pgs. 367-535
Finally, I finished this book.
After reading this, I had many mixed feelings. To read through this was emotionally exhausting, but rewarding since I learned about what truly happened to the Sudanese during this difficult time. Looking back, Valentino reminds me of Job from the Bible, who lost all his family members, property, and was inflicted with deadly diseases but still managed to praise God through his sufferings. Valentino, who technically loses his family, friends and belongings, bears a similar plight to that of Job. Valentino is forced to trek a vast distance in search for a better and safer life, with barely any necessities and minimal guidance. Several times, he is met face to face with death and barely escapes with perseverance and other times because of luck.
In the end, he sets many resolutions as he starts all his sentences with ,"I will...I will...I will..."
"All the while I will know that you are there. How can I pretend that you do not exist? It would be almost as impossible as you pretending that I do not exist."
This could be Valentino talking about God, it could be him talking about the peoples of the world who have chosen to ignore the plight of the Sudanese or simply don't know their story.
As for the question, What is the what, I believe that it is up to interpretation... That's a vague answer...but I'm still trying to figure out what What is...
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
5. What is the what
pgs. 231-363
So alot happens in these pages, but I'm only putting some of the things I see...
Valentino and Achor Achor call the police, hoping to justify their losses and punish the robbers, but to their dismay, they are not taken seriously by the officer. Instead, their incident is labeled as a mere complaint and disregarded. In a way, their hopes are just like Valentino's when he looked to Ethiopia for hopes and a better life. In a way, the U.S. is similar to Ethiopia as it is presumed as a land of opportunities and change but in reality, in terms of treatment, the Dinka as still obstructed from many privileges and looked down upon.
The scene describing how the women could be sold off by cattle disturbed me. But I guess that's how Sudanese people measured another's worth.
The cattle also made me think back to the clay cattle which could represent the Dinka people and how they are constantly being "stepped on"...
When Achor Achor and Valentino go to the hospital, they are once again held up
and they have to wait for 3 hours before they get any official treatment.
There are times when Valentino goes through the water.. but I doubt he's being baptized because he is neither being changed nor does he choose to go into the water.
When Valentino meets Moses again, could the book be alluding to the Bible ? The whips on Moses' back resembles Jesus' whips when He was carrying His cross up the hill.... I'm not sure.
on pg.273 The horse Moses mentions ironoically symbolizes captivity but in Valentino's eyes, at least in the past times that he mentions a horse, it is associated with power or freedom.
Also Moses' story of him being kidnapped makes me think to Joseph who was also kidnapped and brought across the desert, but in the end he not only survived, but benefited greatly from it as he became a powerful figure in the area that he was kidnapped to...
I suppose the Dinka boys see the white man as a possible murahaleen since they associate him with death, salvation?, and fire.
It's also ironic how some of the Dinka see the white man as superior or angelic but in Valentino's eyes he is fragile, and pig like.
Pg.287, I feel like Valentino unconsciously lives up to his name that Father Matong gave him, as he says valentino , "...you will have the power to make people see." I also think that is one of the reasons why Valentino is put through so much misery; so that he can share his and his people's story with others and a change can be made. The next sentence, talks about a jailer's daughter, which leads me to the obvious question... Who is the jailer's daughter for Valentino?
The awkward scene where Valentino meets the Royal Nieces and goes to their house...I believe Valentino is growing up, as he experiences new feelings and sees new things. More irony, as Valentino and Achor Achor are in the hospital, which in my opinion represents refuge and peace but instead it is where they are thrown into pandemonium when they hear that the war is going on again. Then again, it is a false alarm.
The emotions the boys were going through as the camp was becoming more and more militarized made me think back to the seasons. In the summer, there is passion to train in Bonga to become a soldier, but in the autumn there is decline and finally in the winter, there is death since all four of the boys from Group Eleven die.
Why would you make weak, inexperienced, malnourished boys fight a war? Shouldn't the "seeds" be nourished in order to prepare them for succeeding the future Sudan?
The scene of the woman was utterly disturbing and sad. Why would a mother ever bring her son's to death?
So alot happens in these pages, but I'm only putting some of the things I see...
Valentino and Achor Achor call the police, hoping to justify their losses and punish the robbers, but to their dismay, they are not taken seriously by the officer. Instead, their incident is labeled as a mere complaint and disregarded. In a way, their hopes are just like Valentino's when he looked to Ethiopia for hopes and a better life. In a way, the U.S. is similar to Ethiopia as it is presumed as a land of opportunities and change but in reality, in terms of treatment, the Dinka as still obstructed from many privileges and looked down upon.
