that she will still be a part of her life. Throughout Caroline’s engagement and wedding Ma shows that she is capable of accepting American customs while preserving her own Haitian culture.
Ma begins to accept ...