Why the Cocks Fight
Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola
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ISBN10: 0809097133
ISBN13: 9780809097135
Trade Paperback
304 Pages
$20.00
CA$26.99
Like two roosters in a fighting arena, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are encircled by barriers of geography and poverty. They co-inhabit the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, but their histories are as deeply divided as their cultures: one French-speaking and black, one Spanish-speaking and mulatto. Yet, despite their antagonism, the two countries share a national symbol in the rooster—and a fundamental activity and favorite sport in the cockfight. In this book, Michele Wucker asks: "If the symbols that dominate a culture accurately express a nation's character, what kind of a country draws so heavily on images of cockfighting and roosters, birds bred to be aggressive? What does it mean when not one but two countries that are neighbors choose these symbols? Why do the cocks fight, and why do humans watch and glorify them?"
Wucker studies the cockfight ritual in considerable detail, focusing as much on the customs and histories of these two nations as on their contemporary lifestyles and politics. Her well-cited and comprehensive volume also explores the relations of each nation toward the United States, which twice invaded both Haiti (in 1915 and 1994) and the Dominican Republic (in 1916 and 1965) during the twentieth century. Just as the owners of gamecocks contrive battles between their birds as a way of playing out human conflicts, Wucker argues, Haitian and Dominican leaders often stir up nationalist disputes and exaggerate their cultural and racial differences as a way of deflecting other kinds of turmoil. Thus Why the Cocks Fight highlights the factors in Caribbean history that still affect Hispaniola today, including the often contradictory policies of the U.S.
Reviews
Praise for Why the Cocks Fight
"A complex exploration of the cultural divide between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Wucker . . . weaves together five centuries of tragic conflict with a subtle picture of the island today."—Patrick Markee, The New York Times Book Review
"Michele Wucker writes about contemporary politics the way it should be done—with a deep and thorough root in history. Unifying several different ways of thinking about a complex subject, Why the Cocks Fight is an exemplary book."—Madison Smartt Bell
"The island Columbus called Hispaniola was first divided by a cruel and invasive history into two ill-fitting pieces, a split that remains virulently alive to the Haitians and Dominicans who inhabit it today. Using the vivid imagery of the cockfight, Michele Wucker moves in and out of these conflicting realities with insight and compassion, skillfully unraveling both the ambiguities of the past and the antipathies of the turbulent present. I have not read as spellbinding a book in a long time."—Alastair Reid
"A richly textured social history of Hispaniola . . . A powerful cultural analysis."—Kirkus Reviews
"Impeccably researched history made current and more meaningful by first rate reporting."—Barbara Fischkin, author of Muddy Cup: A Dominican Family Comes of Age in a New America
"A delightful yet disturbingly relevant book . . . The economic, political and geographical struggles vividly occurring on Hispaniola are a microcosm of what happens all over the world."—Michael Hopkins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"Wucker peels away layers of history and culture, revealing aspects of Dominican and Haitian culture few have described so clearly. Well-crafted, lucidly told, and full of insight."—Rob Ruck, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A rich cultural history."—Ken Moore, Naples Daily News
Reviews from Goodreads
About the author
Michele Wucker
