Summary:
In the culminating pages of the book, readers learn of the details of the day in which Santiago was assassinated. The brothers were still somewhat hesitant to continue with the job, but in conclusion, they got drunk and ended up agreeing it would continue. Everyone in town eventually learned of what was going to happen to Santiago Nasar because the brothers kept announcing that they were going to kill him. Although some believed they were clearly only drunk and would not be doing anything, others did take them seriously, especially the wife of the owner of the butcher shop. Eventually, the police and the mayor heard of what they were planning, but they did very little, claiming they had done what they could.
Little can actually be done to prove of what happened that exact day Santiago Nasar was killed. The mayor and police officer claim that they had sent them home, but that does not mean they will not go back and continue on with their plan. Neighbors don't have an exact idea of where he was going, because while some claim he was going home, others claim that he went to his fiance's house. Santiago's mother felt extremely guilty in the end when she could have prevented her son from getting killed by waiting a few seconds until he got in the house. Even so, he was still killed, and the entire time she thought he was already inside his house making the twins go away. She did not even look outside until her son was practically death right at the door of his own home, and he had tried to call his mother several times. In the end, when Santiago found out he was going to be killed, he was paralyzed, and his mental shock could have also contributed to him not having much emotion as he was continuously being stabbed. At least he was able to live for a little bit longer and died inside his home.
Quote:
"During the trial, which lasted only three days. the representative of the people put his greatest effort into the weakness of that charge. Such was the perplexity of the investigating magistrate that his good work at times seemed ruined by disillusionment" (Marquez 100).
Reaction:
Upon completion of this book, it is fair to say that the reader ends up annoyed and frustrated of the events that led up to the assassination of Santiago Nasar. Since the actual day of his murder, everybody knew who was going to do it and how, yet everyone managed to find an excuse in how they could not be blamed. Some claim that they did warn others ahead of time, but even so, they could have mislead Santiago somehow so he would not have ended up going home. However, that was not the case, especially having to do with the mayor, because he overall did not care. It was an upsetting end that makes readers wish they could have intervened to stop Santiago from dying while being innocent.
I chose this quote because it can really make a reader stop to think. It makes people want to put the book down because of the frustration one immediately feels. If it is more than obvious that Santiago Nasar is innocent in this entire thing, then why did Angela Vicario keep accusing him? What was the purpose of her doing that if it was her own husband who had done her harm? This quote, to me, greatly reflected the annoyance of the people and even the lawyer, who knew that his death wasn't right, and yet the entire case was so complicating that it was hard to prove his case. This quote also shows a reader's frustration because, at this point, Santiago Nasar was innocent the entire time, and people that knew that he was going to get killed claimed they did what they could to stop it, when in reality, they did nothing when it could have been prevented in a thousand different ways.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Pages 1-60)
Summary
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez depicts the story behind Santiago Nasar's plotted assassination. The story is told in first story narration by a reporter who was close friends with Santiago. It began with going back through time to retell the actual day Santiago Nasar was killed. He had woken up due to a bad dream and told his mother, but his mother misinterpreted all the signs in the dream as being health for him, so he did not worry about it too much (Marquez 6). He kept going about his day to go see a bishop that was due to arrive, but the bishop only went in passing, and did not stay long in the town. Different neighbors retold the reporter different parts of the day that Santiago Nasar was killed, and it was more than obvious that everybody in town knew what was going to happen to Santiago.
The rest of the chapter proceeded with the backwards motion of mentioning of Angela Vicario, and her wedding with Bayardo San Roman. His strange arrival caused a bit of commotion to the town, but then everybody soon learned about him and did not worry about him too much. Angela says that she does not want to marry Bayardo, but her family convinces her to because he is rich and she can learn to love him. Their wedding day comes and everybody has a good time. Santiago Nasar has not been killed yet, and he has tried to estimate the price of the entire wedding. Then, when the celebrations ended, Bayardo and Angela go off on their honeymoon in a house Bayardo bought for Angela nearby, only to return her back home. He learned that she has married him without being a virgin (something taken very seriously) and thus Angela's mom beats her. Then Angela's twin brothers ask her who was it that did it to her, and she tells him it was Santiago (Marquez 47). That was how the complot to kill Santiago Nasar arose.
The next chapter takes place in court, people testifying and recounting the day of Santiago's death. The Vicario brothers said that they would have done it again had they been given other chances to do so, and then readers learn about how these brothers made their plans. They used sacrificial knives and sharpened them at the butcher shop. Everybody who saw them that day claimed they all thought the brothers were only drunk and did not know what they were saying. Eventually the whole town found out of what was going to happen, including the mayor, but all he did to supposedly "stop" these brothers was to take their weapons away. Nonetheless, they came back to the butcher shop with another pair of knives. It was also learned here that the brothers had a disagreement about what to do, but eventually agreed on getting the job done.
