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Week of October 18
P. 331: Why does the Gulf War in 1991 give the boys hope?
- P. 336: Why do the boys leave Pinyudo?
- p. 345: After crossing the Gilo river again, Achor Achor said, “I really don’t want to be one of these people anymore.” What do you think he means?
- p. 349: “…the civil war become, to the world at large, too confusing to decipher, a mess of tribal conflicts with no clear heroes or villains.” Describe what this means.
- P. 367: “Bobby suggested that Tabitha’s murder was made possible by the madness of this country and on occasion in those dark weeks after her death, I allowed myself to find America complicit in the crime.” P. 369: “What have I done to bring such calamity down upon myself and those I love?” What does he mean?
- P. 373: Kakuma means nowhere. How must this knowledge impact the boys?
- P. 382: basketball restored the Sudanese to “the kings of Africa.” Imagine Valentino’s and the other boys’ pride in their success.
- P. 385-385: Between the barrier system and the ink to count refugees. How does this feel like the holocaust to the boys?
- P. 388: The term unaccompanied minors is how the lost boys were officially described, and Valentino talks about their group as the lowest in the hiearachy of the camp.
- P. 394: While considered unaccompanied minors, the boys create families similar to Valentino and Gop. Why does this happen?
-The boys have hope believing in the presence and interaction from the American soldiers with the problems in Khartoum.
ReplyDelete-The boys left Pinyudo because the Ethiopian force removed President Mengistu, thus, gaining power to also force the people out of Pinyudo.
-Achor Achor is expressing his lost of strength to continue the repetitive and exhausting journey. He is physical and internally sick of relocation to a supposedly “safety” area only to endure the same danger and struggle over again.
-Valentino summarizes the overall conflict in one good sentence. The war began with two opposing sides with the government on one hand and the rebels on the other. However, the two parties have divided further within their own ally. Hence within the rebels, the people divided into more groups fighting not only against the government but also killing their own ally because each group had to prove that their leader is “right” oppose to the other leaders.
-Valentino is going through the process of grieving. He blames the death of Tabitha on Duluma because Duluma is directly responsible. This blame grows toward the general society and how America seems as if it has no control on crime. Next, Valentino goes through emotions of anger. And changes the gear to him, he is upset with himself for bring such bad luck. In previous chapters, Valentino admits that he bring bad luck to himself and those around him with trouble and death.
-This knowledge allows the boys to literally see their hopelessness. The boys do not have a home, a family, or any sense of community to which they belong to. Kakuma painted this picture clearly through its isolated landscape and its name.
-I believe Valentino and the other boys were filled with glee when basketball restored the Sudanese to "the Kings of Africa". Although they lost their land, property, and every sense of belonging, for once, the Sudanese were at the top.
-The boys began to feel frightened by the barriers because it served as a blockage from their routes to flee if danger were to approach. And because Holocaust was current news to the boys, many of them began to compare and imagine their fate to that of the Jewish. Hence, imagining the UNHCR arrived at the refugee camp with a single purpose to eliminate all the people.
-Valentino shares how the lost boys do not have a family because the war had separated each member. He explains that the boys who are not a part of a family are considered the lowest of the rank on the camp. Therefore, Valentino takes comfort in his relationship with Gop Chol because it establishes a sort of father son interaction allowing Valentino some advantage compared to his status as a lost boy.
-When the boys create families similar to Valentino and Gop Chol their status in the hierarch goes up one step. This family like relationship provided benefit to the unaccompanied boys because it allowed more privileges and a better status at the camp.
P. 331: Why does the Gulf War in 1991 give the boys hope?
ReplyDeleteThey feel the presence of the Americans in that part of the world might help their conflict.
P. 336: Why do the boys leave Pinyudo?
The Ethiopians overthrew there president and the Ethiopian forces were attacking making it no longer safew for them to be there.
p. 345: After crossing the Gilo river again, Achor Achor said, “I really don’t want to be one of these people anymore.” What do you think he means?
he is so tired, both mentally and physically of traveling from place to place. Finding places where they can stay that they think are safe just to have to leave at the drop of a hat by the skin of there teeth.
p. 349: “…the civil war become, to the world at large, too confusing to decipher, a mess of tribal conflicts with no clear heroes or villains.” Describe what this means.
well the war started with two distinct sides, you had the over controlling government and the rebels trying to fight against to get rid of it. Now the sides are divinding into subgroups that all want who they think is best to lead the whole side. Now you have the sub groups fighting for the position of leader of the group in this bigger war.
P. 367: “Bobby suggested that Tabitha’s murder was made possible by the madness of this country and on occasion in those dark weeks after her death, I allowed myself to find America complicit in the crime.” P. 369: “What have I done to bring such calamity down upon myself and those I love?” What does he mean?
Starting with the last quote, he thinks he has this kind of bad luck tat he carries with him that is affecting the people he is around and is the reason for what he has been going through. With the first quote he is talking about how America has a lack of control over anything that is going on. And that the current madness and chaos that everything is in is the reason for tabithas death.
P. 373: Kakuma means nowhere. How must this knowledge impact the boys?
They are starting to really feel that there is nothing left for them. They have no one to call a family, they have no where to go, they have literally nothing to call their own.
P. 382: basketball restored the Sudanese to “the kings of Africa.” Imagine Valentino’s and the other boys’ pride in their success.
The boys felt a sence of pride in their new title of “kings of Africa” even though they have had so much taken and had so little, they could look on this title with a smile on.
P. 385-385: Between the barrier system and the ink to count refugees. How does this feel like the holocaust to the boys?
They feel trapped by these barriers, they cant just flee if things go bad like before. Also they knew about what happened to the jews and how they were killed in those camps so they started to compare that and imagine the UNHCR as exterminators.
P. 388: The term unaccompanied minors is how the lost boys were officially described, and Valentino talks about their group as the lowest in the hiearachy of the camp.
They are considered the lowest because they don’t have a family, they were either separated in some conflict or lost hence the name lost boys. This is why valentino tries to hold onto his relationship with gop because this raises him from this lowest status
P. 394: While considered unaccompanied minors, the boys create families similar to Valentino and Gop. Why does this happen?
Like I said before forming relationships like this raises their social status s they aren’t just seen as lost boys and are treated better.