Everything Inside

The dramatic power of this story comes from Danticat’s use of free indirect discourse. This third-person narrative technique—in which multiple characters speak through the voice of the narrator—gives readers direct insight into Carole and Jeanne’s most intimate thoughts and fears. The narrative voice alternates between Carole and Jeanne across the seven sections of the story, so that, although Carole and Jeanne fundamentally misunderstand each other, the audience can see the similarities between them. Danticat’s use of free indirect discourse demonstrates The Impossibility of Truly Knowing Others, even those closest to us.

Danticat’s use of free indirect discourse also offers readers access to Carole and Jeanne’s most intimate thoughts and fears. In the opening section, the narrative voice describes Jeanne’s “mental fragility” (134) and “feeble” (135) psyche, echoing Carole’s frustrations about what she perceives as her daughter’s weakness. This narrative voice is less willing to discuss Carole’s mental state. Although the narrator acknowledges that she has “memories that are quickly slipping away” (133), and that her symptoms have been visible “for years” (138), the diagnosis is never named in the sections in which’s Carole’s perspective is centered. In the second section of the story, however, the narrative voice moves to Jeanne, and the word “dementia” (138) appears almost immediately. The narrative voice is suddenly much more empathetic towards Jeanne, describing how she “feels as though a deep and sour hole were burrowing through her body” (139). The narrator suggests that Jeanne is experiencing post-partum depression— “motherhood is a kind of foggy bubble she can’t step out of long enough to wrap her arms around her child” (141)—but, once again, the diagnosis is never named. This section clarifies elements of the first (Jeanne is not weak but experiencing mental distress) while also identifying similarities between the two women.

The effect of Danticat’s free indirect discourse in these sections is that, although Carole and Jeanne struggle to understand each other, the audience sees that they are dealing with similar problems. By exposing the audience to each character’s innermost memories and fears, Danticat demonstrates how similar the women are and how little they know each other. The tragedy of the story is in its ending, and the knowledge that, because of Carole’s diagnosis, the two women will likely not be able to fully resolve their misunderstandings. The story suggests that it is impossible to truly know others, and that misunderstandings among loved ones—especially people from different generations and backgrounds—may never be resolved.