Quote
"Nor did Santiago Nasar recognize the omen. He had slept little and poorly, without getting undressed, and he woke up with a headache and a sediment of copper stirrup on his palate, and he interpreted them as the natural havoc of the wedding revels that had gone on until after midnight" (Marquez 4).
Reaction
During the first few chapters read, it can be confusing to understand the plot of what is going on in the book. Only after a while can it be understood that the narrator is working backwards, retelling the story in a backwards way, and then working forwards. It is also confusing how no one seemed to have warn Santiago, even if practically the entire town knew ahead of time. It seems suspicious that no one seemed to want to help Santiago, especially considering that he was rich. It could be a possibility that no one warned him because they were afraid of the Vicario brothers, but also because they may have felt Santiago deserved it.
I chose this quote because just within the first pages it was more than obvious that this assassination was going to happen. Reading before the page provided lets readers know that he was having bad dreams, and how he was waking up feeling sick. It never occurred to him or his mother that these were all bad signs of something terrible that was going to happen. I just found it ironic that, since Santiago's mother was someone who could decipher dreams, could not foreshadow the death of her own son, nor that Santiago did not feel the least bit strange that day.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez depicts the story behind Santiago Nasar's plotted assassination. The story is told in first story narration by a reporter who was close friends with Santiago. It began with going back through time to retell the actual day Santiago Nasar was killed. He had woken up due to a bad dream and told his mother, but his mother misinterpreted all the signs in the dream as being health for him, so he did not worry about it too much (Marquez 6). He kept going about his day to go see a bishop that was due to arrive, but the bishop only went in passing, and did not stay long in the town. Different neighbors retold the reporter different parts of the day that Santiago Nasar was killed, and it was more than obvious that everybody in town knew what was going to happen to Santiago.
The rest of the chapter proceeded with the backwards motion of mentioning of Angela Vicario, and her wedding with Bayardo San Roman. His strange arrival caused a bit of commotion to the town, but then everybody soon learned about him and did not worry about him too much. Angela says that she does not want to marry Bayardo, but her family convinces her to because he is rich and she can learn to love him. Their wedding day comes and everybody has a good time. Santiago Nasar has not been killed yet, and he has tried to estimate the price of the entire wedding. Then, when the celebrations ended, Bayardo and Angela go off on their honeymoon in a house Bayardo bought for Angela nearby, only to return her back home. He learned that she has married him without being a virgin (something taken very seriously) and thus Angela's mom beats her. Then Angela's twin brothers ask her who was it that did it to her, and she tells him it was Santiago (Marquez 47). That was how the complot to kill Santiago Nasar arose.
The next chapter takes place in court, people testifying and recounting the day of Santiago's death. The Vicario brothers said that they would have done it again had they been given other chances to do so, and then readers learn about how these brothers made their plans. They used sacrificial knives and sharpened them at the butcher shop. Everybody who saw them that day claimed they all thought the brothers were only drunk and did not know what they were saying. Eventually the whole town found out of what was going to happen, including the mayor, but all he did to supposedly "stop" these brothers was to take their weapons away. Nonetheless, they came back to the butcher shop with another pair of knives. It was also learned here that the brothers had a disagreement about what to do, but eventually agreed on getting the job done.
Quote
"Nor did Santiago Nasar recognize the omen. He had slept little and poorly, without getting undressed, and he woke up with a headache and a sediment of copper stirrup on his palate, and he interpreted them as the natural havoc of the wedding revels that had gone on until after midnight" (Marquez 4).
Reaction
During the first few chapters read, it can be confusing to understand the plot of what is going on in the book. Only after a while can it be understood that the narrator is working backwards, retelling the story in a backwards way, and then working forwards. It is also confusing how no one seemed to have warn Santiago, even if practically the entire town knew ahead of time. It seems suspicious that no one seemed to want to help Santiago, especially considering that he was rich. It could be a possibility that no one warned him because they were afraid of the Vicario brothers, but also because they may have felt Santiago deserved it.
I chose this quote because just within the first pages it was more than obvious that this assassination was going to happen. Reading before the page provided lets readers know that he was having bad dreams, and how he was waking up feeling sick. It never occurred to him or his mother that these were all bad signs of something terrible that was going to happen. I just found it ironic that, since Santiago's mother was someone who could decipher dreams, could not foreshadow the death of her own son, nor that Santiago did not feel the least bit strange that day.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Why the Roosters Fight (Pages 211- 251) (**End of Book**)
Summary:
In the terminating pages of the book, politics was a continued topic. There were a lot more struggles with achieving the goal of becoming President, though, and police officers were out to enforce their own laws. For a change, Dominicans were put in the spot and were discriminated, just like they had done to the Haitians plenty of times before. Guillermo Linares was then brought up, who would eventually become a widely noted "caballero" (or gentleman of highest order). As a child, he struggled to find his identity, and he struggled in learning English. Eventually, he did learn the language and became an American citizen. He proceeded to become a teacher, but he also became an activist that pushed for the needs of Dominican students (214).
