"TASTE OF SALT" (FRANCES TEMPLE).   Term Paper ID:24510 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines novel's depiction of characters' struggle for justice & freedom against poverty & oppression in Haiti, in multicultural context.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines novel's depiction of characters' struggle for justice & freedom against poverty & oppression in Haiti, in multicultural context. Paper Introduction: Frances Temple, in the novel Taste of Salt, explores the oppression of two characters involved in the fight for justice in Haiti. As much as the story is about the struggle of Djo and Jeremie, it is also about the power of stories to change people and situations for the better. The novel may be about Haiti specifically, but it is a multicultural work in the sense that its power as an account of courage and faith cuts across all cultures, nations and nationalities. This study will focus on that courage and faith of the two heroes of the book insofar as their story and their strength offer hope to people of all cultures in their personal and political fight for justice and freedom. Djo's story is told to Jeremie and her tape recorder at the behest of Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who is trying to oust Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Aristide, or Titid as he is called, treats Djo and the other boyswith respect, a response they do not find much in dealing with adults. . The childhood of Djo is shown to be one of both great poverty andgreat love. Of course, the rich and powerfuldo not want the poor educated or organized. We are family. As Titid says to Djo, "TheHaitian church is rich, thanks to the poor, in a country that is poorbecause of the rich" (29). The only hopethe poor have is to work together for education, for justice, forrevolution if necessary. At the same time, those whoare uneducated, who work day and night for little pay, are themselveszombies of a sort, slaving while the few rich people prosper. Titid goes on to explain that the poor are richin that they have one another in "solidarity" (29). The message from Temple about the need forfamily and teamwork is meant to minimize these differences for the sake ofproductive rather than destructive lives: "All you shoeshine boys, you car-shine boys, you street boys, you could make a club and help one another"(2 ). Aristidedeals every day with poverty and fear and hunger and yet he maintains deepreligious faith which gives him courage and hope that what he is doing isgood and will help others. They learn that theyshare the same longings, fears, hopes. For the purposes of Temple'sportrayal of life among the poor children of Haiti, this "taste of salt"refers to the books (called "Taste Salt") which teach them to read andbegin to awaken from their ignorance (26-27). But the poor of everyculture, represented in this book especially by Djo, can and mustsee the world from the "our" perspective. . Djo says, "Is hope they want to kill, Jeremie," to whichJeremie responds, "Is hope we need to keep alive, then, Djo" (172). The title of the book has to do with awakening from the sleep ofignorance. Aristide's story is closely connected with Djo's and Jeremie's. If one is relatively welloff economically in the United States, for example, this does not mean thatone cannot care about the suffering of the poor in the United States,Haiti, or anywhere else. This spiritualmessage of courage and faith cuts across all cultural differences. Delivering an unwanted message, the boys arebeaten up and are taken to the church to meet Aristide, who will changetheir lives. . They steal wire to give light to a shed he has letthem stay in. . Djo is saying that some people ask,"Why does Titid trouble with all these good-for-nothing boys?" Djo answershis own question: I think maybe without us Titid would fly away with his too much braininess. Inhelping them help themselves, he is helping himself. For example, the boys, because ofhunger and poverty and a lack of work, are driven to help a "thieforganization" as messengers. Work CitedTemple, Frances. in a country suchas Haiti, this disparity is even more extreme. We are family and also team (24- 25). There shouldbe a solidarity not only among the poor in Haiti, not only among the poorin every culture, but among the poor and non-poor in every culture, asolidarity of human beings struggling for justice and freedom for all. Another part of our story" (144). As much asthe story is about the struggle of Djo and Jeremie, it is also about thepower of stories to change people and situations for the better. For thestory which follows, the emphasis on the spiritual is also importantbecause it underscores the fact that there is something more than just apolitical struggle going on. This sense of family and team is perhaps the most important point ofthe book from a multicultural perspective. The entire book is an interwoven mosaic of hope and pain, fear andfaith. . For those who suffer in poverty in anynation, any culture, hope comes in one context--togetherness. While admiring their work and initiative, he teaches them itis wrong to steal and makes them take it down. Whatthis book does is show the courage nd strength of the poor in human terms,in characters whom the reader comes to care deeply about, and admire fortheir determination to keep struggling against hopelessness. New York: HarperTrophy, 1992.