Respond below this post in the comments. If you are a student receiving credit for your blog posts here, please provide your name so your professor can grade your participation.
- P. 118: Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
- P. 131: Who is John Garang?
- P. 134: Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
- P. 142: What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
- P. 167: All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
- Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
- P. 184-185 Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?
Respond below this post in the comments. If you are a student receiving credit for your blog posts here, please provide your name so your professor can grade your participation.
John Garang is a colonel in the Sudanese army who had fled to Ethiopia to meet up with Kerubino and hundreds of soldiers to begin the rebel movement.
ReplyDeleteKF7990
The quotation "Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in it banality" means that each of the boys that were part of the Lost Boys Foundation were assigned an age that was determined by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and all given the same birthday of January 1. Their birth dates were then put on their official documents.
ReplyDeleteKF7990
• . 118: Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
ReplyDeleteDut lectures Valentino because Valentino only wants to go to Marial Bai instead of Bilpam. He tells Valentino there is no sustenance in Marial Bai and Bilpam is the place to go.
• P. 131: Who is John Garang?
John Garang is a colonel in the Sundanese army. Garang fled to Ethiopia because he heard a rumor he would be moved to the North front.
• P. 142: What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
The expression drain a pond to catch a fish means it is more simple to catch fish when all of them are dead. Literally speaking its easier to catch fish when they all are dead.
• P. 167: All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
They all celebrated their birthdays on the same day, January 1, because that what the United Nations High Marshall for Refugees put on their papers. The foundation was trying to assign the “boys” documentation as soon as possible thus they chose January 1 as their birthdays.
Week of September 27
ReplyDelete1. Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
a. Valentino is finaly showing his exhaustion and his want to only be in Marial Bai. Valentino says he finally felt the “crush” of it. Dut see’s this and knows that Valentino has the strength to carry on he just needs the determination. He lectures him to tell him that he must keep faith, he must look for a brighter tomorrow in Bilpam. He explains that maybe his family still is alive but he must keep walking and keep mental and spiritual strength.
2. Who is John Garang?
a. John Garang is a colonel in the Sudanese army who fled to Ethiopia with Kerubino Bol after rumors of the army being transferred to the north. This army along with the 104th Battalion fled to Ethiopia where they created a new and strong rebel army called the SPLA.
3. Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
a. The story is similar to Valentino’s father because they both speak of Dinka pride and power and willingness to prevail. They are different though because of the times. At the time Valentino’s father tells the story the Arab’s are still friends of the Dinka and so he changes the end. He does not include the what at the risk of offending the Arab friends. Dut’s story is told during a time of hate towards the Arab for what they did to the Dinka people. It is for this reason that he kind of includes the what. He still leaves room for interpretation but the general idea is that the what is Dinka power.
KF9833
Week of September 27th
ReplyDelete4. What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
a. The expression “drain a pond to catch a fish” means that it will be easier to catch one fish when all are dead. If you think of it literally, draining an entire pond would kill every fish, including the one you are looking for. Draining the pond entirely would be much easier than standing in the pond up to your knees catching each fish one by one to see if it’s the one you want.
5. All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
a. Banality means boring. The reason that they celebrate there birthdays on the same day is fascinating but boring because the UN though it would be easier to pick one day for everyone rather than choosing at random a day for every single Refuge. It’s interesting that they would just give everyone the same birthday but boring at the same time.
6. Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
a. The lost in Atlanta were frustrated with Mary Williams because of the comparison, “give a little and they will come back for more.” There was only so much Mary could do and since the Lost boys were so reliant on help they were given a little, not enough and therefore wanted and expected more that Mary simply couldn’t give on her own. Also, they were frustrated because when she had a give away, she couldn’t give it to everyone, she had to pick people at random. This angered some of the other Lost boys because they weren’t on the receiving end all the time.
7. Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does valentino make sense of this?
a. The lost boys foundation was disbanded because Mary could not handle the stress anymore and because of the way the boys were saying she was handling the money she stopped getting many donations. John Garang died after brokering the peace agreement between SPLA and the government of Sudan. He was involved in a Helicopter crash after the agreement was signed. Bobby died from a heart attack while exercising. The way in which he died showed his resilience and mind set to always keep on pushing. All of this is hard to except but all of these tragedies in Valentino’s life show of some trait that he wants or has. With Bobby its his will to persevere, John his peaceful mindset and the foundation its will to always help those in need even when they are not always nice in return.
