My Love My Love Notes 3/27/19

Setting: Antilles Islands - Jewel of the Antilles

• Dought going on currently 
• Vodoo religion (Polytheism) (Mention of the God Agwe) 
• Mainly in the village city (Rich don't follow religion very much)
• Time = ?
• Modern age (Car) 
• 20th Century
• Closer to 1950s

Characters:

1. Monsieur Bienconnu (Old wise man)- Village Centenarian 
1. over 100
2. storyteller
2. Asaka - Goddess Of Earth, Plants, all growing things  
3. Agwe- God of the sea, water
4. Erzulie - Goddess of love
5. Papa Ge - God of Death
6. Mama Euralie & Tonton(father) Julian - Farmworkers (Adopted parents of Ti Moune)
7. Monsieur Galimar - wealthy family
8. Ti Moune (Te - moon) - Peasant Girl & Main Character  
1. Desiree (Her real name)
2. Desire in her name
3. Teen Girl (ON the edge of adulthood) 

General Notes:

• Rocky island, very desert-like
• Rich people - “Masters if their own destiny”
• Polytheistic 
• Peasants - “Accept the will of the Gods”
• Peasants pray when times are hard. Thank them when life is good.
• Peasants live in valleys and mountain villages, flora and fauna 
• Paren y remarks and undertones “oui”
• There is a drought and food is hard to come by. 
• The rich (M. Galimar) have an abundance of workers and the ability to grow healthy plants to sell. 
• Many think Agwe has gone mad
• Big theme with storytelling (M. Bienconnu at the beginning) 
• Parties that take place at night that the peasant (villages) go to dance and tell stories. 
• Magical Realism
• A retelling of the original Little Mermaid 
• Element of Romeo and Juliet (Star Crossed Lovers)
• "Everyman Story" For Ti Moune 
• Opens with a storytelling piece
• Big contrast between the peasant and the rich
• Physically separated (Villages with the peasants and the rich are kept apart.)
• Desiree 
• Very positive 
• Always goes to the water
• A dreamer (Mentions the dreams that she has with the butterflies is told to make sure that the butterflies are able to carry her wishes.)
• she is poor
• Has hope for what is to come
• Youthful
• Brave/Bold/Rebellious
• Going to the water and being close to the rich when she goes to the river which is dangerous. 
• Goes the water 
• used to live by the sea
• Agwe cheated on Asaka and Asaka was mad and took it out by punishing the people in the village.
• Mother leave her in a tree when she was 4 years old 
• JUlian pretends to be had but has a soft side. 
• Desiree loves her parents, and they love her very much.