----------------------- 6 Djo's story of his and his cousin Lally's determination to get aneducation on their own, a note of hope, is followed immediately by Djo'sdescription of the broken teeth he suffered in the bombing that has put himin the hospital where he now tells his story. . Beyond him, behind the picture, be spirit. Djo sees a peculiar painting of Jesus on thewall and asks his father, "Why do that man look so sick, like his eyesrolled back like he go into a fit?" His father answers: "In the picture Jesus just going into a trance. The divisions in the worldbetween haves and have-nots, between political factions, between societiesand nations and cultures and races--these divisions are the source of mostof the misery in the world. He teaches them a number of lessons which are important toyouth in every culture. What ishappening in this book and in its depiction of injustice in Haiti ishappening in every culture to varying degrees. Just as the bombing has led to his meeting Jeremie and their life-affirming discoveries together, so do other instances of suffering bringopportunities for spiritual awakening. Of course, the most important part of that statement from Jeremie isthe word "our." This is the word that stands in stark contrast to the word"my." The differences in cultures, races, economic classes, all focus onthe conflicts between those who have money and power and those who do not.Those to whom money and power are the most important things in life willalways see the world from the "my" perspective. Taste of Salt. The way he grab the hair of a small boy, or lock his elbow around my neck sometime, I know we are not mostly trouble for Titid. One passage calls tomind the Buddha's decision to stay on earth and help enlighten othersinstead of going straight into nirvana. Just as Djo finds a longing to go on with his life and with thefight for justice, despite his injury, so does Jeremie discover her ownrole a nd importance in the struggle after telling her story: "I am amazedat what I have written here. . At the beginning of that story Djo remembers a lesson from hisfather in multiculturalism. Yet his injury leads him to tell his story toJeremie, who then tells him her story. . Beyond him be Damballah. Damballah is god in Guinee Africa and here in Haiti, too (11). Of course, it is in the revolutionary fight for freedom and justicethat Djo is injured badly. . . They find strength in expressing thestories that make up their lives, their struggles, their losses andvictories. . Again, the message of the author is clearly meant to cut acrosscultural lines: all sensitive readers must feel empathy for Djo and hissiblings and their parents as they struggle to survive, to find food, justas all readers must feel warmth from Djo's portrait of the love in thefamily as they make this basic struggle (14-15). Again, the message isfamily, teamwork, solidarity. The souls of the heroes are being strengthenedby their struggle on the political and earthly levels. The suggestions here, of course, are that there is one God behind thedifferent religious interpretations of the many cultures, and that that Godis spirit which transcends material differences among the cultures. Spirit of life. The lack of education of the poor is a centerpiece of the book,carrying the message that the poor must be educated to have a chance toescape their poverty, hunger and misery. Djo and Jeremie recognize theneed for hope, courage and strength in solidarity in their final exchangein the book. Hetakes them seriously, just as he takes the Scriptures seriously. Specifically, it refers to the taste of salt which willsupposedly awaken a person from a state of zombiehood, thereby allowing theformer zombie to attain knowledge and freedom. . Djo's story is told to Jeremie and her tape recorder at the behest ofFather Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who is trying to oust the militarydictatorship of the country and bring justice and mercy to the poor peopleof Haiti. It is because he is the Go-between, going between the true spirit and the human beings like we-all. It is truly a human struggle inwhich Djo and Jeremie are engaged, not simply a Haitian struggle. This study will focus on that courageand faith of the two heroes of the book insofar as their story and theirstrength offer hope to people of all cultures in their personal andpolitical fight for justice and freedom. This is another important part ofthe message of the book in multicultural terms--human beings come closer toone another through hearing one another's stories. The rich in Haiti and every culture often do notwant to know about the poor, or blame the poor for their own poverty. Titid was right: I have a story, too,Djo. Frances Temple, in the novel Taste of Salt, explores the oppressionof two characters involved in the fight for justice in Haiti. Again, thisis a situation which cuts across cultural and national lines--the great andtragic disparity between the many poor and the few rich. The "zombies"who are the poor must not allow themselves, must not be allowed, to give uphope and accept their misery as unending. The novelmay be about Haiti specifically, but it is a multicultural work in thesense that its power as an account of courage and faith cuts across allcultures, nations and nationalities. The great multicultural message of this book is hope. 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