Creighton Buchanan
Dr. Taylor
English 1002
2/20/17
Religion in The Farming of the Bones
Voodoo: a black religious cult practiced in the Caribbean and the southern US, combining elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magical and religious rites, and characterized by sorcery and spirit possession (Definition). Vodou is a mostly African based belief that means one must be connected to the past, present, and future of their soul. Hollywood and various other outlets have made voodoo out to be some cult- like group. But that is not even close to the case. Throughout the novel, voodoo references are littered throughout the text, as Danticat constantly references the sorcery. Although she lives in the Catholic country …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, Amabelle and her family are faced with the task of crossing a river during a hurricane. The river has an extremely strong current and heavy rain is coming down. Knowing the given factors, Amabelle’s father and mother still make the decision to cross the river. This proves to be fatal, and her father and mother both drown. While her father is drowning, he yells out in “the spirit of the rivers” (Danticat 50). At that point Amabelle’s father is begging for anyone to help, specifically the voodoo gods. Unfortunately, they do not and Amabelle’s father and mother both pass in the river. This only furthers Amabelle’s belief in voodoo as throughout the novel she constantly prays to the voodoo gods about her parents and various other …show more content…
Metres Dlo is on a very long list of lwa. The list of spirits, often referred to as lwa, make up the gods of vodou. This is a common practice in vodou as many times, when in distress or just needing to talk, followers will talk to a vodou god. This practice is much like what Christians do in talking to God or Jesus when faced with important questions at hand. The fact that Amabelle explains her life story to Metres Dlo at a river may represent her wanting her story to be washed away by the current of the
Dr. Taylor
English 1002
2/20/17
Religion in The Farming of the Bones
Voodoo: a black religious cult practiced in the Caribbean and the southern US, combining elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magical and religious rites, and characterized by sorcery and spirit possession (Definition). Vodou is a mostly African based belief that means one must be connected to the past, present, and future of their soul. Hollywood and various other outlets have made voodoo out to be some cult- like group. But that is not even close to the case. Throughout the novel, voodoo references are littered throughout the text, as Danticat constantly references the sorcery. Although she lives in the Catholic country …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, Amabelle and her family are faced with the task of crossing a river during a hurricane. The river has an extremely strong current and heavy rain is coming down. Knowing the given factors, Amabelle’s father and mother still make the decision to cross the river. This proves to be fatal, and her father and mother both drown. While her father is drowning, he yells out in “the spirit of the rivers” (Danticat 50). At that point Amabelle’s father is begging for anyone to help, specifically the voodoo gods. Unfortunately, they do not and Amabelle’s father and mother both pass in the river. This only furthers Amabelle’s belief in voodoo as throughout the novel she constantly prays to the voodoo gods about her parents and various other …show more content…
Metres Dlo is on a very long list of lwa. The list of spirits, often referred to as lwa, make up the gods of vodou. This is a common practice in vodou as many times, when in distress or just needing to talk, followers will talk to a vodou god. This practice is much like what Christians do in talking to God or Jesus when faced with important questions at hand. The fact that Amabelle explains her life story to Metres Dlo at a river may represent her wanting her story to be washed away by the current of the