Despestre, "Rosena on the Mountain"

    This story tells an interesting Haitian tale that intertwines religious beliefs with relationships and romanticism. The main character and narrator in the story, Alain, is caught between two people and two ways of lives. On one side he has the desire to become a Priest and Father Mulligan guiding him down the path of 'righteousness.' On the other, he has Rosena, a woman who is continually sexualized and objectified in the story and serves as a temptation of sorts for him. Right away, she says to him, "Has Father Mulligan stuffed your head with that nonsense? Huh? That's his affair if he wants to keep his prick in the Holy Spirit's cooler all his life! I think that our Iwa are right to limber up their limbs when they feel like it." From the start, Rosena is a voice for the opposing life to Father Mulligan and priesthood. She shows Alain how he could be and he eventually does go for this, getting romantic with Rosena. Obviously, this was not the liking of Father Mulligan.
    It is worth noting and questioning the power Mulligan tries to have over Alain, on the basis of religion. After finding the two lovers in bed, Alain says Mulligan, "threw himself on me. With a rough prod, he pushed me against the wall. He punched me right in the face. Then he hit me on the nose. I stifled a cry of pain." While I was reading this story, I kept finding myself viewing Father Mulligan as one of the dictating leaders we have seen in the documentaries about Haiti. His overbearing power and want to keep Alain viewing things in only his way, not allowing him to fully 'live' or participate in all aspects of life. As the story ends, Rosena, who represents a more free-living, care free life, "dethrones" Father Mulligan with a machete. The issue in reality, is the inability for people to cut off the sensitive parts of the problematic Haitian leaders.
-cs

Comments

  1. Lena CorradoOctober 4, 2020 at 7:48 AM

    I think your mentioning of Rosena and Mulligan as being essentially foils to one another is a super important dynamic we see play out in this story. This internal conflict, that then becomes external as Mulligan and Alain literally fight, parallels Haiti's history well. Colonization ushered in this intense christian influence which was used to oppress the native religion of Voodoo for its power could insight revolution. Similarly, under the guise of religion, temptation, and sexuality, in "Rosena on the Mountain" this dynamic is conveyed; Haiti attempts to break away from the rigidity of norms and faces consequences, but not sever enough to ever revert back to the before just as Alain breaks away from the confines of christianity to better explore his own initiatives, gets punched in the face and has to leave the monastery, but will never be that devoted to it ever again!!

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