The Dew Breaker, a novel by Edwidge Danticat about the dictatorship Jean-Claude Duvalier inherited in Haiti, appears to be a novel about two things. On the one hand, it documents the life and trials of one Tonton Macoute, a government-sanctioned torturer; on the other hand it also tells of the cowardice of weak men endowed with great power. The “dewbreaker,” who gives the book its name, is consistently characterized by his cowardice, his desire for forgiveness but his inability to ask for it. This conflict that the "dewbreaker" has within himself also tends to inspire conflict in the reader. Should we hate him or pity him? Is he unforgivable because of what he did, or is his own fear, combined with the circumstances, really to blame? After examining the characterization of the "dewbreaker" and the situations in which he was placed, it can be deduced that, although he does not deserve forgiveness, this man's evident pusillanimity makes him pitiable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The novel begins with the story of Ka, an aspiring young artist and daughter of the “dewbreaker.” The "dewbreaker" is presented as a simple Haitian barber, an escaped military prisoner with a devoutly Catholic wife and a loving daughter. The reader easily catches up with Ka and his father as they travel to Florida to sell one of Ka's sculptures. This sculpture is inspired by the bent and broken prisoner that Ka believed to be his father. In addition to recounting parts of her father's "past" in Haiti, Ka also tells of a jagged, hideous scar that nearly ruined her father's face. She easily recounts the story he told her as a child: that a guard working for Jean-Claude Duvalier's regime slashed her father's face in a casual act of cruelty. It later becomes apparent that this story is really a lie told to Ka for over thirty years. About halfway through the chapter, Ka's father finally opens up with the truth after destroying his daughter's sculpture, saying, "...Ka, your father was the hunter, he wasn't the hunted...I was never in prison" (21). In an instant, everything Danticat told the reader about Ka's father appears to be false. This man, known in Haiti as Tonton Macoute, a notorious “dewbreaker,” finally tells his daughter the truth and in the process destroys Ka's innate trust in him. The idea that he kept such a secret from her for so long is surely an example of his infinite cowardice. However, he also shows that he wants nothing more than love for the man he is, not hatred for the man he was. Another point of interest in The Dew Breaker is the main character's request to be able to wear civilian clothes. In the last chapter, “The Dew Breaker,” the protagonist simply states that he “didn't like the uniform” (196). The idea of ​​feeling above other Macoutes and having the right to make demands is perfectly absurd and even vile. A Macoute walking home alone wearing standard jeans runs the risk of being attacked and perhaps killed; the "dewbreaker"'s refusal to wear the uniform shows that he is a coward, a man who cannot bear the idea of ​​imminent physical harm. This fundamental denial of Macoute's custom distinguishes the main character from everyone else: he is not in imminent danger because he is allowed to dress normally, he can avoid unwanted attention, and his lack of uniform saves him later when he meets Anne outside Casernes. . If she had been wearing her station jeans, I doubt Anne would have reacted so charitably. Incidentally, “The Dew Breaker” also features the same conflict seen at the beginning of the book. It doesn't offer onetrue solution like the last chapter, but leaves the reader with a feeling of modern catharsis. This chapter recalls the "Dewbreaker," an active, senior member of Duvalier's Macoutes while in Haiti. Danticat opens by describing the main character in a soft but insistent way. He is a self-indulgent important man from the Tonton Macoutes who has been sent to kill an outspoken preacher. The 'dew crusher' expresses disdain for this job early in the chapter, saying that, "He wanted a perfect view of the church entrance in case the opportunity arose to do the job from inside his car. ." (183). This evident lack of courage produces a key moment in the novel: the Macoute is afraid to take a risk with the preacher's unbridled congregation. There is no doubt that if the "dewbreaker" had been alone during the public assassination of the preacher, the entire situation would have led to his death. To protect itself, the "dewbreaker" chooses to bring a group of other Macoutes with it. The preacher is brutally but silently taken away, giving the illusion that he has “disappeared” like everyone else. The quiet and subtle way in which the preacher was brought to Casernes helps to exemplify the main character's excessive concern with himself. He is not willing to risk his life in any way, not even to carry out a task entrusted to him by the faction he loves so much. The concern mentioned above is also present in the following pages, after the preacher has been taken to Casernes for questioning. While it's surprising that the preacher wasn't restrained during the interrogation, this little oversight on the part of both the main character and Danticat serves a great purpose. In a marvelous final act of heroism, the preacher takes a splintered piece of wood from his broken chair and stabs it “dewbreaker” “into [his] right cheek and [sinks] it about an inch” (226). Danticat goes on to further injure the 'dew crusher', saying that: "The fat man's shock worked in [the preacher's] favor, for it gave him a few seconds to slide the piece of wood down the fat man's face , tearing the skin. along the jaw" (226). The action itself provides the preacher with the quick death he so desires: he is immediately struck in the chest by the "dewbreaker", a man who cannot bear the idea of ​​wounded pride. This magnificent display of valor by the preacher forever damages the "dewbreaker"; it also contributes greatly to a weakness of character that will be present for the rest of his life, the "dewbreaker" becomes completely terrified, with a huge gash in his face and dripping blood, he staggers out of Casernes, casting aside his superior's guarantee of asylum. The fact that he did not stay to face the consequences of his actions once again demonstrates his cowardice. He cannot bear the thought of punishment or rebuke even from an institution to which he has dedicated his life. Whenever there is a possibility that he might come to harm, the “dewbreaker” is quick to withdraw from the situation, blaming others, or running away. The constant theme of cowardice and fear in The Dew Breaker is important to the plot of the story. plot and also to the characterizations within. The "dewbreaker" presented by Danticat is a man who evoked terror in the people; the mere mention of his name could send a Haitian into a fit of chills or a bout of unwanted memories. It is ironic, then, that in the end he is the one who is most afraid and the one who should flee for his life. The "dewbreak" was such a contradictory mess of fear and courage,.