"Masters of the Dew" by Jacques Roumain is one of the best examples of a peasant novel. The novel highlights the issues faced by Haitian peasants due to loss of fertile land, forest cover and hillsides, erosion, drought and is unfortunately relevant even today! Manuel the hero, returns after spending 15 years in Cuba and is shocked to see the homeland of his dreams (specifically his native village of Fonds-Rouge) reduced to this pitiable state. The issues are further compounded by a local feud that has left the village sundered into two factions.
In Manuel we see a hero who is frustrated with his country men’s attitudes and he embodies a clash of traditions. In his quest to find water that can revive his village, he takes on the superstitions and religions (both Vodou and Christianity) as he refuses to accept the prevailing thought that the drought was God’s punishment and praying with all your heart can solve the problems. At the same time we also see the other side of Manuel when he lets his soul to be swept away under the vodou rhythms – proving he is not negating everything about his culture and roots. He is struck by the difference between Cuban and Haitian mindsets and this is obvious when he struggles to find a Haitian word for “strike” which is so common in Cuba. He succeeds in finding a water source, but the only way to get the water to the fields is by uniting the two warring factions and forming a unified coumbite. With the help of his sweetheart Anaise, and by tapping into the power of women he overcomes the obstacles and succeeds in uniting the village, but only by paying a very heavy price.
The plot of the novel is very simple and straightforward, and the translator must’ve done a wonderful job as it is quite poetic to read. The central theme is one of regeneration and growth and the book has so many metaphors around this theme. Also there is a strong link between land and sexuality – women exist to serve men (Anaise literally thinks of herself as Manuel’s servant), and so does land. It was a bit difficult for me to overlook that, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the novel. That way Roumain is like so many others before and after him (Fela Kuti comes to my mind – love his music and his liberating politics, but not his gender stance), focused on liberation in one sphere, completely ignoring the other.
As the title indicates, the book is a Marxist call to arms to the peasants of Haiti urging them to take control of their own destiny, and Roumain’s love of land and country makes this a compelling read.
> He succeeds in finding a water source, but the only way to get the water to the fields is by uniting the two warring factions and forming a unified coumbite.
ReplyDeleteI was interested to read in "Unfamiliar Fishes" about the native Hawaiian system of giving wedges of the islands to individual rulers. The wedges would contain part of each ecosystem on the island; mountains for water, forests, agricultural plains, so that each was self-contained. A very sensible system, that removed some of the incentive for intra-island warfare.
> focused on liberation in one sphere, completely ignoring the other
Focus is a blessing and a curse, always. :-)