The scene describing how the women could be sold off by cattle disturbed me. But I guess that's how Sudanese people measured another's worth.
The cattle also made me think back to the clay cattle which could represent the Dinka people and how they are constantly being "stepped on"...
When Achor Achor and Valentino go to the hospital, they are once again held up
and they have to wait for 3 hours before they get any official treatment.
There are times when Valentino goes through the water.. but I doubt he's being baptized because he is neither being changed nor does he choose to go into the water.
When Valentino meets Moses again, could the book be alluding to the Bible ? The whips on Moses' back resembles Jesus' whips when He was carrying His cross up the hill.... I'm not sure.
on pg.273 The horse Moses mentions ironoically symbolizes captivity but in Valentino's eyes, at least in the past times that he mentions a horse, it is associated with power or freedom.
Also Moses' story of him being kidnapped makes me think to Joseph who was also kidnapped and brought across the desert, but in the end he not only survived, but benefited greatly from it as he became a powerful figure in the area that he was kidnapped to...
I suppose the Dinka boys see the white man as a possible murahaleen since they associate him with death, salvation?, and fire.
It's also ironic how some of the Dinka see the white man as superior or angelic but in Valentino's eyes he is fragile, and pig like.
Pg.287, I feel like Valentino unconsciously lives up to his name that Father Matong gave him, as he says valentino , "...you will have the power to make people see." I also think that is one of the reasons why Valentino is put through so much misery; so that he can share his and his people's story with others and a change can be made. The next sentence, talks about a jailer's daughter, which leads me to the obvious question... Who is the jailer's daughter for Valentino?
The awkward scene where Valentino meets the Royal Nieces and goes to their house...I believe Valentino is growing up, as he experiences new feelings and sees new things. More irony, as Valentino and Achor Achor are in the hospital, which in my opinion represents refuge and peace but instead it is where they are thrown into pandemonium when they hear that the war is going on again. Then again, it is a false alarm.
The emotions the boys were going through as the camp was becoming more and more militarized made me think back to the seasons. In the summer, there is passion to train in Bonga to become a soldier, but in the autumn there is decline and finally in the winter, there is death since all four of the boys from Group Eleven die.
Why would you make weak, inexperienced, malnourished boys fight a war? Shouldn't the "seeds" be nourished in order to prepare them for succeeding the future Sudan?
The scene of the woman was utterly disturbing and sad. Why would a mother ever bring her son's to death?
Sunday, July 25, 2010
4. What is the what
Pgs. 188- 227
The Nile is ironic in the sense that it is supposed to represent hope and a new path to freedom but instead, it is filled with dead bodies and mosquitoes that fed on the already malnourished Dinka. The same is for the Gilo River, which is infested with crocodiles. The other side of the Gilo river is described by Valentino as "....it looked very much like the side of the river we were on..." And just as Valentino says, later on when they do reach the other side, they find nothing that they hoped for.
Also, it is in the dark, that Valentino reunites with his best friend, William K. Rain is also mentioned and it has dual purposes; as it is the sign William K recognizes for when he will return home and it also creates a swamp that the boys have to trudge through.
There is a part on pg. 194 that makes me think back to U.S History again as they discribe how southern Sudan and northern Sudan can't unite and that the chiefs of both sides couldn't possibly reconcile. This relationship resembles the Union and the Confederacy at the time of the Civil War.
When a boy died, "...his head touched the tree, the life in him would fall away and his flesh would return to the earth." This reminds me of the Oversoul cycle, or Walt Whitman's poem, Leaves of Grass.
The man that refers to himself as "nobody" is symbolic for something, but I'm not quite sure for what...
The color red is commonly associated with the sun and the bicycle is mentioned again and it seems like another symbol of freedom for Valentino.
Also, its ironic how Ethiopia seems like heaven for William K and Valentino but turns out to be nothing like they imagined. Instead of having a new life with school, supplies, and homes, they are met with death and no food once again.
The Nile is ironic in the sense that it is supposed to represent hope and a new path to freedom but instead, it is filled with dead bodies and mosquitoes that fed on the already malnourished Dinka. The same is for the Gilo River, which is infested with crocodiles. The other side of the Gilo river is described by Valentino as "....it looked very much like the side of the river we were on..." And just as Valentino says, later on when they do reach the other side, they find nothing that they hoped for.
