Historical Context of Krik Krak

Edwidge Danticat: 

• an award-winning writer of Haitian descent 

• born on January 19, 1969, in Port-au-Prince Haiti

• her parents fled the oppressive regimes but she and her younger brother remained behind; they reunited with their parents and new siblings after years of correspondence

Haiti's History Timeline: 

• Dutty Boukman

                unkown ~ 1791 - Jamaican-born Haitian slave, leading figure in the Haitian Revolution

• Toussaint L'Ouverture

                1743 - born as a slave

                1776 - freed from being a slave

                1791 - participates in the French Revolution as a Royalist military leader 

                1798 - manages to unify and maintain his army by taking control 

                1800 - has control over Saint Domingue 

                1802 - tricked by Napoleon into attending a meeting in France and is captured

                1803 - dies in the bottom of the cargo ship Napoleon trapped him in

• Independence  
      

                1804 - Haiti becomes independent; emperor: Jean-Jacques Dessalines

                1806 - Dessalines assassinated; Haiti divided into a black-controlled north and a mulatto-ruled south

                1818-43 - Pierre Boyer unifies Haiti, but excludes blacks from power 

                1915 - US invades Haiti following blakc-mulatto friction 

                1934 - US withdraws troops from Haiti, but maintains fiscal control until 1947

• Rafael Trujillo

                1927 - elevated to commander in chief of the National Army

                1930 - assumed control of the Dominical Republic 

                1961 - killed by a group of rebels determined to topple his heinous human rights abuses

• Parsley Massacre

                1937 - 20,000 people were murdered in the Dominican Republic by Rafael Trujillo

• Tonton Macoute

                1958 - MVSN, or the National Security Volunteers, a Hiatian paramilitary force, notorious for corruption and brutality

• Duvalier dictatorships

                1956 - Voodoo physician Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier seizes power in military coup and is elected president a year later

                1964 - Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship with the help of Tontons Machetes militia 

                1971 - Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, "Baby Doc", who also declares himself president-for-life

                1986 - Baby Doc flees Haiti due to the increasing popular discontent; replaced by Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy 

                1988 - Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is outed in a coup

• Democracy, coup and intervention 

                1990 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected president in Hait's first free and peaceful polls

                1994 - US forces oversee a transition to a civilian government; Aristide returns

                1997-1999 - Serious political deadlock; new government named 

• Aristide's second term

               2000 - Aristide elected president for a second non-consecutive term

               2003 - Voodoo recognized as a religion, on a par with other faiths

               2004 - rising levels of deadly political and gang violent in the capital; armed gangs loyal to former President Aristide are said to be responsible for many killings

•  Preval wins elections 

               2006 - General elections, the first since former President Aristide was overthrown in 2004

                2007 -  UN troops launch tough new offensive against armed gangs in Cite Soleil

               2008 -  Food riots.

Tropical Storms 

Children of the sea

  A story about two star-crossed lovers in Haiti. Suffering from the brutality of political disorder, they were separated: the man got on the boat to flee to somewhere else, and the woman stayed. They kept writing letters to each other (more like a diary) as what they promised even though with the distance of sea and eventually death. 

- the young man is going to flee; missing his girl

- a political turmoil in Haiti ~> school was closed by the army; burnt campaign posters and old buttons; destroyed music tapes

- a pregnant girl, older people, no children, many Protestants on the boat; hopeless future of their country

- a group of students demonstrating for "the radio six" got shot; some bodies were turned over; promise to keep writing "when we see each other again, it will seem like we lost no time

- first day at sea: everyone vomiting, sunburn, help revive an old lady fainted from sunstroke, singing makes him cry, tired of the smell, stink, a crack at the bottom of the boat ~> in panic

- American factories are closed; papa yelled at her about the tapes, pushed her against the wall, spat in her face, kept slapping her really hard; wish could kill him

- getting more dark; keep dreaming 

- papa sleep separate with his daughter ~> avoid forced to have sex; no gasoline

- telling stories; Bahamas treat Haitians like dogs even through the same African fathers

- madan roger's houses, looking for her son

- Celianne, child stubborn; three cracks

- rumor: old president is coming back; drive to the market 

- girl baby, Swiss; has to throw out things: two gourdes; parents?

