Breath, Eyes, Memory

In this section of the text, the generational trauma that has been passed down to Martine is in turn passed down to Sophie, reflecting The Importance of Confronting Trauma. It is clear in the text that Martine has never fully dealt with her trauma, as she still suffers from nightmares and has an inherent distrust of men. As Sophie attempts to discuss her relationship with her mother, she is forced to lie and avoid telling her about Joseph due to her mother’s insistence that Sophie could not possibly know anyone well enough to know that she likes them—especially since Martine has not met their parents. Martine fears sexuality as a threat to social stability. Her insistence on meeting the family of any potential suitor for Sophie is evidence of this worldview, one she has brought with her from her own childhood in Haiti: What is most important is that Sophie’s social standing be preserved. At the same time, she fears Sophie’s developing sexuality as a threat to the close (and only recently restored) bond between mother and daughter. Her “testing” of Sophie’s virginity—a violation of Sophie’s privacy and bodily autonomy—arises from her own unacknowledged trauma as a result of the same thing being done to her. At the same time, it also expresses the fear of sexual contamination that arises from her rape. The effect of this practice is precisely the opposite of Martine’s intention, eventually leading to the dissolution of her relationship with her daughter and, ironically, forcing Sophie to do the one thing Martine did not want her to do: flee with Joseph.

The color red and the hibiscus flower have now become prominent symbols in Martine’s life. Although Sophie continues to wear yellow, like when she goes out with Joseph, her mother has abandoned the color. Throughout Part 1 of the text, yellow represents resilience and strength. The daffodil was never meant to grow in Haiti due to its inability to survive in hot climates. Brought over by a Frenchwoman, it found a way to adapt and grow anyway. Similarly, Martine used to love daffodils, and her migration to New York demonstrates her own strength and resilience: She has worked hard and faced immense challenges to provide a better life for her daughter. However, over time in New York, she abandons yellow and daffodils. Now, she utilizes primarily red, which is the color of blood and symbolizes violence: the violence of her trauma, which she passes on to Sophie in Part 2. Although she still has strength in her motivation to work two jobs and provide for Sophie while she attends school, she lacks the strength needed to confront and deal with her own trauma.

Part 2 also presents two stories of loa (gods) from Haiti’s vodou religion—one of the Marassas and one of Erzulie. The Marassas are twins, but actually represent three in number—male, female, and both at once. They are identical to each other, in essence the same soul. While “testing” her, Martine tells Sophie that she should find someone who is her Marassa—someone who is closer to her than her own shadow. She questions her about Joseph, asking:

When you look in a stream, if you saw that man’s face, wouldn’t you think it was a water spirit? Wouldn’t you scream? Wouldn’t you think he was hiding under a sheet of water or behind a pane of glass to kill you? The love between a mother and daughter is deeper than the sea. You would leave me for an old man who you didn’t know the year before (85).

Martine’s explanation of the Marassas and her questions to Sophie reveal that she still struggles with her own sexual assault, as she cannot understand how Sophie can look at Joseph and not feel mistrust and fear. At the same time, she does not understand that her wishes for Sophie are incompatible: She wants Sophie to find an idealized true love, someone who is her mirror whom she loves deeper than herself, yet is also angry that Sophie would leave her for a man. The hidden implication of the Marassas story is that such a perfect romance is impossible—that no man can love her like her mother loves her. Martine cannot get past her own distrust of men to understand that Sophie is trying to get to know Joseph and find love. Instead, ironically, she forces Sophie to make the very choice that she does not want her to make by sexually abusing her and forcing her out of her home and to Joseph.

The second reference to vodou religion, to Erzulie, comes in the story that Sophie contemplates before she breaks her own hymen to escape the virginity “testing.” She thinks of the story of a woman who could not stop bleeding and sought out Erzulie—the loa of femininity and female bodies—for guidance. This story metaphorically represents Sophie’s own situation. She, too, cannot stop “bleeding” in the sense that she cannot avoid the suffering of her mother’s “testing.” The woman in the story makes the decision to transform into a butterfly and give up her humanity to escape her suffering. Similarly, Sophie makes the decision to give up her innocence to escape her mother’s abuse.