“Tétiyette and the Devil"

                                                           “Tétiyette and the Devil"
 
           This narrative is about a girl named Tetiyette who lives in Guadeloupe. The author conveys to the audience the struggle for her to find a man to marry. This is shown with the discussion of a goat, pig, and devil, who express their desire to marry her.  After getting to know the pig and the goat, she refuses to marry them. The author expresses Tetiyette getting to know someone before committing to them, through the phrase "beautiful of her silver cups"(Cane and Flotsam 1). When she first met the goat and pig, her mother had told her to give them some water, metaphorically speaking, she meant to give them an opportunity to prove themselves. Although, unlike the pig and goat, the devil is described as a good-looking gentleman, and how he is decked out in gold. The devil, however, has been watching Tetiyette and has seen how gullible she is to her parent's approval and orders. He saw how to manipulate her, and as a result, she ends up losing herself. As a person, Tetiyette chose men based on personality, rather than looks, although she was easily deceived because she was trying to please her parents, and they could not see a flaw in him. "When she stuck her husband, slime oozed out. She took the handkerchief, washed it carefully, and the next morning she stuck herself with the pin....'You see, I didn't lie to you. There's blood!'"(Cane and Flotsam 2). Replacing his slime for her blood to try and show her mother she didn't make a mistake goes to show her naivety and lack of self-care. I think the author of this narrative is trying to aim at young women to be aware of toxic relationships and people. I also think she's trying to convey to young women, and perhaps men, that whether it be your parents or someone you look up to, they may not always have your best interests and back. The author demonstrates this concept by having her brother be the one to save her.