Edwidge Danticat wrote about how literature can be both a window and a mirror. I love reading, and used to spend hours reading every day. (Unfortunately, I don't have that much free time anymore.) My collection of books is even in alphabetical order. Since I started reading so early, my school didn't have the resources to show me classics or renowned authors like Danticat's favorites, and instead read YA novels and fantasy stories. Those books became like a second world to me. One of my favorites is called "May Bird," and it's about a girl who travels to the underworld. I had nothing in common with her, but I found myself relating to the skinny only child who made friends with ghosts named "pumpkin head" and dreamed about being a superhero. This book also served as a window to another world, where saving the world was a viable option for a 12 year old girl.
I see the same theme in Krik? Krak! As a white teenager born and raised in America, I have no real connection to the characters. However, the themes of a generational divide and trying to break free from something, even if I am not nearly as oppressed as those in Haiti, are extremely relevant in my own life. In that sense, Krik? Krak! allows me to see myself in the characters, while still escaping to another world.
No comments:
Post a Comment