The earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010 was devastating and a traumatic experience. It caused the death of thousands, and incredible damage to the country. The earthquake caused massive rebuilding within the country, both physically and emotionally. This event encouraged a strengthening between Haiti and the diaspora, an increased nationalism in the 2nd generation Haitian youth, and it brought about political change.
After the earthquake, resources from all over the world were being sent to Haiti. Different organizations were sending aid and support. In general, churches were key in sending information and resources between Haiti and the U.S., “operating in a transnational social field.” Other groups such as the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad and Partners in Health sent thousands of Creole-speaking medical volunteers to help the people. Companies such as Western Union announced a “no transfer fee” to allow relatives to send money to their loved ones. Airlines followed in suit, allowing people to ship things to Haiti with no charge. Digicel, a popular phone company, vowed to replace all SIM cards, offered price reduction and made phone charging stations. This helped relatives as they began to “scramble to communicate.”
With a wave of aid coming in, this was an opportunity to “restructure the political relationship between Haiti and its Diaspora”. In the past people were either with the regime in power, or against it, making citizens abroad not welcome. This cut ties and left the citizens in Haiti and the citizens abroad very divided. After the earthquake, people regained ties as they tried to locate their relatives and send aid.
The earthquake also greatly impacted the second generation youth. When Wyclef Jean ran in the presidential race, he had immense support from the youth and he raised awareness. After the earthquake, universities gathered to contribute to the relief effort and students were proud to identify as Haitian. This was a big difference since the 80’s when people tried to hide their identity. Lundy believes that the second generation are vital to the “reshaping and reconstruction of Haiti.” I think that this sense of identity and nationalism is important in promoting the global support of Haiti, and it could be extremely important in the future of Haiti.
The second half of Dew Breaker was very morbid, but strangely beautiful. I thought Danticat’s ending was bittersweet even though Anne’s husband was the one that killed her brother. I think their relationship wasn’t based on love as much as it was based on the mutual need to survive. The Dew Breaker’s past was always with him because of his scar and because of Anne. He was always in hiding, but he could never escape what he had done to the people in the prison. This book was very well written and captured the struggle of leaving the past behind and trying to move on. Its ironic because the Dew Breaker hunted down people and brought them to prison, but then when he escaped to America, the memories of the people haunted him and he was imprisoned in this fear of being identified. He tried to get rid of his past by drowning the statue, but nothing could help him. I found the story to be extremely powerful, and I loved that it was written from the experiences of those around him. It gave the reader an idea of what life was like in Haiti and in America too at that time. I personally feel bad for both Anne and the Dew Breaker because of their situations. The Dew Breaker tried to get out of the life he led. He did not want to kill anyone anymore, and he was simply done with the military and his lifestyle. Anne, on the other hand, is so different than him. She is very spiritual and faithful, and I feel like she would never hurt anyone. In a sense they balance each other out, but to me it seems like a desperate reliance on one another to stay alive and to be supported. Anne, like the majority of the women in the book, was a healer, while the Dew Breaker caused bloodshed. Overall, I really liked this book and was a big fan of Danticat’s writing style.
