A Raisin in the Sun: Character Analysis Carol

Edwidge Danticat’s “Sunrise, Sunset” develops parallel characteristics to modern society’s struggle with illness as the main character Carole, a mother and grandmother, suffers from dementia and progressively gets more confused as the story goes forth. Introducing Carole as an immigrant from Haiti to the United States to raise her family in better conditions shows cultural barriers and differences through the relationship with her daughter Jeanne, who’s established as a protagonist suffering from postpartum depression. She is belittled by her mother much to her chagrin for not having “comparable misfortune”. From having to endure her neighbors being dragged out of their homes by an unjust dictator, Carole renounces sadness, holds onto her pride, and conveys her ability to accept social standards placed on negative self-being. In “Sunrise, Sunset” she advocates the false ideology of female etiquette when dealing with domestic issues and the upheaval of identity for discouraged individuals through the conflict of her two protagonists.

Most mainstream literature regarding women follows conventional stereotypes through assumptions and is vocalized through failure in the passage. We’re first introduced to Carole with the line “A lost moment, a blank spot, one that Carole does not know how to measure” (pg. 1) following the introductory sentence, for context alluding to her dementia. The subject of memory collaborates with migration to distort what Carole thought she knew to represent the protagonist's first conflict. Throughout the passage, these conflicts begin to demonstrate the downward spiral of Carole's mental health. Despite these challenges, she believes that her family needs her as she’s the foundation of the social construct she created when migrating from Haiti. Furthermore, (Danticat) exemplifies in the passage,  “Where would the family be if Carole had stayed sad when she arrived in this country? Sometimes you just have to shake the devil off you, whatever that devil is.”  (pg 8). In traditional literature, women are written mainly as mothers and protagonists who struggle through conflict yet triumph at the end of the story revealing the overall arc of progression. Danticat’s work on the other hand turns the tradition upside down. Moreover, Carole is set up in the story to represent her development falling instead of the contrary. Carole’s characteristics follow socially accepted norms of women in a family. Once Carole meets her husband it’s written that “Carole knew from the moment she met Victor that he would take care of her.” (Danticat. Pg. 11) following the stereotypical idea that women rely on men which is Carole’s failure within the story. Additionally, Danticat uses a two protagonist perspective throughout the piece which illustrates the themes and ideas with the second point of view. While reading the passage we learn about Jeanne, daughter of Carole. Jeanne, now an adult gave birth to Jude who was introduced at the beginning of the story through his christening. After giving birth, Jeanne begins to develop postpartum depression and “is so miserable about this—and who knows what else—that she spends most days in her bedroom, hiding.” (Danticat. Pg 2). In addition, Danticat contrasts the two by the example of, “Jeanne never wanted to be a housewife like her mother, but here she is now, stuck at home with her son.” (Danticat pg. 6). Jeanne throughout the story contradicts her mother and the tension within their relationship is one of the main storytelling plots in the passage. Carole’s developed characteristic of overprotection towards her family originated from her past whereas Jeanne’s future is undervalued by her mother. Additionally, Jeanne’s independence is contradictory to her mother’s. After emigrating, Carole found her husband who would take care of her, whereas Jeanne’s identity is upheld after the arrival of her child who she now needs to take care of. Jeanne and Carole throughout the story misunderstand one another through the idea of self valuation. Carole is stern and overprotective of her family and falls onto the role of being a housewife, which Jeanne doesn’t agree with; nonetheless, she’s fallen into the role and is now holding her identity in life with her son. 

The story begins with the christening of Jude, Jeanne's son. We soon figure out after the arrival of her son that she struggles with understanding who she is. Jeanne went her life not wanting to be like her mother, but after her son is born she now perceives her life as if she was her mother. For instance, Danticat adds to the story, “It’s as if Jeanne had become Carole and James had become her once dapper and lanky husband, Victor, who now walks with a cane that he is always tapping against the ground.” The conflict throughout the story is to show the differences between Carole and Jeanne. Jeanne after the birth loses herself into the identity of her child and now falls onto her children for care whereas Carole fell upon the idea she needs to take care of her family for life. To emphasize the claim Danticat has used this idea in other sections of her writing. Earlier in the story when we're introduced to the relationship of Carole and Jeanne it’s explained that Jeanne isn’t who she is anymore her mental state changed. For example, we learn, “ Jeanne was once a happy young woman, a guidance counselor at the school where James teaches.”. These two examples of Jeanne straying away from being comparable to her mother and evidence of her life-changing helps to illustrate her identity being out of her grasp after the birth of her child and now owning the identity of a mother, which Jeanne has a bad perception of.

Danticat’s literature has won many awards for her ability to connect real-life issues into her writing. Her stories consist of real-life people who emigrate from other countries and the issues they face with different beliefs on how to deal with issues such as personal and peer growth as well as the hardships of understanding who their kids may be living with a mother who was raised in another country.