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Edwige Danticat’s, “A Wall of Rising Fire", is a short story depicts the life of Guy, Lilli,
and Little Guy, a small, poor Haitian family who everyday struggle to survive. The simply
structure story depicts the lifestyle this family lives over the course of just a few days.
Guy, the father and head of the family spends his time searching for work in order to
provide food for his wife Lili and his son Little Guy. Guy comes home to find that his son,
Little Guy, has been picked to the play Boukman, the revolutionary hero. Guy as well has
good news in that he has been given work for a day in the sugar mill, albeit only to clean
the latrines. Little Guy spends a majority of his time focused on memorizing his lines. His
father, Guy, is noticeably distant from everything. His wife Lili points out to him that
lately hit seems as if he is not there with her. This occurs when they go see the hot air
balloon owned by the sugar mill owner’s son. Guy becomes emaciated with the hot air
balloon and is attached to the idea of flying it so much so that he tells his wife that he is
convinced he can do it. This scene brings about a crucial theme depicted throughout the
short story of “want". Danticat, portrays the human desired for wanting what we
essentially what cannot or do not have, a characteristic intrinsic in human nature.
Danticat’s method involves using simpler language to paint a story of a family that has
nothing and searched for a sense of ease in the world. She has a style of writing that is
simplified yet thought provoking as it gives insight into how each character relates to one
another. Much of the behavior that is observed in Guy is depicted in the story through his
wife, Lili. The notion that he has become distant the moment he sees the balloon is told
through the narrative of Lili. Similarly, Guy’s belief that he can fly the hot air balloon and
that all he wants to do is escape from everything with it is depicted through his dialogue
with Lili. This is a key factor because it illustrates the perception that Lili, closest character
to Guy, has of him.
When they first approach the hot air balloon Lili thinks to herself, “For the last few weeks,