KF9833
-Dut lectures Valentino about the facts and consequences of the chaos. Valentino wants to go to Marial Bai and Dut explains the ignorance and hopelessness of doing so. Realizing that Valentino only wants to go back because of his family, Dut softens his tone to explain the danger of going back and that there may be hope for his family so Valentino needs to be strong and continue forward.
ReplyDelete-John Garang is the man who began the rebel movement.
-Dut’s story of What is the What is similar to Valentino’s father that the DInka own the cattle and the Arabs, knowing this, stole property, people, and livestock from the Dinka. However, different from Dut’s version of the story, Deng Arou claims that God had given the “What” to the Arabs and therefore is inferior to the Dinka, who had chosen the goods that were given to them by God. Another difference is in Dut’s ending that the chaos happening is the government’s strategy to gain power from the Dinkaland in order to restore all that has been lost.
-The expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” means destroy the prey’s habitat, environment, reliance, home, and then the prey is sure to die; in this case, the rebels.
-Valentino’s question and statement about the Lost Boys’ having the same birthday means the odd conduct of the UN who choose to group everyone under the same birthday instead of assigning random dates.
-I believe the Lost in Atlanta were frustrated with Mary Williams because she was a woman. The general population being male, probably, could not accept a different culture in which woman took control and administered.
-Valentino makes sense of the two deaths and the closing of the foundation through analysis; first, even in his last few minutes, Bobby Newmyer’s death portrayed his determination to continue as he forced himself onto the treadmill one last time. Second, John Garang finally ends the political dispute between the rebels and the government by signing the peace contract before he dies in a plane crash that is largely accepted as an accident. John Garang was the only man who had the power to settle disagreements and fortunately he did so before he passed away. And finally, although the foundation had closed because Mary Williams could not handle the stress and negative rumors, she nonetheless helps some Lost Boys with their college tuition.
1. Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
ReplyDeleteDut lectures Valentino because initially Valentino refuses to go to Bilpam. He only wants to go to Marial Bai. Dut has to explain the political situation to him and that it is too dangerous to go there. Valentino has to just move forward toward Bilpam.
2. Who is John Garang?
He is the man who came back to Sudan to found the SPLA.
3. Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
They are similar in that both talk about the pride of Dinka and how they are able to overcome all obstacles. They are different in the fact that Valentino's father tells the story in a time where the Dinka and Arab's are friends because he doesn't want to offend his friends. Dut tells the story in a time where the two groups are infuriated with one another.
4. What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
This means that it would be easier to get rid of the rebels if you destroyed their environment and all of their resources first.
5. All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
Banality means cliche, or overused. The UN thought it would be easier to give birthdays all on the same day, rather then assigning random dates for all the refugees.
6. Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
The lost were so frustrated with her because she does not have enough resources to give away to everyone. With the lost in Atlanta completely dependent on her, it is tough for them to have to come to the realization that she cannot provide for all.
7. Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?
Valentino makes sense of this by realizing that he must push forward regardless of what is thrown at him. Newmyer died while running to the very last second, giving all he could. While Garang dies in a helicopter crash after signing a peace agreement. With all the struggles of Valentino's life, he has to have great persistence to keep going.
KF1154
Week of September 27th
ReplyDelete1. "Why does Dut lecture Valentino?"
Dut lectures Valentino because Valentino only wants to go to Marial Bai instead of Bilpam; Dut lets Valentino understand that going to Bilpam is there only option. Dut explains to Valentino that there is no life left in Marial Bai, only "dust, and horses, and blood". Dut reiterates that Bilpam is a safe place for a bunch of boys, and the best hope they have in finding their families.
2."Who is John Garang?"
John Garang is a colonel in the Sudanese army. John Garang and Kerubino Bol fled to Ethiopia after rumors spread that they would be transferred to the north. This army, accompanied by the 104th Battalion, formed a new strong rebel army. They referred to themselves as the SPLA.
3. "Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?"
The story is similar to Valentino's father because they both refer to the power of the Dinka, and the Dinka's ability to overcome hard times. The differences between the stories lie in the time frames in which they were told. For example, Valentino's father tells the story at a time when the Arabs and the Dinka are still friends. Valentino's father changes the end and leaves out the what to assure that he won't offend the Arabs. When Dut tells the story it is a time when the Arabs and the Dinka are no longer friends. The Arabs have harshly oppressed the Dinka people, and for that reason Dut includes the what in the story.