Also, it is in the dark, that Valentino reunites with his best friend, William K. Rain is also mentioned and it has dual purposes; as it is the sign William K recognizes for when he will return home and it also creates a swamp that the boys have to trudge through.
There is a part on pg. 194 that makes me think back to U.S History again as they discribe how southern Sudan and northern Sudan can't unite and that the chiefs of both sides couldn't possibly reconcile. This relationship resembles the Union and the Confederacy at the time of the Civil War.
When a boy died, "...his head touched the tree, the life in him would fall away and his flesh would return to the earth." This reminds me of the Oversoul cycle, or Walt Whitman's poem, Leaves of Grass.
The man that refers to himself as "nobody" is symbolic for something, but I'm not quite sure for what...
The color red is commonly associated with the sun and the bicycle is mentioned again and it seems like another symbol of freedom for Valentino.
Also, its ironic how Ethiopia seems like heaven for William K and Valentino but turns out to be nothing like they imagined. Instead of having a new life with school, supplies, and homes, they are met with death and no food once again.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
3. What is the what
pgs.159- 187...
*I have been noticing for a while now, that the roles of light and dark are switched. Whenever Valentino sees light, he encounters new hardships, like the Arabs shooting at him, or it is when he is running from the Baggara. Whereas in the dark, there's a sense of serenity, as he's dreaming about his family, which gives him comfort and security. In the light, Valentino is vulnerable to his surroundings and he is also obviously, seen in the daylight by the Arabs, so his chance of surviving is slimmer. "Pinpricks of white" leap before Valentino's eyes, which once again puts him in danger again on pg. 158.
The scene with Monynhial who was one of the boys walking with Valentino was pitiful, when he dug a hole for himself to just die in and exclude out all hope for survival. The conditions of walking were unbearable to the point where a young boy like Monynhial just gave up on all hope.
"The feel the guilt in knowing that they could have done something sooner had they only been listening." Does Valentino's reference to the christian neighbors somehow connect to the bigger picture of the "other" people who have known about the problem in Sudan but haven't done anything about it, causing innocent children like Valentino to suffer the war?
There are also incidents of sexism when Mary who helps the Lost Boys of Sudan is blamed for many of the unfortunate events that occur in their lives, and also when the Lost Girls are deemed as unimportant compared to the Lost Boys...
*I have been noticing for a while now, that the roles of light and dark are switched. Whenever Valentino sees light, he encounters new hardships, like the Arabs shooting at him, or it is when he is running from the Baggara. Whereas in the dark, there's a sense of serenity, as he's dreaming about his family, which gives him comfort and security. In the light, Valentino is vulnerable to his surroundings and he is also obviously, seen in the daylight by the Arabs, so his chance of surviving is slimmer. "Pinpricks of white" leap before Valentino's eyes, which once again puts him in danger again on pg. 158.
The scene with Monynhial who was one of the boys walking with Valentino was pitiful, when he dug a hole for himself to just die in and exclude out all hope for survival. The conditions of walking were unbearable to the point where a young boy like Monynhial just gave up on all hope.
"The feel the guilt in knowing that they could have done something sooner had they only been listening." Does Valentino's reference to the christian neighbors somehow connect to the bigger picture of the "other" people who have known about the problem in Sudan but haven't done anything about it, causing innocent children like Valentino to suffer the war?
There are also incidents of sexism when Mary who helps the Lost Boys of Sudan is blamed for many of the unfortunate events that occur in their lives, and also when the Lost Girls are deemed as unimportant compared to the Lost Boys...
Friday, July 16, 2010
2. What is the what
pgs.109- 159
In the past pages, I noticed that Valentino has some Christ-like attributes. For example, when he is praying alone in the forest and when he talks about him teaching children.
These chapters seemed to allude to U.S history. Pg.134, Like the Indian Americans, who were forced off their reservations because of Americans, the Dinka tribe is forced to flee from their homeland because of the Baggara who mercilessly exploit and ravage their land. Also on pg. 141, the way the Arabs were describing the Dinka sounded alot like the "White Man's Burden"... well, maybe that's just me.
The white headpiece on Deng's head makes me think that the Arab's are like the Ku Klux Klan, with their white headpieces and robes, and their spiteful treatment towards the Dinka.
White, which symbolizes peace in many cultures, can also symbolizes death (chinese culture)...so that might mean something.
The record of boys dying everyday from disease was disheartening, to have so many boys die after another and not even a proper burial for any of them. Especially for Valentino, who is at such a young age, having this harrowing experience in his childhood years...
