Sugar Cane Alley Response Grace M (sorry it's late!)

One of the most interesting themes I observed in Sugar Cane Alley was the commentary on untraditional families. Jose is raised by his grandmother, Ma-Tine, who is hardworking and world-weary. She holds Jose to a high standard and punishes him for his many pranks, but cares deeply for him, as we see when she saves him from a harsh beating after he sets a shanty on fire. Since Ma-Tine works constantly in order to keep food on the table for her and Jose, she is not there to supervise him 24/7. However, she believes in her grandson and manages to send him to public school and then an upscale high school. The film combats the notion of success depending on a traditional family because although Jose has the talent and smarts to leave Martinique, his grandmother's trust and determination to get him there.

We see this theme furthered in the harsh rebukes of Leopold's father, who discourages his son's fraternization with Jose. History teaches that the classic family form is a harmonious situation, but because the film focuses on Jose, we see that a father with too much control in his son's life ends up being harmful. The director also juxtaposes the deaths of Leopold's father and Ma-Tine. Leopold's father dies while trying to remove Leopold from Jose's company, casting him as foolhardy and pigheaded. On the other hand, Ma-Tine dies from too many years of work, but we see that her death, while sad, is content. She has succeeded in raising a smart, self-sufficient young man, who can now push himself to be better.

An additional facet in the theme of traditional family is Jose's relationship with Medouze, an old man who tells him stories and myths. Medouze cares for Jose and aims to educate him with his stories. At the same time, Jose appreciates the wisdom and entertainment Medouze provides, which keeps him out of even more trouble. Similar to Ma-Tine, Medouze doesn't over-interfere in Jose's life, and allows him to learn from his mistakes; despite this, he has a clear impact on Jose's creativity and intelligence.