Sunday, March 8, 2009
Setting
The setting in Tears of the Desert is very well described in the novel. The author does a terrific job in allowing the reader to see where the story takes place in their mind. From the descriptions I’ve read, I see the village as a dusty, and very rural place. I think it allows the reader to realize the difference of wealth in Africa compared to what’s considered wealthy in the United States. Even though Halima’s family is very rich, they still live in huts, which would be considered very poor in the United States. The setting helps show the culture of the Zaghawa tribe, and how the landscape shapes how they live their lives. For example, although there is firewood for sale in the village, Halima’s grandmother is very persistent on fetching her own firewood, and in order to accomplish this chore, they must walk far distances. This part of the setting also helps the reader envision the Zaghawa village as a spread out community that’s pretty run down of natural resources. Also, it’s very distant from any major cities in the region. When Halima’s mother was rushed to the hospital, the author made sure the reader knew how secluded the village was from the nearest major city. Overall, I think the setting really helps the reader see where the story is taking place, and allows them to feel as if they are seeing the story in action while it’s happening.
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This setting description of the wealth in Africa is a very downbringing thought in the perspective of a person who lives in the US. But in Africa, they are still wealthy. It's kind of like everyone in the US living in an average home, except some people just have more money. So this blog was very good, it create some interesting thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI am commenting on this blog again because It is already 9 and I won't have access to the computer soon so I am forced to comment again. When you say the author makes sure that the hospital is clearly stated far from the village, I thought about in my book where the first mom gave birth to Adeline. She gave birth to her at their house and didn't want to go to the hospital because it costs too much, which is kind of weird considering the family is extremely wealthy.
ReplyDeleteKira,
ReplyDeleteYou have very strong observations in your post about the setting. I think you are completely right with how the village seems very spread out and has limited access to essential resources. Also, the thought of how Halima's family being one of the richest in the village contrasts with the wealth we see in America today. However I also think that it is hard to put America's wealth and Halima's family's wealth even in the same category