And it's ironic how Valentino seems to be crying out for help and company on pg.142
but at the same time he finds serenity in being alone , i.e. when tonya and michael tv boy leaves his apartment, and when Valentino loses consciousness from the bombs that are exploding near him...
....And what does that blue dog symbolize? Or does is it not symbolic for anything?
Turns out I was correct, Deng later dies of disease with the white headpiece on his head...
In the past pages, I noticed that Valentino has some Christ-like attributes. For example, when he is praying alone in the forest and when he talks about him teaching children.
These chapters seemed to allude to U.S history. Pg.134, Like the Indian Americans, who were forced off their reservations because of Americans, the Dinka tribe is forced to flee from their homeland because of the Baggara who mercilessly exploit and ravage their land. Also on pg. 141, the way the Arabs were describing the Dinka sounded alot like the "White Man's Burden"... well, maybe that's just me.
The white headpiece on Deng's head makes me think that the Arab's are like the Ku Klux Klan, with their white headpieces and robes, and their spiteful treatment towards the Dinka.
White, which symbolizes peace in many cultures, can also symbolizes death (chinese culture)...so that might mean something.
The record of boys dying everyday from disease was disheartening, to have so many boys die after another and not even a proper burial for any of them. Especially for Valentino, who is at such a young age, having this harrowing experience in his childhood years...
And it's ironic how Valentino seems to be crying out for help and company on pg.142
but at the same time he finds serenity in being alone , i.e. when tonya and michael tv boy leaves his apartment, and when Valentino loses consciousness from the bombs that are exploding near him...
....And what does that blue dog symbolize? Or does is it not symbolic for anything?
Turns out I was correct, Deng later dies of disease with the white headpiece on his head...
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
1. What is the what
Pgs. 1- 108
I started reading What is the What.. and the way the story is told makes me think back to english class last year, about how it is a frame story, like the Catcher in the Rye.
I find it interesting and ironic that Valentino regards his intruders as his friends as they rob him. How he'd rather be in Sudan fleeing from soldiers and guns, while struggling through the wild then in America, supposedly the land of the free. Or at least a land that would seem to offer more opportunities for advancement.
The scene in which Valentino "soars" to Amath reminds me of "Flights of Fancy" from how to read literature. There is evidence of bird imagery where Valentino "soars", and Amath's dress which is decorated with birds.
The imagery of Valentino on the horse made me think of him being in heaven since he was on a higher level physically and he felt almighty and powerful. However, while he is fleeing the Baggara, there is a scene where he is on the ground like a snake, which makes me think of Satan because in the Bible he is usually portrayed as a serpent... But, that doeesn't mean that Valentino is a snake, rather it makes me think that Valentino is in hell, since he sees fire up ahead... and he is being chased...all the while wishing that God would save him from his misery.
*this long run on sentence... grammatically incorrect*
There were also some colors mentioned in these chapters..
Yellow- Sudan, Valentino's mother's dress,candies that Valentino is offered by a soldier, things that represent happiness for Valentino....?
Red- Tonya's clothes, Blood,fire, anger
Black- lion's silhouette, darkness...duh
...that's it for now...
I started reading What is the What.. and the way the story is told makes me think back to english class last year, about how it is a frame story, like the Catcher in the Rye.
I find it interesting and ironic that Valentino regards his intruders as his friends as they rob him. How he'd rather be in Sudan fleeing from soldiers and guns, while struggling through the wild then in America, supposedly the land of the free. Or at least a land that would seem to offer more opportunities for advancement.
The scene in which Valentino "soars" to Amath reminds me of "Flights of Fancy" from how to read literature. There is evidence of bird imagery where Valentino "soars", and Amath's dress which is decorated with birds.
The imagery of Valentino on the horse made me think of him being in heaven since he was on a higher level physically and he felt almighty and powerful. However, while he is fleeing the Baggara, there is a scene where he is on the ground like a snake, which makes me think of Satan because in the Bible he is usually portrayed as a serpent... But, that doeesn't mean that Valentino is a snake, rather it makes me think that Valentino is in hell, since he sees fire up ahead... and he is being chased...all the while wishing that God would save him from his misery.
*this long run on sentence... grammatically incorrect*
There were also some colors mentioned in these chapters..
Yellow- Sudan, Valentino's mother's dress,candies that Valentino is offered by a soldier, things that represent happiness for Valentino....?
Red- Tonya's clothes, Blood,fire, anger
Black- lion's silhouette, darkness...duh
...that's it for now...
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