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Rain Darling Interpretive Essay
by Lisa Holinsworth
In Merle Collins' Madelene, found in her collection of short stories, Rain Darling, a Caribbean dialect, typical of Collins' style, tells a story and provides an atmosphere. This atmosphere allows the reader to feel a closer connection to the characters. Madelene takes place in Madelene's home in Brooklyn, New York. She was raised and spent her early adult life in Grenada. Madelene carries on Granada's tradition of story telling throughout the story - telling Corinne, her niece, a familiar folk tale with a moral and some stories about her family, the past and life in Grenada.
Madelene is a strong, independent woman in her late sixties. She closed the door on her husband after his "seven-day absence" (79) and has never looked back. She gives Corinne advice from her experience: "When people show they care nothing about you, what you looking back for" (80). Madelene has raised Corinne since her mother "drunk herself to death" (76). She also got through the death of her only daughter, Belle, who died at an early age, which happened about seven years after Madelene had moved to Brooklyn. It is rather evident for the audience to see Madelene's strong, independent character, but if the reader looks a little deeper into her, they will see a softer side. Madelene enjoys Corinne's visits: she is "glad for the company" (80). She begs Corinne to stay longer and even spend the night with her. She often talks to herself or her daughter's and sister's spirits to keep herself company. She likes to be able to pass along stories of Grenada, family and the past to Corinne. Madelene fears that she did not raise Corinne the way she needed to be raised and fears that Corinne is too much like her mother.
Corinne is described to be a great deal like her mother in looks and personality so much so that it sometimes pains Madelene to look at her. Madelene claims this to be the reason she can not have a picture of Corinne's mother, Madge, hanging from the wall. Corinne even compares herself to what she knows about her mother. She is afraid herself that she will become her mother and drink herself to death. Corinne reflects on her life alone and realizes she often drinks herself to sleep. When she becomes aware of her problem, she knows "for sure that she wouldn't let it happen again" (77). She keeps this discovery to herself. Corinne knows how it would disappoint and pain her Aunt Madelene, though she believes that Madelene has already "guessed about her" (77). It is at this point where "She is learning, now, to value herself more" (77). Corinne, like Madelene, is a strong, independent woman, but much younger. She enjoys listening to Madelene's stories, but teases her by yawing and pretending that they are boring the way the "modern" (76) generation would. She points out Madelene's exaggerations, saying they could never happen; though Madelene claims they truly have.
Madelene places emphasis on the importance of family, traditions, and a person's native land. Corinne learns of her family and background from Madelene's stories of Grenada. Madelene teaches her a valuable lesson about greed through a West Indian folk tale, which is told in Madelene. Madelene is a story about storytelling. It stresses the importance of storytelling. Madelene teaches her niece, the next generation, about values through familiar folk tales. Corinne learns of her family, its traditions, and her native land from Madelene's many stories. This West Indian tradition of storytelling helps Madelene raise Corinne to be the person she is now, an intelligent, powerful, and self-reliant woman.
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