Structure

Title

The title of the short story “Aline’s Journey” by Edwidge Danticat has both a literal and symbolic meaning. The literal meaning refers to the journey taken by the narrator and main character, a girl named Aline, who travels from Haiti to the United States of America by boat. 

At first, Aline sees the journey as an exciting event, but things get progressively worse: she gets seasick on the boat, then her beautiful dress gets dirty when she has to jump into the water along with the others, and then they all get arrested. The end of the journey by boat does not imply an end to their troubles, as they had hoped, but an end to their “hopes and dreams” (p. 17, ll. 2-3), as the family is separated and kept as prisoners, their future now uncertain. 

The title also has a symbolic meaning. Aline’s “journey” can also be interpreted as her progress on her own path to maturity. Aline matures during the course of these events and gains clarity of thinking, even through her suffering  (p. 16, ll. 37-41). The “journey” can, therefore, be seen as a rite of passage, gaining wisdom during the transition from childhood to adulthood. Aline’s blue dress, which gets taken away from her, is a symbol of her loss of innocence at the end of her journey.

The journey could also refer...