by Paule Marshall (American)

CHARACTERS

The narrator

Da-duh

Adry (the narrator’s mother)

SETTING(s)

Barbados

The disembarkation shed

St. Thomas

New York

SUMMARY OF THE STORY

The narrator describes Da-duh as a woman of eighty-odd years whose face looked like a death mask but still maintained eyes that were full of spirit. She is the matriarch of the family and therefore, she demands the respect of her children as well as their offspring. To Da-duh in Memoriam stands as a tribute to her memory. At the end of the story, the grandmother (Da-Duh) dies of old age.

The narrator and her sister and mother go to Barbados to visit her grandmother Da-duh. She is very old-fashioned and believes in manual labour and hard work. Their encounter is a battle as the granddaughter and grandmother attempt to justify their love for their country. Age and youth become the center of the battle between them. The nine-year-old narrator wins the first round and wins the respect of her grandmother. Her grandmother sees her as fierce. On their way home, Da-Duh holds tightly to the narrator’s hand as she is very uncomfortable on the lorry which takes them to St. Thomas where Da-duh lives. she relaxes after they enter the scenic route with the trees and cane fields.

Further, into the story, the narrator realizes that Da-Duh despises motor vehicles and all the different types of machinery. The narrator’s walks and talks with Da-Duh allow them to become closer. Da-duh would ask questions about New York while sharing and boasting about the beauty of St. Thomas. Da-Duh proudly speaks of the beautiful weather. There is a friendly banter between the two as the narrator also boasts of New York and the sights that make the city appealing. She talks about the Empire State building which was taller than the tallest mountain that her grandmother had ever seen. But the grandmother does not believe this story and the granddaughter promises to send a postcard to show that this is true. But Da-Duh dies before she can send this to her. Still, she tells Da-duh about New York and the bustling of the steel and the concrete world and this fascinates Da-duh. When the narrator becomes an adult, she takes the time to reflect on herself and her life, she also finds that she thinks about her grandmother and of doing paintings that would remind her of Barbados. The reader sees Da-Duh as a foil character to the narrator because they hold opposite beliefs and actions.

CONFLICT

Man versus self.

Da Duh is not willing to accept change. She does not acknowledge that the world is different outside of her island, St. Thomas (Barbados). She also does not want to embrace the progress is that is taking place around her as she is stuck in her old ways.

RESOLUTION

The narrator’s visit with Da-duh shows that there are changes in the world that she does not see and accept or even understand.

THEMES

Love and family relationship:

Family ties are strong in the Caribbean and in the diaspora. The narrator and her family return to Barbados to visit her grandmother add to the value and respect shown to the matriarch of the family. The narrator notes that her mother is a child again when she is in the presence of Da-Duh.

Race:

The narrator acknowledges that she has “beat up a white girl” in her class and Da-Duh expresses surprise and notes that the world has changed significantly. The narrator accepts that this behavior is normal because in her society the boundaries on race were no longer a threat to society. But Da-Duh continues to see a world where whites are superior. She believes that her granddaughter fighting a white girl was a lot for her to imagine.

The Role of the Elderly:

Da-duh is the head of her family. She is treated with the respect that is given to a woman with her title.

SYMBOL

Empire State Building

This suggests that there was progress and power in the first-world country. It was larger than Bissex Hill in Barbados and changes Da-Duh’s symbol of power. This knowledge shakes Da-Duh’s confidence and foreshadows her death. Steel and iron symbolize progress and power and Da-Duh’s aging suggests that she too has lost her power as the head of the family.

The Royal Palm Tree

The royal palm tree symbolizes the strength and beauty of nature when it is untouched by mankind. One could say that the tree represents Da- Duh’s last power card. She shows her granddaughter the magnificence of the islands and the royal palm tree to reinforce the beauty and supremacy of the island. She hopes that this will prove to her granddaughter that she has won the “battle.”