Marassa and Midnight - Review2 - Pt.2

Major Themes :

Injustice – Injustice was shown towards Marassa when his Marquis completely ignored him and did not care for him. Also, when he left Marassa out in the street. The entire practice of using slaves was injustice towards the Negros and also, in Paris, the lower class French people. Injustice was shown when the Beke` treated the slaves badly but more so what the Negros did on the Night of the Flames.

Bravery – Bravery was shown by Midnight when he ran away twice, especially the second time, after he had been caught and branded the first time. Bravery was also shown by all the people who went into the mountains even though they were thought to be haunted. Another instance of bravery was when Marassa and Midnight both took of the Great One and his followers.

Determination – Determination was shown by both of the twins obviously. They were very determined to find their brother and even though it had been almost over a year that they had been separated, they still fought with a fire in their hearts to find the other. The bad Negroes were determined to get revenge on all the Beke` , planning the night of Flames for nearly a year in advance.

Resourcefulness – Resourcefulness was shown by Papa Doctor, because he knew much about treatments and cures for wounds. Resourcefulness was also shown by Midnight when he was in the mountains. Midnight, found food and tools that he used to survive.

Heritage – All of the Negroes paid much respect to the god of fire – Ogoun. Heritage was also shown by the way the Negro slaves religiously had bamboche. Another point that showed heritage was Papa Doctor and his constant reference to the past (Wydah Roads and the Feraille).

Hospitality – Hospitality was shown by Tir Nan Og towards Marassa, when he tended to his wounds after his fight with the gang of street boys and his fever. Hospitality was also shown to both twins by Papa Doctor. He treated both of their wounds and offered his home to Marassa and Tir Nan Og.

Love/Loyalty – Love and loyalty was shown by both twins, Marassa and Midnight. It was their love for each other that kept them strong and determined. Tir Nan Og and Papa Doctor especially showed this, guiding both twins on their quest to find each other. This was a very special case because both men hadn’t known either twin for long but went out of their way and showed extra-ordinary kindness to the boys.


Plot : The story is a tale of two Haitian twin boys, Marassa and Midnight who have worked as slaves on a plantation in San Domingo for as long as they can remember. Soon after the boys turn eleven years old they are separated. Marassa, always known for having the better manners is chosen to become a Paige boy to a man in Paris while Midnight is stuck at the plantation, doing harder labour. Months go by and the boys can’t stop thinking about if they will ever see their brother again. A tale of fate and determination, Marassa and Midnight both do what many thought was impossible and through a odd chain of events are finally reunited.



Special Point of Concern :
My special point of concern was the ending. Throughout the whole book, Midnight and Marassa struggled to be reunited, and kept just missing each other giving it the feeling of suspense. AT the end of the book, Marassa and Midnight slowly find the paths that lead to each other but when they are finally reunited the book abruptly ends. I feel that Morna Stuart could have given the book a more definite ending by telling what happened to all the other parts of the book. She could have answered questions such as “What happened to the warriors of the Feraille?” and “What happened after they got down off of the mountain?” in an epilogue. This would have made the story a lot better.