Daughters of the Dust

Daughters of the Dust opens with the Unborn Child, narrator, who is found to be at the core of her family’s relationships because she represents new life. As a family is faced with the decision between the old times and new, the large close-knit family experiences trials and troubles. On one side, Nana (whom is the matriarchal head) feels like it would be neglecting their families’ generations of solid guidance if they moved off of the Gullah Island. Since she is a devout follower of voo-doo and other ‘natural’ family spirits, Nana takes it as an insult that some members would want to leave their African past / heritage, which she regards as her identity. Here, it is distinct that the family suffers through changes as the old traditional ways, which the Peazant family was based of off, and the new westernized “secular” ways of society. Although precious ancestors have started their family from nothing, some family members feel as if it is time for them to move off the island and into a place with more civilization. The younger generations of the family want something besides the hard life that Gullah offers them. Also, there are some interpersonal issues pieces of the family experience, like a rape and the consequential separation between husband and wife. As the women hash out their beliefs from the changing times, it is clear that family relationships and their family as a whole is important to them all.

At points, this movie was very difficult to follow for a few reasons. One, it was not always clear who the character was. It was nearly impossible to identify their place in the family if somebody was not there explaining it. In this movie, it is important to connect each character and their role in the family. I guess this also relates to how not all of the names were known. To change this movie, a family tree diagram would be helpful, but definitely is silly to include in the movie! Also, it was sometimes difficult to understand the content of the script because of thick accents. It was depicting the family as recent decedents from Africa, but I had a hard time understanding all of their words. These two minor aspects would have really assisted in my knowledge of the plot, but overall did not take away from the family’s message.