How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Page)
Quote #1
She told me about a group of people in Guinea who carry the sky on their heads. They are the people of Creation. Strong, tall, and mighty people who can bear anything. Their Maker, she said, gives them the sky to carry because they are strong. These people don't know who they are, but if you see a lot of trouble in your life, it's because you were chosen to carry part of the sky on your head. (3.25)
Sophie remembers Tante Atie's mythological explanation for a turbulent life. She is just about to leave for New York and has to separate herself from the only family she has ever known (Atie and Ifé). The Caco family stories often center around suffering and endurance, perhaps helping to build that strength of character that Sophie feels such pride in later on in the story.
Quote #2
One girl rushed down the hill and grabbed one of the soldiers by the arm. He raised his pistol and pounded it on the top of her head. She fell to the ground, her face covered with her own blood. (5.34)
Danticat makes us aware of the suffering that happens at the personal and political level (which becomes very personal for those directly involved, like this young girl). While the Caco women manage to stay on the fringes of the political upheaval for most of this narrative, we know that Martine's tragic story begins with the state-sanctioned violence of the Tonton Macoutes, the renegade paramilitary force that terrorized Haiti with impunity.
Quote #3
As soon as his seatbelt was on, the boy sat still. Both the man and the woman stood over him and watched him carefully, as though they were expecting him to reach up and grab one of their eyeballs. He did nothing. He sat back in his seat, bent his head, and wept silently. (5.37)
It's important to keep in mind that suffering surrounds the Caco family—it's not just in their heads or part of their family drama. Haiti's political instability causes instant and lasting heartache for its citizens, as we see in the example of Martine's rape and the violent death of this boy's father. Atie points out to a grieving Sophie that she is leaving all this behind. But of course, Sophie knows that this kind of trauma isn't simply geographical—it becomes part of her memory and soul.