In Erzulie’s Skirt by Ana-Maurine Lara, we dive into the stories of Micaela and Miriam as their experiences connect to themes of love, identity, spirituality, and the struggles of being Afro-Caribbean women. These two women go through so much, individually and as one, growing up in their Caribbean households in the Dominican Republic. The novel is also rooted in voodoo and other spiritual traditions, hence the title Ezrulie’s Skirt. Before and after they meet, they tackle personal traumas, societal expectations, and complex experiences as they try to reach and achieve their dreams. As we follow Micaela, we see her journey begin in the house with her mom while her brothers went off to school; she was convinced by her mother Ligia to be a housewife and stay one. Her aunt Angelica convinces her to get an education, and it makes her excited. She grew up in a household where her mother participated in voodoo practices, but then she “did not want to continue with this, with teaching this work that was passed on from woman to woman, now generations old. If this birth were a girl, she would be forced to teach her the powers that her mother had passed on to her”(55). Micaela’s father, Chichi, also taught her how to show respect to the saints and taught her more about their rituals and traditions, as he says, “Your soul will return to Guinee and traverse the waters where our ancestors lie on their return journey, and Erzulie, great Erzulie, will guide you home” (81). As she grows up, she carries power and comfort from her ancestors and the spirits that she worships. She learns to trust in herself and connect to her culture, as it is a path of painful realities; at the same time, she has to endure being disowned by her family, a painful voyage and journey to Puerto Rico with Miriam, dealing with human trafficking, and being abused. Even in those moments, she maintains her faith to escape that situation and finally ends up in El Sur.

Going back to when she lived in the capital, she hopes to find a job and potentially find her way to the States. She dreamt of a white man and a beautiful home and told Miriam, “‘Let’s leave this place, Cheri, she said. Let’s go to Nueva York. You know the streets there are made of gold(137) because she “want[s] something else. I don’t want to be a maid forever” (147). She wishes to have the freedom and opportunity that she’s limited to in the Dominican Republic. Having a better life in the States gives her a destiny she can shape with a potential future. Her dreams don’t come true in terms of finding a life in the United States, as the painful voyage I mentioned earlier was filled with deceit and lies, but it allows us to see the resilience and strength she fosters in her ancestral connections. She powers through when returning to el sur, opening up a colmado with Miriam and finding peace in the love and family that she has grown fond of. She revisits her father and the river that took her brother and finally decides she’s ready for her death and to be one with the ocean with acceptance. Overall, Erzulie is a symbol of love and beauty and a goddess of the waters and is a guide for Micaela to embrace her vulnerability as her spirituality at this point isn’t constricting but empowering. Being able to explore her journey from her youth and into adulthood, we interestingly see her shine and grow into her spirituality that was passed down to her, giving her lessons and opening her eyes to her own potential and resilience while navigating a life of self discovery and strength.

Works Cited

 Ana-Maurine Lara, Erzulie’s Skirt. Redbone Press, 2006.