4.
"What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?"
The literal meaning behind the expression "drain a pond to catch a fish" means that if you drain a pond all the fish will die; this makes it very easy to collect or eliminate the fish you are looking for. In terms of the "What is What" book the Arabs and the Khartoum are draining and destroying Dinkaland. By destroying Dinkaland, they are making sure that the rebels don't have the resources or support to rise against this region and the people oppressing their culture.
KF9739
Week of September 27th
ReplyDelete5. "All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?"
The quote "Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality" means that when the lost boys were first processed by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees they were all assigned an age according to how old they looked. They were also assigned a birthday; they were all assigned January 1st. This new birthday went on all their legal documentation; the foundation was trying to make filling out all these boys documentation as simple as possible, hence giving them all the same birthday.
6."Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?"
I believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams because, although she provided them with a lot, she could not provide them with everything. Mary Williams only had so much she could give away to the lost boys, and most of the things she gave away were selected at random. The lost boys were upset because they were so reliant on her, but she could not provide them with everything they needed.
7. "Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?"
All of these tragedies are difficult to comprehend, but Valentino makes sense of them all by looking at them through a positive light. Through all the misfortunes, uplifting lessons can be learned. For example, Bobby Newmyer dies from exercising, but his death represents his willingness to persevere. John Garang, who dies in an accidental helicopter crash, died after signing the peace agreement between the SPLA and the Sudan government. Garang represents the fight for peace and the importance of fighting for justice in a peaceful manner. The foundation falls apart because Mary Williams can no longer handle the stress. Even though the foundation fell apart, it still represents the willingness of others to aid people who need help.
KF9739
Week of September 27
ReplyDeletep. 118- Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
Dut lectures Valentino on the issue of returning home. Valentino yearns to return to Marial Bai to find his family that he has been apart from for some time. Nevertheless, Dut is trying to convince Valentino that he needs to move on from what has happened in the past, and do something for himself. “We’re going to Bilpam because I was told Bilpam would be a safe place for a bunch of boys,” Dut firmly states. Therefore, the safest decision is for Valentino to head towards Bilpam, and Valentino responds by saying that he understands.
p. 131- Who is John Garang?
John Garang is a colonel in the Sudanese army. Kerubino and himself fled to Ethiopia after hearing rumors that they were being relocated. When he got there, his army along with the 104th Battalion formed a new strong rebel army called the SPLA.
p. 134- Dut tells what is the what story-how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
Dut and Valentino’s stories of the What is the What are similar because they both speak about Dinka and the Dinka’s power to destroy anything that is sent to it. These two stories are dissimilar because Valentino’s father tells the story at a time when the Arab’s are still friends with the Dinka. He fails to mention how the Arabs can be offensive because he does not want to say anything that would get him involved in a mishap with his friends. On the other hand, Dut tells the story when the Arabs and the Dinka have separated themselves from one another, and are no longer friends. In this version, Dut includes the What as well as the ending of the story.
p. 142- What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
“Drain a pond to catch a fish” means drain wherever the rebels might be born or where they are supported. Get rid of where the Dinkaland began in order for the rebel army to never attack again. In other words, rather than individually killing each fish, drain the pond to allow all to die at once.
p. 167- All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
When the boys were first processed by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at Kakuma, they were all assigned the same date of January 1st. They believe this happened because it was easiest to give everyone the same date rather than assigning a different one to each.
Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
I believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams because she could not give everyone everything they needed. She gave away as much as possible to the lost boys, but she could not give everything, and they needed her support at this very time because of their poor condition.
p. 184-185 Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino sense of this?
John Garang died in July of 2005 because of a helicopter crash flying from Uganda to Sudan, while Bobby Newmyer died in the winter of the same year because he pushed himself too hard on the treadmill and without considering the consequences, continued running until he had a heart attack. Valentino states at the end of this chapter, “And after all this, I am still in Atlanta, and I am still on the floor of my own apartment, tied with telephone cord, still kicking the door” (185). Valentino deals with these deaths in a positive way in that he reaches for the light at the end of the tunnel. He is looking to rebound from these horrible deaths and carry on with his own life in an upbeat manner.
