Decameron Project - Edwidge Danticat

         I found this week's Decameron short story and author background very interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, I found the author's (Danticat's) history quite fascinating. I found it very interesting that Danticat's family had such a deep connection with Haiti, and that Danticat was able to weave her own past and family heritage into her writing in a subtle and profound way. I was also quite amazed by how despite the struggles in her past, Danticat became an English writer, even when she didn't grow up with the language.

        As for the short story itself, to be honest, I was a little confused when I first read the story. I was confused whether Ray had COVID or not, and did not realize that his breathing problem might be somehow representative of the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement, and the injustices that people face. The emphasis on words related to breathing and speaking made it obvious the author tried to emphasize that aspect of Ray's pain, but I couldn't see the full significance of it until the class discussion. I also was a little confused as to what the ending words meant and what the 'One thing' between Ray and MJ was (maybe the song Wild is the Wind?). The indifference the nurse and those around the narrator show towards her had the most impact on me out of all, as it really showed how alone and resilient the people that face racial injustice can be.