Breath, Eyes, Memory (Chpts. 7-12)

Breath, Eyes, Memory
By: Edwidge Danticat
Pages: 50-89

• Summary

Sophie's first day in New York is spent with her mother showing her a little around. Sophie gets to meet her mother's boyfriend, Marc, at dinner. Sophie's mother has to work hard to support herself and her family in Haiti. She shares her insecurities with Sophie about whether she had risen up to Sophie's expectations or not. She also shows her concern for Sophie and makes it known that it is her responsibility as her mother to make sure that Sophie stays a virgin.

During a talk between Sophie and her mother a secret is revealed. Sophie's mother had been raped in a cane field. Sophie then understands why she looks nothing like anyone in the family. Also the reasons behind her mother's nightmares is explained by this secret. Whenever Sophie's mother goes to sleep she sees his face over again and relives the frightful night.

Part 2

Years pass and Sophie and her mother moves to a house. Sophie is now 18 and is getting ready to go to college. During her years in the U.S. she did a lot of reading so she could speak without an accent.

Sophie fell in love at 18 with her neighbor. Her mother didn't approve of American boys because she thought he they were upset since they couldn't have Sophie. The person she fell in love with was much older than her and Sophie couldn't imagine her mother's approval for him. However, Sophie and Joseph got to know each other and wanted to get married. They got to spend a lot time together because Sophie's mother was always working.

Once Sophie tries telling her mother about Joseph. But Sophie ended up lying saying that she was in love with a Haitian man and was in Haiti. Sophie's mother used the last name Sophie gave her to find information on him. When her mother did Sophie began to panic.

One night Sophie went out with Joseph and when she came back home she didn't expect her mother to be there early and got caught. Sophie's mother was really worried and immediately guessed that she was with a guy. In order to see if Sophie was still a virgin her mother tested her which she passed. Testing is when the mother "would put her finger in our very private parts and see if it would go inside" (Danticat 60). After that experience Sophie understood why Tante Atie screamed when her mother had tested her as a child.

Sophie did not tell Joseph what happened. After the testings began, she and her mother rarely spoke to each other and Sophie felt all alone. So she used a pestle to stop the testings. The next time Martine, Sophie's mother, tested her Sophie failed and her mother got angry. Sophie left her home and went to Joseph before he left for Providence (since he was a musician he traveled a lot) and agreed to marry him.

• Quotation

"It took me two years to piece together my mother's entire story. By then, it was already too late" (Danticat 61).

• Reaction

This quote was said after Sophie found out that Martine was rapped which led to her pregnancy of Sophie. I think that later on Sophie is going to have a hard time understanding her mother. However, according to the quote she does figure things out later on. Maybe by the time Sophie figure things out something bad happens to her mother. I was very surprised to learn about the testing part. Maybe that was something a long time ago. I found it funny at one part of the book I've read so far. Marc, Martine , and Sophie were at a Haitian restaurant and an argument started. I thought it was funny because a typical Haitian restaurant you'd find a group of Haitian's arguing about the things that are happening in Haiti.