KF9170
P. 118: Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
ReplyDeleteDut lectures Valentino because Valentino wants to return home to his family but Dut thinks Valentino should just move on and focus on his own safety and doing this for himself.
P. 131: Who is John Garang?
John Garang is a general in the Sudanese Army
P. 134: Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
They are similar because they both are on the Dinka's and their power to destroy anything and their power to prevail in any situation. Like mentioned in previous questions, the stories differ because his father is telling it in front of the group still with the Dinka's so he does not want to offend them.
P. 142: What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
When you drain a pond you kill the fish that live in it, In regards to the book it means that they are going to try and eliminate all possible resources that the rebels may use so they can no longer hurt and oppress the country.
P. 167: All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
Their birthdays are all on the same day because the boys were given ages and then their birthdays from that point on were set to January first. This was done for record keeping purposes.
Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
They were frustrated not so much with her, but with the lack of resources she had to provide. She provided as much as she can to the lost boys but due to their large numbers, it was still not enough.
P. 184-185 Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?
He sees these events as the light at the end of the tunnel. Mary and everyone else have done everything they can and they will finally find their way out of oppression.
1. Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
ReplyDeleteDut lectures Valentino because Dut wants Valentino to move on from the past. He makes it clear that he only wants to be in Marial Bai. Dut see’s this and knows that he can convince him to have determination and the strength to carry on. Importantly, Dut convinces Valentino that there is nothing there for him at Marial Bai and that he must look at whats ahead of him. He tells Valentino that the best decision is to go towards Bilpam. He explains that even if his family is alive, he must keep the mental strength to go on.
2. Who is John Garang?
He is a colonel in the Sudanese army who fled to Ethiopia to meet up with Kerubino and hundreds of soldiers to start the rebel movement. He did this because he heard a rumor he would be moved to the North front. John Garang Went to the University in America and came back to Sudan as a founder of the SPLA.
3. Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
The story is similar to Valentino’s father because they both speak of Dinka pride and power. They are different though because of the times. At the time Valentino’s father tells the story the Arab’s are still friends of the Dinka and so he changes the end. He does not include the what because he does not want to offend Arab friends. Dut’s story is told during a time of hate where Dinka own cattle and the arbs, knowing this stole, property and people from the Dinka. Deng Arou claims that God had given the “What” to the Arabs and therefore is inferior to the Dinka, who had chosen the goods that were given to them by God.
4."What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?"
The expression “drain a pond to catch a fish” literally means it will be a lot asier to catch a single fish when the rest are dead however if you are draining an entire pond every fish would be killed anyway. Metaphorically, I think it means its better to destroy the foundation of Dinka so they can never rise again and its easier to drain or kill the rebel army.
5.P. 167: All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
Banality means dull, or original. The UN thought it would be easier to give birthdays all on the same day, rather then assigning random dates for all the refugees.
6.Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
They were frustrated with Mary because she could not give them all the resources they needed. It wasn’t necessarily her fault, she just did not have the amount of resources needed to glorify them. She provided as much as she could but because there were so many of them, it was not enough. They were extremely dependent on her, putting pressure on Mary.
7.P. 184-185 Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?
Valentino tries to makes sense of this by realizing that he must go on regardless of the situation. Newmyer died while running on the treadmill to the very last second, giving everything he could. John Garang finally ends the political dispute between the rebels and the government by signing the peace contract before he dies in a plane crash. He had a lot of power and beneficially was able to settle the disagreements before he passed. All the struggles of Valentino's life, still managed to keep him motivated to live.
P. 118: Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
ReplyDeleteDut lectures valentino because valentio wants to go find his family in marial bai, the reason for the lecture is because there is no food there and they need to go to balim.
P. 131: Who is John Garang?
He is the leader aof the Sudanese army. John fled to ethopia with this army to form the SPLA after hearing rumors that him and his 104th would be sent to the north.
P. 134: Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
The stories are different because valentinos father is telling the story in times when there isn’t any hate for the arabs so the endings of the to stories are changed (in duts time there is hate for the arabs and what they did t the dinka). The similarites of the two stories are how they talk about the strength and resilience of the dinka people. And also the strength of their pride.
P. 142: What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
This means that it is too hard to keep killing individual soliders (the fish), what they need to do is destroy what these “fish” need to survive. The army needs the resources and the land so why not destroy that land. Make it so many of them cant survive.
P. 167: All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
They all celebrated their birthdays on January first because that is the date that the united nations assigned to all the refugees to give them an age so they could try and get paper work for them all quickly.
Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
They were obviously frustrated with her because they are all starving and she is the woman with the food. The only probem is she doesn’t enough of it to give to everyone all the time so she has to just give it to a few and this angers the ones not getting any.
P. 184-185 Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?
Mary couldn’t handle the stress anymore, ad the rumors about how she was using the money had peope stop sending any donations. This made the foundation fall but valentino through this sees the good in that there are people with a want to help others, a need to help others. He looks at the other two with the perspective that the two gave everything they could to the last second of life. With john he got a peace agreement signed solving that huge problem before he died in a helicopter crash. Newmeyer died of a heart attack, but he did it excersising on the tredmill he saw this as a sign of strength and hard work to the end.
Dut lectures Valentino because Valentino has moments where he wants to give up. Dut tries to explain to Valentino that going back to Marial Bai is not a good idea because there is nothing there for him anymore. Everything has been burned at this time and his family is probably in another village. But like any child Valentino doesn't understand the politics and everything else that is going on. He just wants to be with his family doing the things that he is use to doing. Change is difficult for anyone to unwilling undergo, but it is especially difficult for a child who has abruptly lost everything and everyone important to him.
ReplyDelete1.Dut lectures Valentino because valentino is struggling to let go of his desire to be in Marial Bai. Valentino want to be in Marial Bai but Dut tries to tell him that Marial Bai is deserted and no one lives there now. Dut tells Valentino that his parents still may be alive and that they must go to Bilpam where it is safe.
ReplyDelete2.John Garang is a colonel of the sudanese army who flees to Ethiopia once he heres the possibility that the army may be transferred to the north. John Garang was influential in the rebel movement
3.The stories of Dut and Valentno’s father are similar because they both refer to the pride and strength of the Dinka people. The difference in the two stories lies in their endings. Valentino’s father does not include the “what” because at the time the Dinka were still with the arabs. Dut, however, includes the “what” because the Dinka and the arabs are no longer friendly.
4.The expression “drain a pond to catch a fish” means that by destroying the environment , the people in that environment will suffer and die.
5.This quotation means that the decision of the UN to make every refuge celebrate their birthday on the same day is both interesting and unexciting. It is interesting to know that everyone is going to celebrate their birthday at the same time but it is also unexciting because they don’t get their own personal birthday.
6.The frustration was a result of Mary Williams not having enough resources to give to everyone all the time. The lost in Atlanta relied on the assistance, and when they could not get the assistance, they focused their frustration on Mary Williams. Williams was all that the lost had and they really wanted the help she could provide.
7.Valentino is saddened by the deaths of Bobby Newmyer and John Garang, and also saddened by the breaking up of the lost boys foundation. However, valentino seems to think about the good things that happened before the deaths and the disbandment of the foundation. Newmyer died while exercising, Garag died after signing a peace agreement, and the foundation only broke up because Mary Williams could not handle the stress anymore. All three worked very hard at what they did and Valentino recognized their courage.
KF0648
The expression "drain a pond to catch a fish" means working too hard for a result not worth it. For example when one becomes too determined to reach a specific result that they will do anything to reach the result they want, even if it is ridiculous and requires more work than the result is worth.
ReplyDeleteThe boys' frustration with Mary stems from the fact that she physically cannot accommodate every thing that every person wants. Her nature is to do what she can and give what she can, but if she gives to one person (or a few people) every one else feels they also deserve the same, but there is only so much a single person can do. The boys are coming from a situation where they had noting into a situation where they can have almost anything, thus they all want to be equal (they don't want to have less than another). However, as it is Mary who is providing for them it is left to her to provide equally, but there are simply not enough resources to provide for every boy equally.
Week of Nov 8
ReplyDelete“Why does Dut lecture Valentino?”
Dut lectures Valentino because Dut wants Valentino to forget about the past. Valentino is stuck in the past and wants to go back to Marial Bai to find his family. However, Dut convinces Valentino that there is no life at Marial Bai and that he must look into the future. He tells Valentino that the best and safest decision is to head towards Bilpam.
“Who is John Garang?”
John Garang is a colonel in the Sudanese army. Both Garang and Kerubino fled to Ethiopia due to rumors that they would be relocated to the north. There the 104th Battalion and hundreds of well-trained soldiers created a new rebel army called the SPLA.
“Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?”
