Commentary on The Farming Of Bones Essay

The Farming of Bones

In the beginning of the novel, I was easily confused on how the chapters were playing themselves out. As I reached the fourth one, I realized that the chapters were alternating. The novel opens with what appears to be two alternating narrators suggested by different typefaces and contrasting prose styles. Yet it soon becomes clear that both voices belong to Amabelle.

Edwidge Danticat has an effortless style that seems as natural as a flowing stream. Her simple but intense language brings her tropical world to life. One can feel the heat, see the ample colors, taste the spicy foods. The tone of her narrator remains level throughout, and this understated directness, even in the face of brutality and horror, adds to the story's effectiveness.

Despite the historical and cultural implications, there is a woman and her life as the center focus of the novel. Amabella relates all her demons and fears to the reader in a way that crosses racial and ethnic borders. She is a woman dealing with life's trials and tribulations. The author has these life problems in book so that the reader can somehow relate them to his/her own life

Amabelle narrates the story in past tense with her stories and dreams being mixed throughout the development of the story. Also, the story is not told from the beginning of her life, but starts off with the trials and tribulations leading up to the massacre. The memories and dreams intermingled within in the story gives insight into her character and add to story development. For instance, many of the chapters that consist of a single memory deal with her parents. These memories delve into Amabelles haunting past and reveal information about her development as a character.