- people went to the airport were arrested, shot; told papa I love you

- baby not cry; Celianne story: soldiers burst into house forced her brother to intimate with mother, raped her, accused bother for moral crime 

- papa paid all the money to save her life

- people want to throw the baby; writing "my will"

mountains pushing her farther from him

- she threw the baby overboard and jumped; forced to throw the notebook, wrote the man full name; "I know that my memory of you will live even there as I too become a child of the sea"

- black butterfly, radio: another boat sank off

Second Draft

      Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, depicts a tragic play about two star-crossed lovers whose torrid love burns down in their past continuous family feud. When I firstly stepped into the world of the play, in such a story which the two protagonists’ misfortunes in love was somehow destined, I was impressed by how Juliet changes from a quiet and obedient girl to a “woman” with determined courage and independence. Thus, I chose to perform Act IV Scene I in which Juliet’s change was shown the most. In order to more vividly demonstrate the transition Juliet made for love, I injected distinct emotions into the character from the beginning to the end combining with slight body language and variation in tone. 

      Different from the text, we cut out Paris part at the beginning in order to focus the audience’s attention more on the conversation between Friar Lawrence and Juliet. Therefore, our performance begins when Friar earnestly prays but interrupts by fierce knocking. Overturning the previous quiet image, Juliet reveals her unexpected emotional side when she rushes into the room, crying “O, shut the door” (4.1.44) and begging Friar to “Come weep with me; past hope, past cure, past help” (4.1.45). The slight tough language “shut the door” reveals Juliet’s anger that remains from her disobedience to her father. Whilst the repetition of the three “past” effectively conveys Juliet’s despairing and sorrow tone to the cruel helpless fact of the upcoming marriage with Paris.  

      In the process of transforming the text into a performance, I realized that the climactic point of Juliet’s emotion brings out just at the beginning, which created the most challenge to play Juliet. In order to prepare that extreme mood, I built up an imagery in my mind and transfer myself into the moment when I lost my passport at the airport and called my father in tears, which is a technique called “substitution” wrote by Uta Hagen in the Respect for Acting. By recalling that kind of similar feelings, I can truly feel a sense of despair and anxiety. In addition, I tried to demonstrate the emotional mood throughout some detailed body language. From the beginning, I conveyed my anger into the action of banging on the door with my fist. Then, I delivered my first line with an urgent and sad voice as I strode in from right upstage to center stage. In comparing with Friar’s calm and stable voice as well as his steady steps, I hoped the audience can be aware of my inner turmoil which different from my previous quietness. 

      As the plot unfolds, the unexpected emotional side of Juliet become more apparent. Friar then says that he has heard about the news that “On Thursday next be married to this County” (4.1.49), which explains Juliet’s variety of emotions and behaviors to the audience, and expresses his regret that “nothing may prorogue it” (4.1.48). Driven by the merciless dilemma that force her to become mature, Juliet tends to believe that death is the only approach; she takes out the knife, and threatens Friar “Be not so long to speak, I long to die, if what thou speak’t speak not of remedy” (4.1.66). The resolute determination behind those words outpours her fervent love to Romeo without reserve, which foreshadows the foreseeable future of tragedy for her love like a moth to the flame. With the more aggressive behaviors and words, Juliet’s changes have been more pronounced. 

      In terms of performance, I tried to translate Juliet’s determination into more body language and various tones. In response with Friar’s decisive words that “nothing may prorogue it” (4.1.48), I laid my hands on his arms, bowed down and closed my eyes in pain while saying “Tell me not, friar, that thou hearest of this” (4.1.50). At the same time, Friar steadily raised me with staring at me concededly, which portrayed his authoritative and fatherly image as a priest. However, I then stood at a fixed position, firmly pointed my finger toward him, and threatened him: “if in thy wisdom thou canst give no help … with this knife I’ll help it presently” (4.1.52-54) with pulling out a knife and pressing it to my neck. With keeping that gesture for a few seconds, suddenly, I pointed my knife to Friar to make him feel more powerfully threatened. By exaggerating Juliet’s emotional intensity through my more aggressive behaviors, I wanted to more efficiently tell the audience the more maturity Juliet has beyond her years. Meanwhile, I gradually increased my speed approaching the climax and added more components of firmness and resolve into my voice instead of solely sadness to express my steadfast resolution to die for being with Romeo. 