Dut and Valentino’s father’s story is similar when talking about the Dinka and the power and pride they had for themselves. However, the two stories differ when it comes to the relationship between the Dinka and the Arabs. According to Valentino’s father’s story, the Dinka and Arab had a good relationship with each other, but in Dut’s story, the Arabs were jealous of the Dinka for having the cattle and fertile land.
“What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?”
This expression means that it is better to destroy the foundation of the Dinkaland so that there is no resourse and support for the rebels to rise again. Instead of killing one rebel at a time it is easier to drain/demolish the backbone of the rebel army so that they may not rise again.
“All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?”
The quote above means that even though all the lost boys’ birthdays were common in a boring way, the reason why this date was so fascinatingly chosen was because of its convenience. The date January 1st was easy to make up and memorize instead of having each of the lost boys chose a date for themselves.
“Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?”
The lost in Atlanta were frustrated because even though Mary provided them with many resources in order to start a new life, they were not able to adapt to the culture as fast as expected. The lost probably thought that everything would be set and ready; however, it takes time for them to get to know the surroundings. Also, Mary could only do so much for all these people that they would soon have to go out into the world by themselves and look for jobs, shelter, etc.
“Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?”
Valentino makes sense of all these tragic events by trying to look at it in a positive way. Even though Newmyer and Garang died, they didn’t die a slow sad death but a death that happened to be an accident. Even though Valentino is on the floor of his own apartment, he is still alive and doing well to start his life over again.
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1.Dut lectures Valentino because Valentino wants to go back to Marial Bai to find out if his parents are there and are still alive. Dut advises him not to do this because he knows how unsafe and life threatening Marial Bai is because the Baggara had now taken it over and there were only the remains of houses left. When he notices Valentino lose hope of finding his parents, he encourages him not to cry because they had to be strong for themselves and one another. He tells Valentino that they all the boys are in it together and looking for the same things.
ReplyDelete2.John Garang is a colonel in the Sudanese army who had fled to Ethiopia to meet up with Kerubino and hundreds of soldiers to begin the rebel movement.
3. Dut's story of the What is similar to Valentino's father's story because they both tell the story of how God asked man to make a decision about which they would rather choose, the cattle or the what. The difference between the story Dut tells is that he reveals that the Arabs chose the what. Valentino's father never reveals this because he did not want to offend the Arabs that were listening to his story, who would have been portrayed as being oppressed in his story by choosing the what.
4. “Drain a pond to catch a fish” is referring to draining a pond filled with rebels. By “draining this pond”, or in other words killing everyone in a particular region, the government army is ensuring that no more rebels can ever rise again. When the Dinka that they displaced are gone the army moves in, taking over everything they own.
5.The quotation "Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in it banality" means that each of the boys that were part of the Lost Boys Foundation were assigned an age that was determined by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and all given the same birthday of January 1. Their birth dates were then put on their official documents.
6. The lost boys were frustrated with Mary because there were so many of them that were so needy and there was only one of her. She tried her best to do whatever she could to help each of them but at times there was not enough resources to provide for all of them. These boys were happy to finally have found help but got upset when that help wasn't accessible to everyone.
7.After John Garang died, Valentino thought his death was accidental and is thankful that the peace agreement was signed before his death because he believed no other leader would be able to deliver it. Valentino explains Bobby's death as showing his true personality as someone who perseveres up until the very last second. The Lost Boys foundation was disbanded because Mary could not handle all the responsibility and stress. Now the lost boys cannot go to the foundation in search of scholarships or sponsors to refugees.
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Shane hassin - KF8993
ReplyDelete1. Dut lectures Valentino because Valentino is still in shock over what has happened to his family and would like to know if they are still there or even alive. Valentino can't get over the fact that his family could be in Marial Bai while he is out fighting for his own life.
2. John Garang is a colonel in the Sudanese army who fled to Ethiopia because he heard of rumors that he would have to fight in a different area. He later founded the SPLA because his men followed him to Ethiopia.
3. Dut and Valentino's father's stories contain similarities and differences. They are similar because they both demonstrate pride towards the Dinka people. But, his fathers story is refined in order to satisfy and avoid insulting the Arabs, while Dut's is unrefined and tells the true story including the Anti-Arabic segments that Valentino's father excluded.