Through Linares' advocation, him and other community leaders gave a start for Dominicans to get elected to the school board, where they pushed for the inclusion of their culture to be incorporated more into education. Many Dominican role models rose above these circumstances, including Euclid Mejia. who became the first Dominican principial of a New York high school where three-quarters of the students were Dominican. Linares was gaining political fame, but it would not last long, because when a proposal came up to remove bodegas (corner stores), Linares voted to approve the person who proposed the plan. Because of this, he became known as traitor to his community and for "not being Dominican enough" (215).
It was then brought up how emigrating to the United States from the Dominican Republic was becoming a lot easier, especially obtaining a visa. More politics was brought up, including Jose Fernandez, who would become the representation of the Dominican community in Congress. Following all the politics, a quick synopsis of the biography of Leonel Fernandez was given, and how he got to the place he is today. Also, with the election of Bill Clinton, Dominicans hoped that the pressure of to limit the benefits that immigrants received would stop, yet Dominicans in New York still struggled to live between the two different worlds. Shifting topics, the concluding chapter basically talked about carnivals and festivities that both the Dominican Republic and Haiti celebrate. Each has its own style, yet both are parallel in their structure, and through this carnival, Dominicans and Haitians are brought together despite their constant conflicts.
Quote:
"During Carnival, the festival that flaunts limits and rules, real conflicts briefly disappear as Dominicans and Haitians celebrate their differences and their common roots. Haiti is no longer on the other side of the border, New York no longer across the water" (Wucker 251).
Reaction:
Through the ending of the book, Wucker gave a great sense of understanding the rest of the political history of the Dominican Republic. It was great to learn about all the Dominicans in New York that worked very hard and became very successful in achieving benefits for the Dominican community. Haiti had been shed a lot of light for understanding the living conditions the majority of the Haitians faced, as was with the Dominican Republic. Learning about each individual country with a designated chapter(s) really gave a lot of background knowledge in understanding why the people are the way they are. However, looking back through the history and all the struggles faced, it's very clear that these two countries that share the island should be united rather than separated, because their history and their suffering tie in together more than they realize.
I chose this quote because it is final proof that, despite it all, Haiti and the Dominican Republic can coexist in the same island in harmony. It's fascinating to see that through a common festivity, everything can be forgotten and everyone enjoys themselves. At the same time, it is sad to see that only through a big celebration can conflicts be set aside. It makes people reflect on what can be other possibilities on helping resolve the conflicts between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. However, through a festivity that reflects limits and cuts the perspective of things, the Dominican Republic and Haiti still manage to join together in celebrating what unites them.
In the terminating pages of the book, politics was a continued topic. There were a lot more struggles with achieving the goal of becoming President, though, and police officers were out to enforce their own laws. For a change, Dominicans were put in the spot and were discriminated, just like they had done to the Haitians plenty of times before. Guillermo Linares was then brought up, who would eventually become a widely noted "caballero" (or gentleman of highest order). As a child, he struggled to find his identity, and he struggled in learning English. Eventually, he did learn the language and became an American citizen. He proceeded to become a teacher, but he also became an activist that pushed for the needs of Dominican students (214).
Through Linares' advocation, him and other community leaders gave a start for Dominicans to get elected to the school board, where they pushed for the inclusion of their culture to be incorporated more into education. Many Dominican role models rose above these circumstances, including Euclid Mejia. who became the first Dominican principial of a New York high school where three-quarters of the students were Dominican. Linares was gaining political fame, but it would not last long, because when a proposal came up to remove bodegas (corner stores), Linares voted to approve the person who proposed the plan. Because of this, he became known as traitor to his community and for "not being Dominican enough" (215).
It was then brought up how emigrating to the United States from the Dominican Republic was becoming a lot easier, especially obtaining a visa. More politics was brought up, including Jose Fernandez, who would become the representation of the Dominican community in Congress. Following all the politics, a quick synopsis of the biography of Leonel Fernandez was given, and how he got to the place he is today. Also, with the election of Bill Clinton, Dominicans hoped that the pressure of to limit the benefits that immigrants received would stop, yet Dominicans in New York still struggled to live between the two different worlds. Shifting topics, the concluding chapter basically talked about carnivals and festivities that both the Dominican Republic and Haiti celebrate. Each has its own style, yet both are parallel in their structure, and through this carnival, Dominicans and Haitians are brought together despite their constant conflicts.
