42 pages • 1 hour read
Edwidge DanticatThe Dew Breaker
Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Scars
Scars in this novel symbolize markers of Haiti’s traumatic past. They can be either physical or psychological; however, most of the important symbolic scars in the novel are physical. Ka’s father, for example, has the scar on his face to testify to his misdeeds. On the other hand, Estina, Dany’s aunt, has her blind eyes and burned hands to testify to the violence done to her and her family. We understand that many of these scars will not go away; instead, we have to hope that the next generation will learn from the scarred generation and prevent such trauma from happening again.
Additionally, there is a deceptive element to these scars, particularly in Part 1. Ka’s father lies to conceal the truth behind his scar, and he often uses his hands to hide it from view. He regards his scar as a brand, a public reminder of his past, when he was a cog in the machine of the Haitian regime. Although others do not know what the scar really means, Ka’s father can never forget, and just as the scar is permanently etched into his skin, his personal history is an indelible mark on his conscience and soul. Still, his deception creates tension between him and his daughter. Ka chose the mahogany for her sculpture because of its “scars,” seeing beauty and a reflection of her father in the superficial cracks. But as we learn, Ka’s understanding of her father and the origin of his scar is similarly superficial.
Doubles
In this novel, doubles haunt characters but also offer them redemption. Ka is her father’s chance at redemption, and he named her Ka because it is the ancient Egyptian word for the soul connected to the body, which can guide one to the afterlife. Ka’s sculpture also serves as a double, in that she created it to honor her father; his attempt to destroy it reflects his hope that it will lead him to the afterlife. However, he is also haunted by the double of his wife’s stepbrother, whom he killed. This dead man, a preacher, was an inverse reflection of the dew breaker in his commitment to a cause. The character Nadine has a double in terms of the life that she could have led had immigration not placed her in a fractured situation; she could have lived with Eric, but instead another woman (her double, a woman Eric married in Haiti) takes her place.
Miracles
Ka’s mother, Anne, believes in the reality of miracles from the time that she is a young woman. There is much in this novel that could be deemed miraculous, from Anne’s relationship to the dew breaker to the death of Estina during Dany’s visit. In this novel, miracles are simply life-changing events that defy our expectations and plausibility.
Art and Writing
Many parts suggest that art has the power to heal. Ka’s sculpture at the beginning of the novel is her way of commemorating her heritage. Although she learns that she was deceived regarding this legacy, Ka knows that she will start again and capture the new reality in future art. Likewise, Aline will use writing to understand and come to terms with the lived experiences of her fellow Haitian Americans. This theme of the power of art and writing underpins the function of the novel, suggesting that the book itself is part of a process of understanding and healing.
Invisible Bonds
The structure of this novel, a set of connected stories from a variety of perspectives, suggests that life, especially for Haitian Americans, is both fragmented and yet surprisingly united. Many of the characters, such as Nadine, feel very much alone; however, all the characters are united by invisible bonds, for good or ill.
Fatherhood
Fatherhood is a metaphor for political leadership in this novel, although Danticat is not necessarily saying that political leaders should be men. Ka’s father in his youth embodies the totalitarian dictator on a smaller scale, and one of the novel’s key questions is whether he can truly change and become a loving father. Ka’s relationship with her father, and Anne’s relationship with her husband, parallel the Haitian people’s relationship with their nation’s government (even though the government, like Ka’s father, has since changed). We see this difficult relationship echoed throughout the novel. Michel, for example, has mixed feelings about his father Christophe, and Claude killed his father due to their differences. Michel decides to prevent his own son from experiencing such feelings by recording the truth to pass on to his son, a gesture to encourage understanding between generations.
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By Edwidge Danticat
