Everyone handles pain differently, but no one advocates to use violence towards others as pain relief. I agree that Awiti will not and can not find peace by seeking vengeance. The thing is, Awiti's actions go past vengeance. In Chapter 28, Awiti meets a spirit named Barbury in the Bahamas who has found peace. Barbury asks Awiti to not do anything, yet Awiti still sends a hurricane to New Orleans in the name of vengeance. We have commented in class that Awiti's vengeance becomes more extreme and less justified throughout the novel. So the question of whether she ought to be pursuing her campaign of violence becomes moot.
When asking how Awiti should handle her pain, especially when using Awiti as a symbol for the African diaspora community, the situation becomes more complicated. Awiti as a person, or immortal being, will handle pain differently than an entire community of individuals with varying experiences. Awiti should have targeted explicit oppressors (ie slave owners and traders) directly. For example, in Chapter 20, Awiti targets a French family, the Montaudoins, in Quai de la Fosse because they were descendants of a slave-trading family. While this family was not necessarily innocent, and they did profit off of the abuse of Africans, I believe Awiti went too far.
Today, social movements don't focus on seeking vengeance through violence. We have learned that it's better to encourage education and preach tolerance rather than tearing people down and rejecting people for misled opinions. In class, we discussed that in order for Awiti's behavior and feelings to remain static, the injustices that caused such behavior and feelings must also be static. While racial injustices are still prevalent worldwide, they are less so than the 18th century. As society evolves, communities evolve, and our interactions with each other must also evolve.
How does this translate to how we should act in a world built off of the abuse and oppression of minorities? Are the Montaudoins completely innocent even though their luxurious life is built by the suffering of Africans? Is it wrong for Barbury to be at peace? I think that many of the answers belong to us personally. Our family history and our predetermined privilege change how we should and do respond to past and present injustices. Personally, violence should never be an option. Revenge should not be an option. Learning, growing, and establishing institutions to guarantee widespread improvements for the most underprivileged is the avenue we should always pursue.
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