Quote:
"During Carnival, the festival that flaunts limits and rules, real conflicts briefly disappear as Dominicans and Haitians celebrate their differences and their common roots. Haiti is no longer on the other side of the border, New York no longer across the water" (Wucker 251).
Reaction:
Through the ending of the book, Wucker gave a great sense of understanding the rest of the political history of the Dominican Republic. It was great to learn about all the Dominicans in New York that worked very hard and became very successful in achieving benefits for the Dominican community. Haiti had been shed a lot of light for understanding the living conditions the majority of the Haitians faced, as was with the Dominican Republic. Learning about each individual country with a designated chapter(s) really gave a lot of background knowledge in understanding why the people are the way they are. However, looking back through the history and all the struggles faced, it's very clear that these two countries that share the island should be united rather than separated, because their history and their suffering tie in together more than they realize.
I chose this quote because it is final proof that, despite it all, Haiti and the Dominican Republic can coexist in the same island in harmony. It's fascinating to see that through a common festivity, everything can be forgotten and everyone enjoys themselves. At the same time, it is sad to see that only through a big celebration can conflicts be set aside. It makes people reflect on what can be other possibilities on helping resolve the conflicts between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. However, through a festivity that reflects limits and cuts the perspective of things, the Dominican Republic and Haiti still manage to join together in celebrating what unites them.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Why the Roosters Fight (Pages 159-210)
Summary:
Picking up from where it was left off, life in "Little Haiti" was described, including the life of a man called Joseph, who works hard to make a living out of the little he makes. Politics is brought up with Dominican President of the time Joaquin Balaguer, who was doing as he pleased in the country, even though his time in presidency was slowly coming to a close. Even so, Balaguer has managed to manipulate the voting so that he ends up winning the election and presidency once more. Although it has repeatedly happened before, these ending results continued to schock Dominican voters.
Continuing on with the summary, politics was described with more detail. Readers learn about President Balaguer, who was fragile and old age. He would no longer be President due to the new elections that were coming up, considering he was the one that was ending his term two years ahead. He had done a lot of good things for his country, but he refused to step down in power when it was time to (just as Trujillo had done). He had been President for more than twelve years, and wanted to remain a legacy once he was out of presidency. He was blind due to glaucoma. but he had an incredible education. Once Balaguer lost the election and stepped down from presidency, Guzman became President, but committed suicide for an unclear reason. The next three available candidates were: Jacinto Peynaldo, Jose Francisco Pena Gomez, and Leonel Fernandez. He ends up being the elected President (who is still currently the President today). However, that doesn't mean Balaguer is done here. Help is still needed from him, and he still attempted to find a way to control history and threat candidates.
Quote:
"A month before the election, Leonel's Party alleged that massive numbers of Haitians were would try to vote using fake identification. Police swooped into the cane fields and into Haitian urban ghettos, demanding identity documents from anyone else who was dark. Dominicans interpreted the move as an attempt to intimidate dark-skinned voters who might have wanted to vote for Pena" (Wucker 187).
Reaction:
In this section, a lot of politics and background information on Joaquin Balaguer was described. Readers learn about the President that, although blind and old, had remained in presidency for twelve years. He was called a manipulator for what he had done with the presidential elections, and it is fair to say that that is what he did. He contributed to some good for the country but for the most part, was just like Trujillo in the sense that he did not want to step down from power. Learning about how the Dominican Republic has obtained their current president and all the struggles candidates faced makes it possible to see that, although Haiti has suffered more cruelly, the Dominican Republic had the same bad luck for some time.
I chose this quote because it was surprising for me to read it. I thought that with the change of President, Haitians would be given more attention and given the human rights they deserve. However, it seems as if history is willing to continuously repeat itself, and people never learn their lesson. They were not even given the right to vote, or if they were, were intimidated into not doing so. It's disappointing to see that the prejudice just won't end. It's also sad to see that the candidate Leonel didn't seem to have done anything to stop what his party was doing.
Picking up from where it was left off, life in "Little Haiti" was described, including the life of a man called Joseph, who works hard to make a living out of the little he makes. Politics is brought up with Dominican President of the time Joaquin Balaguer, who was doing as he pleased in the country, even though his time in presidency was slowly coming to a close. Even so, Balaguer has managed to manipulate the voting so that he ends up winning the election and presidency once more. Although it has repeatedly happened before, these ending results continued to schock Dominican voters.
