One of the most devastating earthquakes hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. ‘The World is Moving Around Me’ by Dany Laferrière is an autobiography that gives the world an eyewitness account to the 7.0 Magnitude earthquake and its disastrous aftermath.
Laferrière write a series of short stories before, during and after the quake based on what has experienced and observed. Throughout the sequences of short stories, Laferrière makes references to the media and the western world, about how media outlets from all over the world were interested in getting the information from the event. In the passage Semantic Battle which is dated after the earthquake, Laferrière gives the history of Haiti and how the Media represents it. Laferrière is asked questions by the Canadian TV and the French TV but he isn’t interested to share his opinions at that moment as he is thinking about how Haiti got to where it is today and because of all the struggles it has faced. To Haitians, Haiti is place where everyone is fighting with energy and dignity as they face challenges, they do not give up no matter what comes before them. Western societies view Haiti as a place which is cursed and full of poverty and corruption. However, these may be true, the people of Haiti are always willing to forget and forgive all.
In his passage January 11, the day before the earthquake Laferrière talks about journalist Chantal Guy and photographer Ivanoh Demers coming to Haiti wanting to see the city through the eyes of Laferrière. The journalists came to Haiti to write about the country however the editor wanted to go deeper and therefore they asked Dany Laferrière to show them his favorite places in the city. The media didn’t want the generic tour of the city they wanted to explore what it is really like to be in a place like Haiti.
A Night of Distress tells us about the scary moment when Laferrière’s wife had heard about the earthquake but had not heard from her husband. The media was asking her questions at a time when she didn’t have any answers, they gave her little privacy and she was even asked if it was okay for her to be recorded.
Laferrière also expresses his concern for who will write about the event in New Art Forms. He states that the earthquake belongs to everyone and therefore anyone can write about it. But who truly gets to essence of what had happened – not someone who hasn’t witnessed it for themselves. Laferrière was there when the earthquake hit and thus has first-hand witnessed the tragic event and was able to see the damage and suffering of the people. From this he is able to write about it in a way which will truly help people, both in Haiti and around the rest of the world to understand the event for themselves.