Edwidge Dantcat New York Day Women

“New York Day Women” “New York Day Women” was written in 1991 by Edwidge Danticat. Danticat was born in 1969 in Haiti. She traveled with her family to New York at a young age in search for a better life. They came here in search of asylum. She was a writer of many stories; “New York Day Women” is part of a collection of stories in her book called Kirk? Krak! By 1995, Danticat was the winner of the Pushcart Short Story Prize. Danitcat’s short story “New York Day Women” takes place in New York City near the corner of Madison and Fifty-seventh Street in the 1990’s. The protagonist is Suzette, the daughter of her Haitian mother. Suzette works at an advertising office and lives with her mother in a New York apartment. Suzette has adopted a more American lifestyle, unlike her mother. Suzette loves her mother very much but I believe Suzette may be slightly ashamed/ embarrassed by her mother. This is because, at the end of the story, she wonders if her mother …show more content…
Suzette loves her mother deeply but seems to be annoyed that she has not adapted to the American culture. Suzette thinks her mother is a day woman and does not like to travel into the city. However, on Suzette’s lunch breaks she see’s her mother on the streets of New York. Clearly this is not her first time walking around the city. Apparently, she does not know her mother as well as she thought. “New York Day Women” has many symbols. The first symbol I found was the red orchids on the mother’s dress. I believe this stands for her energy and power she felt while walking on the streets of New York. I believe these orchids also symbolize the strength she had. Traveling to create a new life is very difficult and takes much strength. Another symbol I found was salt. I believe salt represents shame. Salt is not good for the body and I believe this is what Danticat is trying to say about Shame; it’s not good for the