Continuing on with the summary, politics was described with more detail. Readers learn about President Balaguer, who was fragile and old age. He would no longer be President due to the new elections that were coming up, considering he was the one that was ending his term two years ahead. He had done a lot of good things for his country, but he refused to step down in power when it was time to (just as Trujillo had done). He had been President for more than twelve years, and wanted to remain a legacy once he was out of presidency. He was blind due to glaucoma. but he had an incredible education. Once Balaguer lost the election and stepped down from presidency, Guzman became President, but committed suicide for an unclear reason. The next three available candidates were: Jacinto Peynaldo, Jose Francisco Pena Gomez, and Leonel Fernandez. He ends up being the elected President (who is still currently the President today). However, that doesn't mean Balaguer is done here. Help is still needed from him, and he still attempted to find a way to control history and threat candidates.
Quote:
"A month before the election, Leonel's Party alleged that massive numbers of Haitians were would try to vote using fake identification. Police swooped into the cane fields and into Haitian urban ghettos, demanding identity documents from anyone else who was dark. Dominicans interpreted the move as an attempt to intimidate dark-skinned voters who might have wanted to vote for Pena" (Wucker 187).
Reaction:
In this section, a lot of politics and background information on Joaquin Balaguer was described. Readers learn about the President that, although blind and old, had remained in presidency for twelve years. He was called a manipulator for what he had done with the presidential elections, and it is fair to say that that is what he did. He contributed to some good for the country but for the most part, was just like Trujillo in the sense that he did not want to step down from power. Learning about how the Dominican Republic has obtained their current president and all the struggles candidates faced makes it possible to see that, although Haiti has suffered more cruelly, the Dominican Republic had the same bad luck for some time.
I chose this quote because it was surprising for me to read it. I thought that with the change of President, Haitians would be given more attention and given the human rights they deserve. However, it seems as if history is willing to continuously repeat itself, and people never learn their lesson. They were not even given the right to vote, or if they were, were intimidated into not doing so. It's disappointing to see that the prejudice just won't end. It's also sad to see that the candidate Leonel didn't seem to have done anything to stop what his party was doing.
Why the Roosters Fight (Pages 105-158)
Summary:
In the following chapters of the book, the struggles Haitians encounter daily is what is being shed light on. It's learn about the abuse Haitians suffered under the hands of dictator Trujillo. He never accepted them, yet needed them for labor if he wanted them to supply to the economy. He, along with the Haitian president of the time Paul Magloire, made a contract in which Dominicans would "buy" Haitians. As a result, the Dominican government was paying Haiti as much as three million a year for the Haitians willing to work. Even after the assassination of Trujillo, this continued, and the U.S. decided each year how much sugar would be imported. The United States had to step in to control what was going on with the country.
There did come a point when Haitians demanded to be brought back to Haiti after abuse and intended kidnapping from Trujillo collaborator Felix W. Bernardino. Because they rebelled, they were shot. This occurred when the sugar prices were high, thus letting know that when the prices dropped, Haitians would expect on receiving worse treatment. Following this, it was mentioned how, despite the fact that Haiti had abolished slavery for more than two hundred years, Haitians are still mistreated as if slavery continues. They are given no sense of humanity; it is stripped away from them once they leave Haiti and arrive in the Dominican Republic.
To summarize the last chapter read, it was dug into why Haitian presidents have the reputation of being corrupt. It started off when Jean-Claude's son "Baby Doc" became president. He spent money living a lavish lifestyle, money from the government flowing into his bank accounts. Getting off topic, cockfights were mentioned again, in which it was mentioned that three type of men attend the cockfight (breeders, players and gamblers). It can be an allusion to the U.S., Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, in which the breeders relate to the U.S. (in the way they control certain things). the players being D.R. and Haiti bring the gamblers.
Quote:
"The voiceless Haitians cannot even defend themselves. Human-rights advocates say they are modern-day slaves. It has been nearly two hundred years since Haiti abolished slavery, but this denial of workers' humanity persists" (Wucker 113).
Reaction:
Reading this section of the book, it was amazing to see what the Haitians have had to dealt with throughout their history. They managed to fight off all the big powers that came in to try and control them, and they achieved the abolishment of slavery. However, it's as if their happiness gets stripped away from them in every possible chance. They are not given respect by anybody, including their neighboring country. It's sad to see that those Haitians who leave their country are never truly accepted with their people, nor with the people of the Dominican Republic. They lose their identity, forced to work for a living acting as if they do not exist.
The reason I chose this quote was because it relates perfectly to the way Haitians have always been viewed. Everybody may "feel bad" about their daily living conditions, but nothing is ever actually done to help them out. People just pity the Haitians, but no respect is ever shown towards them. It is correct to say they are "modern-day slaves", because that is the way they are treated. If Haitians leave their country in search of a better life (just like everybody else does with leaving their native country to come to the U.S.) they should be respected as the human beings that they are, not as objects that need jobs to make money. It's very unfair of what they have to live through, as if history will always repeat itself.
