Children Of The Sea Short Story

A French philosopher once said; “A craving for freedom and independence is generated only in a man still living on hope” (Albert Camus). Krik? Krak! demonstrates this idea throughout a series of fictional short stories that illustrate the harsh and beautiful lives of Haitians. The author Edwidge Danticat portrays the idea that hope is crucial to survive through hardships and to attain freedom.
Hope pushes Haitians to keep living and to escape their troubles. In Children of the Sea, Celianne, a pregnant teenager, looks to escape Haiti in order to stay alive and keep her daughter. This hope keeps her from giving up. Although when her baby dies, her hope vanishes, giving her no reason to live. After holding the dead baby in her arms, she finally gives in, “She threw it overboard. I watched her face knot up like a thread and then she let go. It fell in a splash, floated for a while, and then sank. And quickly after that she jumped in too” (23). Celianne went through terrible experiences in her past, but her desire for her baby and a better future supported her to keep persisting. However, once this spark of ambition dimmed, she felt as if she had no choice except to give up on living. The male character who is also on the boat with Celianne has hope to leave Haiti and escape to Miami as well. Although he too starts to doubt that he will ever achieve freedom. He makes the decision to join Celianne and “become a child of the sea” (24) Likewise, he lost hope and became face to face