Within the relationship of Gaelle Lavaud and Yves Moulin, Gaelle longs for love, particularly male companionship, to ultimately fill the emptiness and loneliness in her life. In particular, the moment both her husband and daughter pass away, “[Gaelle] felt the full weight of being alone” (Danticat, 154). Because Gaelle loses her two, and only, family members, her life becomes empty and lonely. In order to counteract the emptiness and loneliness, Gaelle begins longing for someone whom she can love and whom will also love her back, thus revealing her longing for love. For example, Gaelle “filled some years. . .with the company of men who were interested in either money or sex or both” (148). Gaelle longs for any kind of love she can receive just so she can fill the emptiness and loneliness that was gained from the deaths of her family members. Danticat conveys the …show more content…
Danticat uses the relationship of Louise George and Max Senior in order to show how Louise longs for love in an attempt to discover her sense of self. In particular, “[Louise] was floating through her life, looking for some sense of who she was” (127). As a person who has little sense of who she is, Louise struggles to understand her purpose and wanders aimlessly hoping to find the answer. With love, Louise believes that she can discover and come to understand herself better. Danticat validates Louise’s point through the introduction of Max Senior and the relationship him and Louise share. For example, in her relationship with Max Senior, Louise realizes that “she was like a starfish, that she constantly needed to have a piece of her break off and walk away in order for her to become something new” (143). Danticat proves that Louise constantly needs to be in love in order to discover something about herself. No matter who she is in love with, Louise can learn something from the experience and carry it with her. By learning about herself, Louise can come to understand her sense of self and thus make a connection with something. Through the male-female relationship of Louise George and Max Senior, Danticat illustrates how