Island Beneath the Sea

In this novel and study guide, Voodoo generally refers to an African diaspora religion that developed in Haiti. As a motif, Voodoo manifests in the novel in various ways. Particularly noteworthy is the lwa, or intermediary spirit, known as Erzulie, which is associated with maternity and love. Tété’s association with Erzulie includes her possession of a doll in Erzulie’s likeness. On various occasions, Tété also prays to, or is possessed by, Erzulie. Tété’s association with Erzulie enriches her character, suggesting Tété’s loving and maternal nature.

Other elements of Voodoo in the text include zombies, drums, music, herbal remedies, and gatherings whose purpose is to inspire enslaved people to rebellion. As a distinctly syncretic African tradition, Voodoo connects its adherents not only to God and each other but also to their ancestors, who are believed to go to a paradise under/across the sea, as the book’s title references. Voodoo thus connects with several of the novel’s main themes. Regarding Idealism Versus Pragmatism, Voodoo, rather than Christianity, would have provided the backdrop for the values and ideals shared by most of the rebels. Voodoo would also have altered practitioners’ perception of the power dynamics that shaped life in Saint-Domingue, tying into the theme of