Seven

     Danticat creates a superficial relationship between the two main characters. Each time the wife is described, she is described on a purely physical basis. The husband says she is "bigger than she had been when he left her" and that she "had obviously been to a professional hairdresser" (2086). If he truly cared about her, these would not be things he would focus on right away. After seven years apart, one might want to talk with the other person before judging their appearance. Danticat also notes that the word for love and like are the same in Creole. Therefore, the man must "embellish it with phrases" (2087). The fact that he feels the need to "embellish" his love for his wife is quite odd. He then says that he "babbled" and stopped talking to keep from "saying more insipid things" (2087). She should understand his love for her without this. The author's word choice makes it clear that these two do not have anything more than a physical connection. When they got married, the woman says she "disguised herself as the bride and he as the groom" (2091). The traditional joke was to be the other way around, but if this is how she feels about their marriage, then surely it is not a true one. They are merely playing a part.
     The use of the number 7 is quite prevalent in this story. The title and the opening paragraph both contain this number. As I was reading it, I began to think of what the significance of this number might be. Perhaps, the author was alluding to the seven deadly sins. These seven sins do not focus on anything other than the superficial. Greed, pride, gluttony, they are all material-based. Maybe Danticat uses this number to parallel the two. The characters' relationship is very much a physical one. The emotional connection is lacking. As with the seven deadly sins, it is all superficial.