We'd hate to see these characters' rap sheets. Take Biggie, for example. Without blinking, he kills Bostons as well as pretty much anyone who double-crosses him. But it's not just his enemies that he goes after. When one of his homies disrespects him, Biggie shoots him in the foot. And that's just Biggie we're talking about—throughout In Darkness, there's no shortage of violence in the Site. And when we meet up with Toussaint back in the day, we notice that his life is full of violence, too—against slaves, in the rebellion, and during the revolution. It makes us think it will always be this way in Haiti. Sorry to be a downer.
Questions About Violence
- Why is there so much violence in the Site? What causes it? How could it be stopped?
- Stephanie says that guns do the thinking after a while. Do you think this is true? How might things change if no one used guns anymore?
- What's the deal with the U.N. shooting down Dread or Biggie? Why are they involved? What is their goal?
- How are violence and loyalty connected? Why is some violence (against a Boston) okay but other violence is not? What does this tell us about the nature of violence and gangs?
Chew on This
The characters in the novel are desensitized to violence and no longer think it is bad. It's just the way things have always been.
While violence is frequent and ever-present in the novel, some characters, like Stephanie or Manman, still realize it is wrong and try to stop it.