Bitter Grounds by Gaiman

Synopsis and Analysis of Bitter Grounds

Sandra Benitez's 1997 novel Bitter Grounds explores the lives of numerous cohorts of
women Salvadoran, whose exists unfold contrary to the background of the coffee business
that fuelled so abundant of El Salvador's past in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In the
collection Stories Mojo by Conjure published by Nalo Hopkinson, Neil Gaiman tells the story
of a man on a quest to find the Haitian Coffee Girls. Despite the lack of information about the
guy in the tale, it is clear first persona is being told here, as the use of the word "I" indicates.
When the narrator initially comprehends he must leave Tennessee, the tale takes place in
Tennessee, and it concludes in New Orland's. There is not a specific time period for this
narrative. I will discuss the narrative, the struggle between the actors and the narrator, and
any African American Motifs I found in the tale. I will also discuss the overall impact the
story had on me.
The storyline lacks framing; that is, there is no external tale that frames a flashback
internal story. In my opinion, the situation of a tale is vital since one cannot replay the
narration and create the same meaning in a new historical period. On the storyteller meets a
guy called Jackson Anderton in the foyer of the "Night's Out Inn," who gives a ride and adds,
this is like a Phantom Hitchhiker tale, having the opportunity to meet new individuals and
remember that people enter your life for a purpose (Benite 285). The Haitian Coffee Girls
hunting by the narrator's for the continues with the recitation of this adage. If the narrator had
gone anyplace else, I doubt he or she would have run across the same characters and

Surname 2
discovered the Haitian Coffee Girls. His search for the Haitian Coffee Girls would not have
been possible without the individuals he meets along the way.
Many characters appear in this story, counting Jackson Anderton, the professor of
anthropology who is giving an oral presentation about Haitian Coffee Girls, in addition to
Campbell, Shanelle Gravely-King is the friend of the narrator who is an anthropologist.
mysterious woman with a red or white bow on her head (Benite 285). The anonymous
narrator is the story's protagonist, but the opponent is his own Haitian Coffee Girls desire.
They are the story's antagonists. The protagonist's internal struggle is the driving factor
behind the story's conflict. To acquire the Haitian Coffee Girls coffee, which is a narcotic, he
has to deal with an inner force. In the earlier days, he had to call on them directly. Jackson
Anderton introduces the narrator of The Haitian Coffee Girls twice in the book (Benite 286).
Coffee served by the Haitian Coffee Girls was seen as a narcotic that possessed individuals
and made them do their bidding. Instinctively, the reader is led to believe he is amidst a battle
with the Haitian Coffee Girls at the beginning of each chapter. "Tongue brought me here" on
page 289, section two, "Taste brought me here". He can smell the coffee now, and knows
where he is.
Any of the aforementioned might be considered a motif in the African American.
Archetypes and the narrator's status as a wandering man are two African American themes I
saw in the narrative. He is a guy on the road, searching for the Haitian Coffee Girls he craves
(Benite 288). Journey theme heading towards the north, whereby the narrator decides to
travel south rather than north because otherwise the world would end too quickly, is another
African American motif I came across while doing research. They are on a search for the
Haitian Coffee Girls, but instead of travelling north toward freedom they head south into an
ever-expanding universe of possibilities.

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In my opinion, this book was inestimable because it gave me a better understanding of
the Haitian Coffee Girls, who served as a symbol of people's ability to survive and go on with
their lives while under the influence of coffee. This is a tale of the paranormal. The narrator
first heard about the Haitian Coffee Girls as a fanciful tale when the narrative begins. This
was an intriguing tale about love, zombies, and a mind-altering substance. It demonstrates the
importance of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things. Remember that
individuals enter the life of an individual for a specific purpose.

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Work Cited
Sandra Benite. Bitter Grounds. 1997, 1-300.