Ezili/Ezili-Danto Character Analysis in American Street

Ezili is the lwa (Vodou spirit) of women and fertility. She sometimes becomes Ezili-Danto when she’s fighting for women’s vengeance, and in this form, she has injuries on her face. Fabiola sees Donna as an iteration of Ezili because she’s interested in hair, makeup, and fashion, and she often has facial injuries from Dray’s abuse.

Ezili/Ezili-Danto Quotes in American Street

The American Street quotes below are all either spoken by Ezili/Ezili-Danto or refer to Ezili/Ezili-Danto. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Dignity and the American Dream Theme Icon

).

But I don’t want to look like a church lady. I still want to look...good. So I take off my mother’s church dress and put on a plain sweatshirt that belongs to Chantal and a pair of new jeans. I wear the Air Jordans that Pri picked out for me, but I keep my hairstyle. Now I don’t look so...Haitian. So immigrant.

Related Characters: Fabiola Toussaint (speaker), Pri/Princess François, Donna/Primadonna François, Chantal François, Manman/Valerie Toussaint, Ezili/Ezili-Danto

Page Number and Citation: 138

Explanation and Analysis:

This is a makeshift altar for Ezili with all the things she loves in the world. My whole body tingles when I realize what’s happening.

Again, Papa Legba has opened another door. How could I have missed this? Of course, I need Ezili’s help, too. And she’d been right under my nose, working through Donna with all her talk about hair, jewelry, clothes, and beauty.

Related Characters: Fabiola Toussaint (speaker), Donna/Primadonna François, Dray, Bad Leg/Papa Legba, Ezili/Ezili-Danto

Page Number and Citation: 178

Explanation and Analysis:

Ezili/Ezili-Danto Character Timeline in American Street

The timeline below shows where the character Ezili/Ezili-Danto appears in American Street. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...maybe it’s because Fabiola let a boy touch her the night before they left. Maybe Ezili, the lwa of fertility and love, is mad and summoned Papa Legba to block Manman’s... (full context)

...up a YouTube hair tutorial and does Fabiola’s hair. When they’re done, Fabiola feels like Ezili, the lwa of beauty. Donna insists that Fabiola looks like Rosa Parks and storms out... (full context)

Identity and the Immigrant Experience Theme Icon

...introduces herself as Ms. Unique. Inside, Fabiola thinks that this place is an altar for Ezili. This, she realizes, is Papa Legba’s doing—Fabiola needs Ezili’s help to make her look like... (full context)

...a parking lot where Fabiola can see the river. Fabiola smiles because she knows that Ezili lives in rivers. Kasim’s phone rings as they reach the river: it’s Dray, and he... (full context)

...if Bad Leg is Papa Legba, and Dray is Baron Samedi; and if Donna is Ezili and Ezili-Danto, then Chantal and Pri can also be lwas. They’re all here to help. (full context)

Trauma, Violence, and Desperation Theme Icon

Fabiola hugs Donna and says that she has the battle wounds of Ezili-Danto—but Fabiola will fight this battle for Donna. Fabiola knows that her cousins and Matant Jo... (full context)

...is real, not the “voodoo” of movies. Donna puts a hand on Fabiola’s cheek, whispers, “Ezili-Danto,” and refuses to go. Chantal grudgingly agrees and notes that the cops will be at... (full context)