"To Da-duh, in Memoriam" is Paule Marshall's short story, first published in 1967 but popularized by Marshall's collection Reena, and Other Stories, which was published in 1983. The short story is autobiographical in nature; it chronicles the author's relationship with her grandmother. Throughout their lives, the two fought largely because of their different views on the world. The author was interested more in urban life; her grandmother, rural life. The author's grandmother was more interested in tradition; the author, forging a new path and eschewing tradition.
Above all, Marshall's short story is an exploration about what it means to Barbadian and the differences between older and younger generations (and how they live their life). The character Da-duh reflects this; Marshall considers Da-duh to be an ancestor figure for her and her family that has loomed over her life.
A reflective, sometimes somber short story, "To Da-duh, in Memoriam" made Marshall a critical and financial darling. Her works, including "To Da-duh, in Memoriam," are still widely read across the worlds (but especially in schools, where it is dissected by English students).
