In case you didn't notice, In Darkness is full of weird, spooky supernatural stuff. Rocks with spirits in them, the magical power of twins, and a bunch of prophecies come up before the book is done. Hey, we get it: Who doesn't want to know the future? It's clearly comforting to Manman, Toussaint, and Biggie to learn about what's to come.
Yet we also know there is much more to it than that. Shorty doesn't exactly buy the whole voodoo thing—not at first, anyway. So he's no so sure that twins have only half a soul or that bone dust has any real mystical properties. Part of his journey is coming to terms with the voodoo beliefs of his mom and culture. So that begs the question: Does he believe by the end?
Questions About Supernatural
- Does Shorty believe in the voodoo his mom and Biggie preach at the end of the book? What prompts him to rethink his beliefs?
- What is Toussaint's attitude towards voodoo? How does it change over the course of the book?
- Why do you think so many people believe in supernatural powers in the book? Do you buy the voodoo they talk about?
- Is the supernatural element scary or funny in the book? Can there be different types of voodoo? Why do people like Manman or Dread take it so seriously?
Chew on This
Even though Shorty questions whether voodoo is real, In Darkness ultimately shows us that it is not. After all, Shorty doesn't die in blood and darkness like the houngan predicted.
In Darkness makes it clear that voodoo is real and not to be messed with. Even the doubting characters come around in the end.