Manman knows Shorty will be born and die in blood and darkness. Um, okay. But then again, she secretly wishes that the houngan is wrong and her kids will live happy, healthy lives. While we wouldn't go around saying that happens, we will say that fate is constantly being questioned by characters in the novel, even the ones who strongly believe in voodoo. In Darkness asks us to think about whether someone has a destiny and what that destiny might be. Shorty and Toussaint already know theirs—but then again, they still get to decide whether they are going to take part in it or not.
Questions About Fate and Free Will
- Does In Darkness portray fate and free will as complete opposites or is there some wiggle-room between the two ideas? What choices do the characters have, even when a destiny has been read by a houngan?
- Do all characters have set fates? Whose destiny is talked about and why? What's the big deal with destiny anyway, when everyone lives in poverty and violence in the book?
- What's the relationship between fate and the supernatural? Can we track who believes in destiny by thinking about their experiences with voodoo?
Chew on This
The characters give too much credit to fate; their own poor decisions cause their problems.
Fate is the major driving force of the novel and the characters here largely lack free will.