4. This expression means that it is easier to kill the fish if you drain the pond than picking for one. By taking out the water, they will all die because they cannot survive without the water. This can be related to the Rebels treatment of the Dinka people.
5. The UN chose these birthdays to be on the same day so they could be registered quicker. Banality means boring in that they made their birthdays to be all on the same day rather than their actual or desired birthday.
6. The lost of Atlanta were frustrated with Ms. Williams because they all were not given equal amounts of resources creating tension and anger between the lost. She is also a woman who has more power than they do, which is not typical for Sudanese.
7. All of these figures have collectively died causing Valentino to feel that with their deaths, oppression of the Sudanese would die out as well. But in the case of the foundation, he feels Mary could not take all of the pressure that her job consisted of causing the lost boys to be more productive on their own.
KF-8993 - Shane Hassin
Week of September 27
ReplyDelete1. P. 118: Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
- Dut lectures Valentino because he see’s the exhaustion and the weak look overcoming his face. Dut lectures Valentino to man up and stop crying because nobody around him is, and that there is hope in Biplam, not in Marial Bai and that’s why they are running. Dut explains that there are survivors just like them of the Marial Bai burnings and they very likely could also be Valentino’s family so he lectures him so Valentino has the strength to keep moving.
2. P. 131: Who is John Garang?
- John Garang was a colonel in the Sudanese army who had also fled to Ethiopia. He began the rebel movement that made General Dahab very angry.
3. P. 134: Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
--Dut’s story of what is the what can be compared and contrasted to Valentino’s father’s version of the story. Similar to, Dut explains the importance of succeeded and being loyal to Dinka pride and being accepting of who you are. The difference appears when talking about the Arabs. The stories are told during very different time periods. Valentino’s father talks about the Arabs as they are friends and Dut tells the story during a time when the Arabs are strictly enemies. Valentino’s father’s version leaves out the Arabs as the what but Dut ends the story with the Arabs being described as the what because of what they did to their people.
P. 142: What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
-In the book the expression to “drain a pond to catch a fish” refers to ruining Dinkaland in order to get rid of any leftovers or anyone that is supporting them. Instead of taking time to fish through the land to get rid of only the rebels they are killing everything. Literally the expression means instead of waiting around to catch a fish, you drain the pond so they are all dead and you have a 100% chance of catching one.
KF7055
week of september 27 continued
ReplyDelete-P. 167: All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
-This means that is a interesting that they UN would group all of the boys on the same birthday merely because it was easier then choosing random birthdays for all of them. Banality can be defined as boring or dull, and by all of the boys who accepted the January 1st birthday it is boring. However, it is interesting that so many similar boys with the same situation are documented with the same birthday.
Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
-I believe that they were so frustrated with Mary Williams because Mary’s name was associated with all that went wrong with Lost Boy Foundation. They became so dependent on her help and when she couldn’t come through all the way she was considered insufficient. They blamed Mary for all the boys who got to experience Hawaii because she chose who got to go on that trip. And from that day on Mary couldn’t do anything right in the eyes of the boys.
P. 184-185 Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?
- This was a lot of bad news to come down on Valentino. But he ended up making sense of it by looking towards the positive, which is something he has always been taught to do. John Garang was the keeper of peace and he was the only one who could do so, he looked at Garang’s death as a surge towards peace because he just had signed the peace treaty to end the struggle of the rebels and the government. Valentino’s journey has always been furthered and strengthened by diligence and determination, and he saw Bobby’s death as a symbol of this. Even after the striking pain, Newmyer got back on the treadmill and kept on going without giving up, even though the heart attack was the death of him. Finally, Mary’s unwillingness to continue on with the foundation due to the stress ended up with the boys having financial help with their college tuitions.
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P. 118: Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
ReplyDeleteDut lectured Valentino because he saw that Valentino was sad and thinking about his family and wanting to go to Marial Bai. Dut lectures Valentino to convince him to go to Bilpam instead and to keep his faith. He reassures Valentino that his family would not be in Marial Bai if they are safe.
P. 131: Who is John Garang?
John Garang is a colonel in the Sudanese army. He began the rebel movement when he fled to Ethiopia with Kerubino and began an army called the SPLA.
P. 134: Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
Dut tells the what is the what story, which is very similar to Valentino’s father’s story but also different. Valentino’s father fails to mention the negatives about the Arab’s to be sensitive to their feelings, whereas Dut discusses how the Dinka and Arabs are not together. The stories are alike because they both stress the Dinka’s power.
