The Bridal Seamstress
What is Beatrice’s reason for retiring?
Beatrice believes the messages she sends to her “girls” (clients) are what exposes her addresses to the Haitian prison guard so she retires altogether. (pg 137) “I think the reason he finds me all the time is because I send notes out to my girls.”
What is the name of Romain’s father? How old was Romain when his father left?
Regulus and a month old (pg.141 & 143)
“Life is full of dead spots” What is a dead spot and how does the narrator of this chapter brighten their dead spots?
A dead spot is a dark and painful part one ones life. To brighten her dead spots Freda wears colorful clothes with a red headband. (pg.169)
The preacher had a radio show where he broadcasted his sermons. People at the presidential palace were enraged because they didn’t like how he talked about biblical figures that fought tyrants. Name 3 of the biblical figures mentioned in the book.
Daniel, Esther, David, Jonah. Pg 185
What are major themes we see throughout the book?
guilt, betrayal, oppression, love, loss, forgiveness, immigration, death, What you do in the past will come to haunt your future, the hope for a better life
What question does Beatrice take offense to?
When asked if she has ever been married, Beatrice defensively responds with “You never ask a woman my age a question like that.” (page 127)
What was the rumor that started to go around about the president and what was his response? Explain what his response means.
The rumor about the president was that the president and his wife were fleeing the country. His response was he was as “unyielding as a monkey’s tail” meaning he was as strong or solid as a monkey’s tail which helps them move from tree to tree. (pg.163)
What does "forsaking [their] rum for Mariselle's Pinot Noir." symbolize? Page 179
Rezia, Mariselle,and Freda forsake their wine as a christians do when partaing in communion. Communion is a reminder of how Jesus Christ his life for our sins.Since Christanity is a big part in Hatian culture it is possible that the girls did this as an expression of their longing to be saved form their past trama in hopes to make the most out of their lives.
While Papa sat in his car waiting to kill the preacher, he thought about the premonition he had the night before which was depicted as a warning that he should leave Haiti. Briefly describe this premonition or state where it can be found.
”The night before, he’d dreamed he was leaving Haiti dressed as a nun after the government had fallen. Perhaps it was a sign from the gods, he told himself..” Pg 190
Where is Papa Originally from?
Leogane. Pg 191
What kind of demeanor has Beatrice taken on in her later life? Give an example
Beatrice has come to terms with the way her life has turned out and can be described as very calm and living life on her own terms. She has Aline waiting while she is finishing getting ready and preparing coffee for the two of them, no rushing in her process. On page 124 she says, “I always take my time, whether it’s getting dressed, making coffee, or sewing those wedding gowns.” On page 125 she says, “Everything happens when it’s meant to happen.”
Why does Michel refer to Romain as his “Hero?”
Michel and Romain were both fatherless so Romain played the big brother role for Michel, Romain was kind and protective like a big brother which helped him get through not having a father (pg.143 & 144)
Who made sadness beautiful in Haiti and how? Hint :The Funeral Singer
Freda is the funeral singer who made saddness beautiful in Haiti. The first funeral she sang at was her fathers. Though her tears she sang “Brother Timonie” at her fathers memorial Mass. Afterward she was asked to sing a a number of other funerals where should would always sing,”Brother Timonie”, her father’s fishing song. (pg.175)
Who informed Anne that her brother had been kidnapped at the church?
Leon the shoeshine man, Pg 222
Throughout the book, Papa’s scar is heavily emphasized. What are the deeper implications behind Papa’s scar?
His scar represents his imperfect past life and symbolizes the indelible mark that being a dew-breaker has left on his conscience. He describes to Ka that he is unworthy of something beautiful like a sculpture. (pg 20) Papa is seen covering up his face in photos, hiding his scar (pg 5). While hiding his physical scar, he is also attempting to hide his past of killing. Him and his wife do not branch out and make friends or even dare to stand out in their new town because of his past. (pg 74) The depth and prominence of the scar represent the magnitude of Papa’s doings and how deeply they still hurt others to this day.
Explain the personal breakthrough that Aline has throughout the course of this story.
On page 123, we see Aline’s conversation with her now ex-girlfriend where she wanted “to do something with her life.” From this we can infer that Aline may be a little lost and is still grappling with what her purpose. We also see that Aline’s parents weren’t fully understanding and supporting of her choice to study French, which can be discouraging to Aline (pg 129). Aline’s current job, unrelated to her studies, was only picked up by her partially because it was the first one offered to her after her breakup and partially because she was still looking to prove herself to her ex-girlfriend and parents. (pg 130) She even acknowledged that no one had spoken to her with such interest in so long. She is about to start writing the story her boss would want to hear, when she is sparked with curiosity about the Haitian prison guard who stalks Beatrice house to house. “These were the people Aline wanted to try to write about now, no matter what Marjorie Voltaire said.” We see Aline take initiative with something she is passionate about, despite it’s risks with her current job. She starts to prioritize herself and her own interest.
What might Michel’s wishes to share his entire story about his past reveal regarding acceptance, and does that correlate to the actions of Ka and her sculpture in any way?
Michel says, “I only think all this now, as a thirty-year-old man, lying in bed next to my pregnant wife…” This shows that it was only then that Michel accepted his past and realized that his mistakes were mistakes. Michel wanting to share his past with his unborn child shows that he has accepted his past and the mistakes he made unlike Ka’s father (Papa) who only shared a portion of his past to Ka because he never fully accepted the mistakes he made in his past which is why he throws the sculpture in the lake because he doesnt want anyone to see his scar which was caused by his last victim in his past life which he hasnt accepted yet. (pg.147)
What is Rezia’s trama response,where did it come form,? Is this the only trama response we see in the book, if not give examples?
When Rezia is afraid she can make herself faint. The first time that this happen was when she was a girl staying in her aunt’s brothel. A man in a uniform came and threatened to take her aunt to prison if she did not let him have her that night. (Page 173)
Throughout the book we see a number of trama response some being:
Papa throwing the statue into the water because he is not worthy of a statute
Anne using faith to cope with the death of her brother
Romaine fleeing the contry to get away from the dictatorship government in Haiti
Beatrice giving up on her job and not talking to her parents because of her trama
How does chapter 9 dismantle the single story we have have about Papa?
Chapter 9 dismantles the single story we have about Papa by presenting a complex and nuanced portrayal of his character, showing us both his violent past and his struggle for redemption. We see many examples of his bad and good side such as the account Valia gave of the inhumane style of torture Papa gave Pg 198, and where he wishes he could buy the boy who bought him a pack of cigarettes a future Pg 194. The novel invites us to look beyond simple stereotypes and understand the full complexity of human experience.
What single story does this book and Just Mercy try to debunk ?
The single story that Danticat and Just Mercy is trying to debunk is that a person is defined by their worse actions. Human being are very complex and more than the worst thing that they have done. For example to labe Papa as dew breaker then we are negating the possibility of change, the miracle of change that Ma wanted so badly to share(pg.72).