Children of the Sea

The story of Children of the Sea in Edwidge Danticat’s Krik?Krak! begins by describing the fact that the main character finds out the limitations of what he sees while floating in sea in a boat of escaped Hatians result of the escape from a military coup of his homeland. He narrates as he is writing a letter to his lost love with whom he became separated from in the rush with his family to find safety and a better life. With the 32 passengers aboard, he provides details of their daily living as to not only document his experiences but also to express his desires of hope. He describes the sails of the boat mentioning semen as to introduce the symbolism of rape, not only of a character for which he references later on in the continuation of his narrative, but the ideal of what has become of his nation.

The other type of narration seems to be that from the girl he professes his love for. It seems she too is writing to maintain a connection of what she is familiar with to possibly escape her traumatic reality. The mention of tapes for which his voice can be heard seems to indicate he must have been on the radio or perhaps he created a vocal history recorded. The image of the butterflies is the most prevalent describing one for hope and the other as death. She describes in detail about the military tyranny and her family hiding their political allegiance. She mentions the disapproval of her father’s view of their relationship, but the sacrifice he made throwing out their possessions to protect her.

The difference of visual type is effective in letting the reader keep up with who is narrating and picking up the pieces as it flows from one conversation to the next. The boy talks about the pregnant teen ager, Celianne, who had been raped by the soldiers and discovered she was with child. It seems there is an implied allegation he is a political member of the Youth Federation movement and therefore needed to escape or face being killed or tortured by the military. He speaks of land knowing what you can see however, the water, blended together like being lost not knowing where it begins or ends.

The female talks about her new home among the banyan trees, which she was told by her mother held holy spirits. She describes finding comfort where the trees branches reach the earth, not knowing where it begins or ends, as the mountains she can see. She knows the male is out in the sea, without being able to see the waters. She once again describes if a black butterfly land on her hand, it brings bad news. So whenever she sees them she throws rocks in an attempt to divert any possible bad news about the man she loves besides her father.

The current events narrated by the young man become more horrid with stories about the young pregnant girl who gives birth. The hope that the birth will provide hope yet it does not make a sound. The young girl has to make a decision and throws the baby overboard and jumps in after it, drowning. She became a victim of the brutality that struck her homeland even though she tried to escape. He mentions his hope is also ending, the fear of not making it to safety or being united with his love. As he writes in his notebook to record his thoughts in hopes the messages will reach her, he tells a man on the boat he is writing his will. This is when his hope is lost. Although he ends by talking about eternal life at sea, it is evident his visions of mermaid symbolizes his death, yet the girl is looking for a butterfly for good news. She eventually heard the news on the radio about another boat sunken in the sea, it is then she is able to see butterflies, yet they are black butterflies. It is then she realize her love is lost yet as he accepts death, he views it as joining his family, a rebirth.