P. 142: What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
It means that the government army is draining the pond in which the rebels might be born or supported. They are taking away everything around Dinkaland so that only the rebels cannot thrive and grow. By taking away everything from Dinkaland, rebels will not be able to survive and come out of Dinkaland.
P. 167: All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
This means that the reason their birthdays were all on the same day was because when the lost boys were first processed by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, they were all given January first. The reason for this is because January 1st is the first day of the year, and is the most predictable day to be given. It is also easy for all the children to have the same birthday, instead of having to choose different days for all the boys.
Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
The lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams because she was thought as the one who engineered the selection of those who had gone to Hawaii. Valentino questions why she was given that power. He says, that from that day forward Mary could do nothing right. Everyone must have been frustrated with her because of this.
P. 184-185 Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?
John Garang died in a helicopter accident, but luckily signed the peace agreement before his death. Bobby died on a treadmill, because he got back on the treadmill after he fell off. Valentino makes sense of these deaths by keeping his hope alive and by pressing forward, like Bobby and John. Just like John and Bobby, Valentino is still kicking even after all he has been through.
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P. 118: Why does Dut lecture Valentino?
ReplyDelete- Dut lectures Valentino in order to convince him to want to go to Bilpam, and not Marial Bai. Dut says he was told Bilpam would be a safe place for a bunch of boys. He tells him there isn’t a Marial Bai now, and if he finds his parents it won’t be there.
P. 131: Who is John Garang?
-John Garang joined Kerubino. He is a colonel in the Sudanese army and he had fled, too. He began the rebel movement.
P. 134: Dut tells what is the what story- how is it similar to Valentino’s father’s story? How is it different?
-It is similar to Valentino’s father’s story because it includes the pride and power of the Dinka. They are also different though because Valentino’s father told the story when the Arabs and the Dinka were still friends. So, his father had to alter the story when he had told it in order to protect the feelings of Sadiq and the other traders. He was sure that the Arabs knew they were inferior to the Dinka, but he knew it would not be polite to exaplin this to them at dinner. However, when Dut tells the story when the Arabs and Dinka are no longer friends. So, Dut included what could be offensive to the Arabs, which is the end of the story and the “what.”
P. 142: What does the expression, “drain a pond to catch a fish” mean?
-“Drain a pond to catch a fish,” in other words means it’s easier to catch a fish if you take away the water, or all of its surroundings. Rather than individually catching or killing each, if you drain the pond you are killing them all at once. In this case, they are draining the pond in which the rebels might be born or supported. They are ruining Dinkaland so that no rebels can ever again rise from this region.
P. 167: All the lost boys were given the same birthday, January 1. Valentino writes, “Why were we all celebrating our birthdays on the same day? This is a good question and the answer to this is fascinating in its banality.” What does this mean?
-When the boys were first processed by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at Kakuma, we were assigned an age as accurately as aid workers could determine, and were all given the same birthday: January 1. This is fascinating in its banality because it’s so predictable for them to choose January 1, the first day of the year, as every one of the boy’s birthdays, rather than the UN picking different dates at random for each of them.
Why do you believe the lost in Atlanta were so frustrated with Mary Williams?
-It was she, it was rumored, who engineered the selection of those who had gone to Hawaii. Some thought, “Who was she to wield such power.” From that date forward, Mary could do nothing right. Valentino said those in Atlanta seem, too often, to find reason to feel slighted by whatever is given to any other.
P. 184-185 Bobby Newmyer dies, John Garang dies and the foundation breaks up. How does Valentino make sense of this?
-First, he takes whatever can be looked at as the somewhat positive aspects of each of their deaths. For John Garang, Valentino says, “We can be thankful only that the peace agreement was signed before his death. No other leader in southern Sudan had the power to broker it. Then, for Bobby Newmyer, Valentino says how Bobby felt a stab of pain in his chest while on the treadmill, so he got off. But, once the pain subsided, he did not do what he might have done, which was to leave the gym and perhaps seek medical attention. Because he was who he was, he got back onto the treadmill and minutes later collapsed again. So basically, at least he died being who he was, and doing what he wanted. Also, Valentino makes sense of this all by saying how he is still in Atlanta, still kicking the door. He is taking the positive aspects from these deaths and “the foundation breaking up,” and finding the strength and will to carry on with his own life through them.
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