      In response with Juliet’s attempt to suicide, Friar was forced to propose a risky plan, which needs Juliet to “undertake a thing like death to chide away this shame” (4.1.73-74). Nonetheless, Juliet, once again, demonstrates her remarkable courage and abiding loyalty to Romeo as imagines those horrifying images such as “chain me with roaring bears” (4.1.80), “hide me nightly in a charnel house” (4.1.81), or “hide me with a dead man in his shroud” (4.1.85) that she is prepared to face rather than marry Paris. An imagery was established through the descriptive language as these gothic images are increasingly apparent and visualized to the readers. Although the wild fears of Juliet was revealed between the lines, with a tone twist, “I will do it without fear or doubt” (4.1.87), Juliet’s courage and committed love to Romeo was also highlighted. 

      In featuring the genuine fear of Juliet compared to her unusual courage and determination, I tried to achieve through more physical contact with Friar and significant shift in tone. Originally, I considered making an interaction with the audience in order to make them more effectively emphasize with me by turning toward them and speaking. However, when I first did that in the rehearsal, I got some feedback from my classmates that it would be more natural if I change to talk to Friar rather than “starring” at them, and I eventually adopted that advice on the stage. Despite for more realistic performance, the way of acting out my reliance on Friar which also relatively emphasize the fear. Therefore, we decided to add some physical contact that Friar dragged highly emotional me to sit at the bench as he tried to calm me with resting his hand on my back and talking softly, “Hold, daughter! I do spy a kind of hope” (4.1.68). Then, as I described the horrors that I was willing to face rather than marry Paris, I sat sideways toward Friar with head bowed, and Friar kept patting my back or holding my hand gently. For a brief moment, I had a flash of insight into the nature of Juliet, an innocent young girl, who has been forced herself to muster up the courage to mature. But with a twist in tone, I looked up, stared into Friar’s eyes confirmedly, swept my arm out, and firmly pledged “But I will do it without fear or doubt, to live an unstain’d wife to my sweet love” (4.1.87-88). By greatly contrasted with the desperate image with uncontrollable temper I portrayed earlier, I want to inform the audience that Juliet’s courage and faithfulness is another part her growing maturity that she strives to achieve for love. 

Sample Paper Grading

Sample 1
     Criterion A: 4
          The analysis of the literary features is what the author mainly focus on in this essay. She does specifically analyzed Margaret's tone, emotion and feelings with referring to direct quotes from the text as well as some specific words. However, she should use "I" instead of "the audience" in her literary analysis. Firstly, audience is a theatrical term, which should not be mentioned here. Also, how the author views her character matters more that what the other readers would think.

     Criterion B: 6
          Compared with the three-page literary analysis, this part just occupies two pages including many irrelevant information. It is good to mention all those detailed body movement made on the stage, but the author does not have the most significant part that relates the literary features with her performing choice made on the stage together.

     Criterion C: 3
          The use of language is not well effective but organized throughout the text. At the beginning, the author does not directly mention her character Margaret but instead lists a series of Richard III's characteristics, which is useless and would be very likely to mislead the whole thesis. Her thesis appears a little late at the end of second paragraph, but after that, the author's language gradually become organized. Except when the author starts to talk about performance, too much useless background information comes out again.

Sample 2
     Criterion A: 5
          The work does show a very detailed literary analysis corresponding with the specific direct quotes from the text. The author not only analyzes her character -- Ophelia's changes, tone, nature and emotions through her language but also demonstrates a detailed explanation about the punctuation, pronouns, repetition of Shakespeare's language. Even better, she concludes her work with a reflection to this performing experience.

     Criterion B: 10
          Combined with the literary analysis, there is also a very detailed and extraordinary description of the author's performance part. From the variation in tone to the very detailed body movement, the blocking ... Every choice the author makes in her performance has a reason that related with the literary features.

     Criterion C: 5
          The author's language is pretty straightforward, effective and well-organized. From the beginning, the author just directly points out her thesis without any useless words. Then, in the following essay, the author starts her analysis step by step by using some words like "the first part", "the second part"... to express her arguments logically.

