21st April 2010
Because of the poor living conditions and little access to medical care, healthcare was an issue. The most vulnerable were children and babies, even at birth.
Rajnath and Latchmin did not escape this. But how did they cope?
Is it easier to cope with death if there is more of it around? If others are also suffering from loss? Is it easier to come to terms with it? Is life as precious when life expectancy is low? Or is it easier to dispense with it? Do poor people suffer the same as the rich? Some of the answers might seem obvious in writing, but do we give it a thought in real life?
God of the Cocoa illustrates how the Kamalsingh family coped, and didn't cope, how they reacted, how it affected each one of them, how they carried on, and what remained with them.
About Me
- Marilyn Rodwell
- The Wedding Drums - my novel set in an early 20C village in Trinidad is almost here. Two young girls, Amina and Sumati plot to escape their arranged marriages and plan to live life following their own dreams. But Sumati falls in love and runs away, putting Amina's plans in jeopardy. Neither of them bank on what is in store for them. Soon they face the adult world of scheming men, corruption, prostitution and violence, and life in the village will never be the same again.
Death: Our modern way of dealing, or rather not dealing with death is very recent. Not that long ago, death was an everyday occurrence, usually happened at home, and was a normal part of everyday life. After the body was laid out, people came to pay their respects. Weeping and mourning was a release for the bereaved.
ReplyDeleteNow we can't even say 'dead' but have to use 'passed away' or similar. It is all sanitised, usually happens in hospital, and people 'put on a brave face'. I think this is terrible, and harmful. We all think it is our right to live for ever and we fear death instead of accepting it as an inevitable part of life. Most of us have never seen a dead body! Not long ago, this would have been unthinkable. I hope when I am dead, my heirs will celebrate my life and have a jolly good wake in my memory!!
Hi Alison B
ReplyDeleteBrave words at the end there!
But yes, I agree with you. Death, the dead, the dying, are far removed from us these days. Some say they prefer to remember a person when they were younger or healthier, and even refrain from visiting those close to death for fear of tarnishing a treasured previous memory of youth and beauty. But that is false, not realistic, and hurtful to the one actually going through the process of dying, I imagine.
How they each deal with death, or not deal with it, in God of the Cocoa is interesting, and certainly raises some questions for discussion.
Thanks for you comment Alison. Hope you continue to find interest in my blog.
Marilyn