Saturday, March 7, 2009
Setting
The Setting in Tears of the desert seems to be very peaceful. Although the landscape and weather seems to be harsh in a Americans point of view, the characters don't seem to be vexed by it. I think when the author describes the chores that she had to do there, it also gives a very vivid description of the world around her. You see the necessities of an older world, like fire wood, a village well, and medicine women. You also see the modern world in here to. Jeeps, hospitals and the use of english when the father cursed the grandmother. I think this mixture of worlds is very interesting, because of the very near conflict that will engulf the region. Its hard to see the children playing warrior with wooden swords and mud horses, knowing what is coming soon. I also think that the materials that they use describes the setting, because when there was little water, they tried to make things of entertainment, out of the mud around the well. Its strange to see in American eyes how one of the richest families children makes things out of mud for entertainment. The people here have nothing, but the things of the earth around them. I think that shows a little bit about this region.
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The setting in this book is quite different then the one in Falling Leaves. In Falling Leaves, it seems as though every thing is a perfect place, blue skies etc. In your book it seems as though it has a classic western enviornment. So basically the settings are almost oppostie. And I think it isn't strange that the children play with mud, kids are kids and they all have the same urges, and playing with mud is a common urge for kids.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your view on the wealth of the families in Africa. I like your view on the modern and traditional African worlds coming together. I think that by adding the modern aspects of the village such as the jeep, and the use of English, the time period in which this story is taking place is easier seen. It also helps show how much the United States affects other countries.
ReplyDeleteI am commenting on Kira's post. I had not thought of the modern and traditional worlds coming together, but that makes a very good point. But I had been thinking of how the US affects other countries, and how sometimes, the US get into things that others want them to stay out of.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Jimmer on the use of older and more modern tools in their village. Contrasting the wood and jeep is a very strong point. I think the Zaghawa village is more rural though in the fact that only the very wealthy have cars, and the hospitals are no where near the village. Also I agree with your point that the difference in how wealth is viewed between the US and Darfur is very extreme. You would hardly see children making clay horses for fun, rather with big toy trucks you buy at a toystore. Sometimes it is hard however to bring the US into the situation because the US is much wealthier as a whole
ReplyDeleteKira i agree with you that it helps us readers relate to the more modern side of the memoir with Halima describing the english use, hospitals and their jeep.
ReplyDeleteAndre, your point on the US affecting other countries confuses me. At least in this viewpoint, the US isn't really affecting Darfur at all directly. Yes Darfur have taken the technology from the US, but America is not so much getting into things with Darfur.