A Wall Of Fire Rising Character Analysis

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A Wall of Fire Rising
The character I have chosen for study from Edwidge Danticat’s written novel, “A Wall of Fire Rising” is Guy Sr. Guy is the father of a young son, Guy Jr. and husband to a woman named Lili. The relatively poor family lived in a small shack in a shanty town in Haiti near a sugar mill. Guy has a charming personality and genuinely loves his family; however, he does not have the financial means to provide for the family the way he would like. When Guy learned that his son was playing an important role in a play, his face lit up with joy and happiness. There are definitely positive characteristics of Guy’s personality such as; the love he shows for his family and his willingness to seek work at the sugar mill or wherever he could to provide a meal for his family.
Guy had a vision of operating a hot air balloon. Every day the family would walk down near the sugar mill. Slightly pass the mill there was a fenced area and inside the fence there was a large wicker basket and deflated balloon. Upon sight of the balloon Guy would completely go into a world of his own as if there was no one there with him. During this time the only thing Guy could vision is getting inside the balloon and floating away. Guy’s imaginations were so vivid at this point that he would crumple up a piece of paper and light it. He would then let the paper burn until it was ashy film. The burning paper would float away in the air, thus symbolizing the floating of a hot air balloon.
Although Guy loved his family dearly, there were a few negative personal views he took towards his family. It seemed as if he was not sexually attracted to his wife by the way he viewed her. When his wife would undress before him he would turn away and not look at her ...

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...and fly away, pursuing his dream of destiny. As the balloon rises to significant heights, Guy climbs outside of the balloon and jumps. Guy will no longer suffer from the state of depression because of inabilities of being able to provide for his family and poverty he once faced. The worries Guy once faced are no longer his worries. He will always be remembered as a good family man that wanted the best for his family.
To conclude, Guy ended his life because of a deep state of depression due to the inability to provide for his family. Guy chose death as a method to escape the destitute conditions he once witnessed. There are hardships that many families in Haiti face due to poverty that surround the country. The jobs are scarce and there is not much money in the country. Guy was a strong family man with moral and values, seeking the ability to provide for his family.

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