subject: It Begins With Tears [print this page] It Begins With Tears It Begins With Tears
One of the most prevalent themes that the novel displayed was the lack of belonging due to the dissension between individuality and community. Kristoff Village valued its traditions, customs, and honored its elders, but felt disdain toward its infamous members like Monica. The community seemed closed to "outsiders" but was receptive when one of their own, Rupert, married Angel from New York and brought her into the community. Angel never knew her family, and after the death of her adoptive father, she began questioning her racial heritage. Never feeling at home in her place of birth, Angel finds that she welcomed a chance to go to Jamaica for a sense of belonging. The message I believe the novel was trying to convey was a mutual sense of understanding of the resonance between individual and community.
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The sense of belonging Angel longed for escaped many of the characters, namely Monica, and even those who are aware of their roots.For example, there was a lot of confusion around Valrie and Arnella, who most villagers believed to be twins because they were born on the same day, but are actually cousins.The confusion continued when they shared the same man, Godfree, who also got them both pregnant. Arnella, Valrie, and Godfree are not confused, and their situation is fine for them. The problem becomes when the community wasn't fine with their standings, and caused dissension among them because of it.
Another character that was victim to misunderstanding was Monica. Monica had been pursuing prostitution and her return was met positively from most of the men in the village for obvious reasons, and gossiping dissension by most of the women in the village who were jealous of her. Monica's only female supporter, her godmother, Miss Cotton, one of the elders of Kristoff Village, cautioned her to be discreet in her dealings with the men of the village. Unfortunately Monica failed to listen to Miss Cotton's warning and was attacked by some of the women in the village who peppered her vagina, probably causing permanent damage. In an abstract way, I believe the pepper is a symbol of outsiders like Monica. The pepper is a vegetable unlike any other. Its taste is unbearable to most and it requires special methods of cooking in order to properly enjoy and essentially realize its worth. Likewise, Monica came from a troubled past and therefore had a different view than most women. She definitely was a "vegetable" like no other. She required a special sense of understanding and compassion from the community in order to flourish properly.
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Eventually, this occurred when the women of the community bonded with the formally ostracized Monica, and opened their hearts, souls, and secrets in a ritual healing ceremony at the river. Forgiveness was the key element in this spiritual work where no one is perfect and everyone has room for growth regardless of their past. The keen respect of elders, ancestors, family and community are the glue that keeps this fabric together.There was a sense of beauty in the changing of the guard as the elders and healers passed on, and the new generation took their places. Parallel stories transcended in the Eternal Valley inhabited by Devil, She-Devil and their family as well as God and Sabbath Angel and their eight children. "All life begins and ends wid tears." Used as the title, this message conveyed the hardship the community faced in understanding its "pepper" members and ultimately coming together as one. With every birth, there is a death, with every child, there is an elder. The shedding of tears is not always because of pain however, as it may also display joy. The joy shared in the harmonious balance of community and its people.
