Restavec
(JEAN-ROBERT CADET)
RESTAVEC meaning staying with, is an autobiography by the author who escaped the most enduring circumstances and raised himself by his own bootstraps . His courage in dealing with and overcoming a wretched existence in the island of Haiti and the dehumanizing effects of racism in the United States. African slaves in Haiti became free from the French rule in 1804 and was the first black republic in the Western Hemisphere to be independent. But society reinstituted slavery for the most vulnerable of Haitian society - the poor children - by using them as unpaid servant for the upper class. These are called the restavecs and it disguises unrelented labor, physical abuse and denial of any schooling. The author recounts the story of his youth as a rerstavec and his climb to middle-class when he left Haiti. His description of his being an illegitimate child from a well-to-do family andgiven away to a lower class is heart wrenching. The emotional abusehe endured is clearly the focus of thisbook, but he also details life in the United States where despite American racism he put himself through college and became successful in the Army, in business and finally teaching. A well written book thatcannot be put down until is fully read.
Resumos Relacionados
- Rejecting Social Norms For The African-american In Poetry: I,too And Dream Variations
- Rejecting Social Norms For The African-american In Poetry: I,too And Dream Variations
- The Bluest Eyes.
- I Have A Dream
- Pride And Prejudice
|
|