In the following chapters of the book, the struggles Haitians encounter daily is what is being shed light on. It's learn about the abuse Haitians suffered under the hands of dictator Trujillo. He never accepted them, yet needed them for labor if he wanted them to supply to the economy. He, along with the Haitian president of the time Paul Magloire, made a contract in which Dominicans would "buy" Haitians. As a result, the Dominican government was paying Haiti as much as three million a year for the Haitians willing to work. Even after the assassination of Trujillo, this continued, and the U.S. decided each year how much sugar would be imported. The United States had to step in to control what was going on with the country.
There did come a point when Haitians demanded to be brought back to Haiti after abuse and intended kidnapping from Trujillo collaborator Felix W. Bernardino. Because they rebelled, they were shot. This occurred when the sugar prices were high, thus letting know that when the prices dropped, Haitians would expect on receiving worse treatment. Following this, it was mentioned how, despite the fact that Haiti had abolished slavery for more than two hundred years, Haitians are still mistreated as if slavery continues. They are given no sense of humanity; it is stripped away from them once they leave Haiti and arrive in the Dominican Republic.
To summarize the last chapter read, it was dug into why Haitian presidents have the reputation of being corrupt. It started off when Jean-Claude's son "Baby Doc" became president. He spent money living a lavish lifestyle, money from the government flowing into his bank accounts. Getting off topic, cockfights were mentioned again, in which it was mentioned that three type of men attend the cockfight (breeders, players and gamblers). It can be an allusion to the U.S., Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, in which the breeders relate to the U.S. (in the way they control certain things). the players being D.R. and Haiti bring the gamblers.
Quote:
"The voiceless Haitians cannot even defend themselves. Human-rights advocates say they are modern-day slaves. It has been nearly two hundred years since Haiti abolished slavery, but this denial of workers' humanity persists" (Wucker 113).
Reaction:
Reading this section of the book, it was amazing to see what the Haitians have had to dealt with throughout their history. They managed to fight off all the big powers that came in to try and control them, and they achieved the abolishment of slavery. However, it's as if their happiness gets stripped away from them in every possible chance. They are not given respect by anybody, including their neighboring country. It's sad to see that those Haitians who leave their country are never truly accepted with their people, nor with the people of the Dominican Republic. They lose their identity, forced to work for a living acting as if they do not exist.
The reason I chose this quote was because it relates perfectly to the way Haitians have always been viewed. Everybody may "feel bad" about their daily living conditions, but nothing is ever actually done to help them out. People just pity the Haitians, but no respect is ever shown towards them. It is correct to say they are "modern-day slaves", because that is the way they are treated. If Haitians leave their country in search of a better life (just like everybody else does with leaving their native country to come to the U.S.) they should be respected as the human beings that they are, not as objects that need jobs to make money. It's very unfair of what they have to live through, as if history will always repeat itself.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Why the Cocks (Roosters) Fight (Pages 52-104)
Summary:
In the following pages of the book, a large amount of historical background information has been given. Readers learn about cruel dictator Rafael Trujillo, and his goal of practically destroying all Haitians that dared disrupt "his country". Following that, readers also learn about the rise and fall of Haiti, and their never-ending struggle for them to become a strong independent country. In the next chapter, Wucker explains both the rise and fall of Columbus and Toussaint, and how it negatively affected both countries as a result of their failures. Also, the complete history on how the Dominican Republic came to be is carefully and thoroughly explained, including all the religious background of the country and their most important saints, such as La Virgen de la Altagracia and Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (the Virgin of Highest Grace and Our Lady of Mercy, respectively).
Following the background information of the Dominican Republic, Haiti's complete historical background is also told, starting from the legendary Toussaint L'Ouverture. Following all the history, it is explained how the Haitians escaped to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic's capital) to escape violence and hunger (84). Although they looked for an escape, life in Santo Domingo was not any easier, simply because they had to pay for "hotels" that merely even deserved to be called hotels, and Haitians still fear danger following them.
Quote:
"To try to escape, they once again are running to the center of Hispaniola, fleeing across the border in hopes of finding a means to survive" (Wucker 59).
Reaction:
Proceeding with the book, readers truly learn a lot more on the history and fight for independence of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Starting with Hispaniola, Wucker breaks down the history of the island as a whole, then elaborates on how Haiti and the Dominican fought for their independence (respectively). Since the chapter was called "Massacre River", Wucker elaborates on the history of this river, as well as the dangers and legends of the border that separate the two countries. Moving through the book, Wucker uses third person point of view and allusions to retell the past of this island, and the immense struggles they had to endure. Wucker lets readers know that while everybody may have an image of both the Dominican Republic and Haiti as countries that get along and help out one another (or rather, the Dominican Republic gives a lending hand to Haiti), these countries share a cruel past that separate them rather than bring them together. Through this, Wucker has done a great job thus far in depicting the reality of these two countries.
