The tone in the very beginning of the last third starts off hopefully. Through all the tragedies and suffering encountered through the past few years, Valentino still has hope and drive left to create a livable life. After years of living in several refugee camps and being threatened by several different ethnic tribes, Valentino goes off on a mission to successfully get "recycled." "I walked through the night perhaps too cheerfully, thinking my trip charmed and knowing I would be successful. With any luck I would be back at Kakuma with six thousand shillings and another ration card, in three days time." (396) Obviously later in the book, the tone changes but the candle of hope was still lit inside of Valentino. Soon after Valentino embarks on his journey, he is scammed by a man that stole all his belongings. “...I deserved the turmoil. I deserved nothing better. I wanted to be alone with my stupidity, which I cursed in three languages and with all my spleen.”(408) The author Dave Eggers uses very plain language and says it exactly how it is without any spice. Even with the blunt text it is easy to see that Valentino stands out from many of the unaccompanied minors, with his passions and helpful personality. Valentino’s reason to leave Kakuma to get “recycled” was in the better interest of his new family.
When the Lost Boys from Sudan went to see a NBA basketball game they talked to the pro basketball player Manute Bol who left Sudan before the civil war broke out. Basketball was a very popular sport in Kakuma and a main way to pass time. Manute bol was 7 ft 7 in, coming from one of the tallest populations in the world, the Dinka. His parents were 6 ft 10 in and 6 ft 8 in, Manute didn’t even start playing basketball till he was 15 years old. Bol played on many different teams in the United States and passed away on June 19th, 2010 at the early age of 47.
I found the hopeful tone you talk about in the last third of the book, yet i thought that the last third had hopeful aspects but also some points of hopelessness. For Example when the boys are in the airport, talking about the cities that they are going to and how they imagine their new homes, thats the kind of hopeful parts. Then right after that they are forced to wait as they see that the country they are going to is "war ridden", they all lose hope and don't want to go to america anymore. In fact Valentino even says "... I was being sent a message from god. I did not belong on this plane." That statement is a true definition of hopelessness, showing that even though he came that far to him all was lost.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sasha and I agree with Oliver. Yes, Valentino has hope, but deep down I believe that he realizes he is being unrealistically hopeful. "With any luck I would be back at Kakuma with six thousand shillings and another ration card, in three days time (396)." Yes this shows that he is hopeful, but at the same time the reader and Valentino know that going back to Kakuma, getting money, and food in three days is not possible or realistic. That is where I agree with Owen, even though Valentino is being optimistic, there is an sense of underlying hopelessness. Additionally, for Sasha, I do not understand why you used the quote about when Valentino is scammed and he is talking about how stupid and "deserving of turmoil" he is. This quote and tone is not hopeful whatsoever. Then in your commentary you say, "Valentino stands out with his passions and helpful personality." Personally, I see no connection with your choice of Valentino's self demeaning quote and then trying to relate it back to his great, hopeful personality.
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