First Draft

  Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, depicts a tragic play about two star-crossed lovers whose torrid love burns out in their past continuous family feud. When I firstly stepped into the world of the play, in such a story which the two protagonists’ misfortunes in love was somehow destined, I was impressed by how Juliet changes from a quite and obedient girl to a “woman” with determined courage and independence. Thus, I chose to perform Act IV Scene I in which Juliet’s change was shown the most. In order to more vividly demonstrate the transition Juliet made for love, I injected distinct emotions into the character from the beginning to the end combining with slight body language and variation in tone. 

  Different from the text, we cut out Paris part at the beginning in order to focus the audience’s attention more on the conversation between Friar Lawrence and Juliet. Therefore, our performance begins when Friar earnestly prays but interrupts by fierce knocking. Overturning the previous quiet image, Juliet reveals her unexpected emotional side when she rushes into the room, crying “O, shut the door” (4.1.44) and begging Friar to “Come weep with me; past hope, past cure, past help” (4.1.45). The slight tough language “shut the door” reveals Juliet’s anger that remains from her disobedience to her father. Whilst the repetition of the three “past” effectively conveys Juliet’s despairing and sorrow tone to the cruel helpless fact of the upcoming marriage with Paris.  

  In the process of transforming the text into a performance, I realized that the climactic point of Juliet’s emotion brings out just at the beginning, which created the most challenge to play Juliet. In order to prepare that extreme mood, I built up an imagery in my mind and transfer myself into the moment when I lost my passport at the airport and called my father in tears, which is a technique called “substitution” wrote by Uta Hagen in the Respect for Acting. By recalling that kind of similar feelings, I can truly feel Juliet’s despair and anxiety. In addition, I tried to demonstrate Juliet’s emotional mood throughout some detailed body language. From the beginning, I conveyed my anger into the action of banging on the door with my fist. Then, I delivered my first line with an urgent and sad voice as I strode in from right upstage to center stage. In comparing with Friar’s calm and stable voice as well as his steady steps, I hoped the audience can be aware of Juliet’s different strong emotion from her previous quietness. 

  Friar then says that he have heard about the news that “On Thursday next be married to this County” (4.1.49), which explains Juliet’s variety of emotions and behaviors to the audience, and expresses his regret that “nothing may prorogue it” (4.1.48). Driven by the merciless dilemma that force her to become mature, Juliet tends to believe that death is the only approach; she takes out the knife, and threatens Friar “Be not so long to speak, I long to die, if what thou speak’t speak not of remedy” (4.1.66). The resolute determination behind those words outpours her fervent love to Romeo without reserve, which foreshadows the foreseeable future of tragedy for her love like a moth to the flame. With the more aggressive behaviors and words, Juliet’s changes have been more pronounced. 

  In terms of performance, I tried to translate Juliet’s determination into more body language and various tones. In response with Friar’s decisive words that “nothing may prorogue it” (4.1.48), I laid my hands on his arms, bowed down and closed my eyes in pain while saying “Tell me not, friar, that thou hearest of this” (4.1.50). At the same time, Friar steadily raised me with staring at me concededly, which portrayed his authoritative and fatherly image as a priest. However, I then stood at a fixed position, firmly pointed my finger toward him, and threatened him: “if in thy wisdom thou canst give no help … with this knife I’ll help it presently” (4.1.52-54) with pulling out a knife and pressing it to my neck. With keeping that gesture for a few seconds, suddenly, I pointed my knife to Friar to make him feel more powerfully threatened. By exaggerating Juliet’s emotional intensity through my more aggressive behaviors, I wanted to more efficiently tell the audience the more maturity Juliet has beyond her years. Meanwhile, I gradually increased my speed approaching the climax and added more components of firmness and resolve into my voice instead of solely sadness. 

In-class Essay Work

Criterion A: 4
      - The author offers a very detailed literary analysis of the chosen scene including the characteristics of the character he plays as well as emotions, tone and the atmosphere exits in the scene with supporting by direct quotes from the text. However, he also mentions a little bit too much about his partner's character.

Criterion B: 4
      - The author does not give enough information for his own performance (only in the last paragraph), but instead the whole essay mostly focus on the literary analysis.

Criterion C: 3
      - The author's use of language is not that organized and adequate especially at the beginning of the essay, many words are not effective enough and could be deleted.

Thesis Statement

      In order to more vividly demonstrate the inner transition Juliet made for love, I injected distinct emotions into the character from the beginning to the end combining with slight body language and variation in tone.