I chose this quote because it portrays the image of bonding between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Repeatedly, the book states everything that tears these two countries apart. This quote gives some positive light because, no matter how hard a situation, Haitians do have the ability to go to their neighbor country to find a better life for themselves. No matter how deep the scars, they still help each other out, which is a strange but strong bond these countries share to this day.
In the following pages of the book, a large amount of historical background information has been given. Readers learn about cruel dictator Rafael Trujillo, and his goal of practically destroying all Haitians that dared disrupt "his country". Following that, readers also learn about the rise and fall of Haiti, and their never-ending struggle for them to become a strong independent country. In the next chapter, Wucker explains both the rise and fall of Columbus and Toussaint, and how it negatively affected both countries as a result of their failures. Also, the complete history on how the Dominican Republic came to be is carefully and thoroughly explained, including all the religious background of the country and their most important saints, such as La Virgen de la Altagracia and Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (the Virgin of Highest Grace and Our Lady of Mercy, respectively).
Following the background information of the Dominican Republic, Haiti's complete historical background is also told, starting from the legendary Toussaint L'Ouverture. Following all the history, it is explained how the Haitians escaped to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic's capital) to escape violence and hunger (84). Although they looked for an escape, life in Santo Domingo was not any easier, simply because they had to pay for "hotels" that merely even deserved to be called hotels, and Haitians still fear danger following them.
Quote:
"To try to escape, they once again are running to the center of Hispaniola, fleeing across the border in hopes of finding a means to survive" (Wucker 59).
Reaction:
Proceeding with the book, readers truly learn a lot more on the history and fight for independence of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Starting with Hispaniola, Wucker breaks down the history of the island as a whole, then elaborates on how Haiti and the Dominican fought for their independence (respectively). Since the chapter was called "Massacre River", Wucker elaborates on the history of this river, as well as the dangers and legends of the border that separate the two countries. Moving through the book, Wucker uses third person point of view and allusions to retell the past of this island, and the immense struggles they had to endure. Wucker lets readers know that while everybody may have an image of both the Dominican Republic and Haiti as countries that get along and help out one another (or rather, the Dominican Republic gives a lending hand to Haiti), these countries share a cruel past that separate them rather than bring them together. Through this, Wucker has done a great job thus far in depicting the reality of these two countries.
I chose this quote because it portrays the image of bonding between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Repeatedly, the book states everything that tears these two countries apart. This quote gives some positive light because, no matter how hard a situation, Haitians do have the ability to go to their neighbor country to find a better life for themselves. No matter how deep the scars, they still help each other out, which is a strange but strong bond these countries share to this day.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Why the Cocks (Roosters) Fight (Pages 1-51)
Summary:
Why the Cocks Fight is a historical book that author Michele Wucker retells about the history behind the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and how although these two countries share the same island of Hispaniola, many things tear them apart. In the opening chapter, the author recounts the entire story behind a rooster fight: from the bets made to the winning roosters, the humiliation the owners face when their roosters lose, to their more "professional" rooster fights in arenas called "coliseum" (16). Throughout this chapter, Wucker intertwines the history and current rooster fights with political figures that have fought for Hispaniola and for the independence of each individual country. In this first chapter, Wucker brings up famous political figures such as Rafael Trujillo, who dictated in the Dominican Republic for more than thirty years. He was not exactly shed in a positive light because of all the tragic and horrific events that he made suffer not only to Dominicans, but also to the Haitians. Because of him, the relationship between these two countries was immensely affected.
In the following chapter, Wucker goes way deeper into the connection of these two countries and their individual fight for independence. She started by mentioning the Massacre River (27). This river separates Haiti and the Dominican Republic in the border. This is the core of the chapter because here the author builds up for the rest of the historical information. Here, the author really digs into the essential
details of Hispaniola's history. Going back to the Haitian Revolution, Haiti struggled to gain their independence. They had to fight off mother countries such as Spain, France, Britain, and even the United States to keep obtaining their freedom. They had revolutionary leaders that tried to do good, but things still stayed bad. The Dominican Republic became a separate country from Haiti when the island of Hispaniola was separated by mother countries Spain and France. They gained their independence when revolutionary leaders such as Juan Pablo Duarte Francisco de Rosario Sanchez fought for their country's indepence through forming a group called La Trinitaria.This Massacre River as previously stated has been the grief of many Haitians when they were massacred and thrown into this river by orders of Trujillo. The irony was that Trujillo's grandmother was Haitian, yet he continously offended them due to the color of their skin. The tensions and struggles of these two countries has injured their relationship due to this constant struggle for power and the never-ending discrimination.
Quote:
"The rooster has come to represent all aspects of daily life in Hispaniola: politics, home, territory, courtship, healing, sustenance, the passage of time, and brotherhood. The cockfight is a symbol of both division and community, opposite sides of the same coin" (Wucker 12).
Reaction:
While reading the beginning pages of this book, a lot of background history is given page by page. The first chapter mainly related to cockfights, and the connection this shared with both the Dominican Republic. For one part of the chapter, the author does a great job in explaining all the lingo that is said during these fight, such as a criador, which is someone who has, "Bred, brought up, and overseen the training of a rooster" (Wucker 18). The author has done a great job thus far in connecting how these rooster fights relate to the strained relationship between Dominicans and Haitians. They have also connected it to other events in Haiti's and the Dominican Republic's history, such as the fight for independence for both these countries. It's simplified to a form that is understood by everyone, and all Spanish words are translated.
I chose this quote because it shows the strange relationship Haiti and the Dominican Republic share. This quote shares how, although these two countries have been separated by a lot of things men have done, at the same time they are brought together. For example, politics is something that majorly separates Hispaniola. At the same time, they are brought together because they bond over a rooster fight, which symbolically represents politics in the sense that they always go for the one that wins, or represents them well. I found it very interesting that these countries can be so strained, but at the same time, simple things make them bond and bring them together.
Why the Cocks Fight is a historical book that author Michele Wucker retells about the history behind the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and how although these two countries share the same island of Hispaniola, many things tear them apart. In the opening chapter, the author recounts the entire story behind a rooster fight: from the bets made to the winning roosters, the humiliation the owners face when their roosters lose, to their more "professional" rooster fights in arenas called "coliseum" (16). Throughout this chapter, Wucker intertwines the history and current rooster fights with political figures that have fought for Hispaniola and for the independence of each individual country. In this first chapter, Wucker brings up famous political figures such as Rafael Trujillo, who dictated in the Dominican Republic for more than thirty years. He was not exactly shed in a positive light because of all the tragic and horrific events that he made suffer not only to Dominicans, but also to the Haitians. Because of him, the relationship between these two countries was immensely affected.
In the following chapter, Wucker goes way deeper into the connection of these two countries and their individual fight for independence. She started by mentioning the Massacre River (27). This river separates Haiti and the Dominican Republic in the border. This is the core of the chapter because here the author builds up for the rest of the historical information. Here, the author really digs into the essential
details of Hispaniola's history. Going back to the Haitian Revolution, Haiti struggled to gain their independence. They had to fight off mother countries such as Spain, France, Britain, and even the United States to keep obtaining their freedom. They had revolutionary leaders that tried to do good, but things still stayed bad. The Dominican Republic became a separate country from Haiti when the island of Hispaniola was separated by mother countries Spain and France. They gained their independence when revolutionary leaders such as Juan Pablo Duarte Francisco de Rosario Sanchez fought for their country's indepence through forming a group called La Trinitaria.This Massacre River as previously stated has been the grief of many Haitians when they were massacred and thrown into this river by orders of Trujillo. The irony was that Trujillo's grandmother was Haitian, yet he continously offended them due to the color of their skin. The tensions and struggles of these two countries has injured their relationship due to this constant struggle for power and the never-ending discrimination.
Quote:
"The rooster has come to represent all aspects of daily life in Hispaniola: politics, home, territory, courtship, healing, sustenance, the passage of time, and brotherhood. The cockfight is a symbol of both division and community, opposite sides of the same coin" (Wucker 12).
Reaction:
While reading the beginning pages of this book, a lot of background history is given page by page. The first chapter mainly related to cockfights, and the connection this shared with both the Dominican Republic. For one part of the chapter, the author does a great job in explaining all the lingo that is said during these fight, such as a criador, which is someone who has, "Bred, brought up, and overseen the training of a rooster" (Wucker 18). The author has done a great job thus far in connecting how these rooster fights relate to the strained relationship between Dominicans and Haitians. They have also connected it to other events in Haiti's and the Dominican Republic's history, such as the fight for independence for both these countries. It's simplified to a form that is understood by everyone, and all Spanish words are translated.
I chose this quote because it shows the strange relationship Haiti and the Dominican Republic share. This quote shares how, although these two countries have been separated by a lot of things men have done, at the same time they are brought together. For example, politics is something that majorly separates Hispaniola. At the same time, they are brought together because they bond over a rooster fight, which symbolically represents politics in the sense that they always go for the one that wins, or represents them well. I found it very interesting that these countries can be so strained, but at the same time, simple things make them bond and bring them together.
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