Tears of the Desert

This book has been very interesting in all aspects.  It's cool to see how in a land not far away from where we live, so many fantastic things are happening.  Its some what sad however that it still happens.  Many of the characters in this memoir are also very close to my own generation, which sort of helped me related to this book. I also liked that it was a memoir, because even though to me the story takes place in a "fictional world" in reality it's still in the world we live in.  I also think its sort of sad that it is a memoir, because the events that take place here actually happened and are happening.  I also liked the characters, especially the grandmother and Halimas's brothers.  I think that these characters sort of had their own comic relief from this very dark book.  Also the way that the tribal peoples live was very interesting to see.  It you go down even down town Edina, that small little area is hundreds of times more advanced then the setting here.  It's funny, people today still whine about their lives if just a little thing goes wrong.  In Halima's world, it would be so much more difficult for some.  Thats something I took from this very good book.

Opinion

In my opinion, Tears of the Desert is a very good novel. It tells a story that nobody else would be able to tell. Not very many people know truly what’s happening in Darfur, they just know what the media is telling them. This novel gives a completely different aspect on life in Sudan. It tells the reader about how the two different lifestyles of the Arab and village people’s differ. Before reading this book, I had no idea about how life was in this area; all I knew was that it was a dangerous place, and that there were genocides going on. This novel gave me a new perspective, and educated me on how life was in Darfur before all the conflicts. It also shows the value of education to the Sudanese people. In the United States, children dread going to school, and find it as an annoying waste of time. But in this area of Africa, receiving an education is something that is treasured, especially by women. Traditionally women are suppose to be married very young, and are told to have children and take care of the house. They aren’t supposed to have an education. But Halima was given the rare chance to go to school. Her willingness to learn and her family’s support eventually got Halima to the top of her class, and on to the University. She was given an outstanding opportunity, and she made the most out of it. Overall, I believe that this book does an outstanding job illustrating life in Darfur by a native who can easily tell the readers how life was before and during the conflicts, as well as the overall lifestyles of the Sudanese people

Tears of the Desert

I am not quite done with Tears of the Desert, but I am really enjoying every aspect to the book. I think the fact it is a memoir, and a true story makes it even more interesting. It is weird to think how different my life is to Halimas, living in the exact same generation. Just the difference in how Halima's family and families in the US interact and maneuver through life is amazing. I find some of the rituals the Zaghawa tribe do very strange, but to them it is normal, and i am sure vice versa for them. The difficulties Halima faces at the arab school really bothers me because it is not something she should have to face. It reminds me of the civil rights movement, and how people should be treated equal and not put down for having different beliefs or color skin. I haven't quite got to the struggle that Darfur is facing today, but I am both nervous and anxious to see what it is like. I think it will give me a different perspective on how the world works, and to not take things for granted living in a community like Edina. I hope reading this book will also motivate me to make change to things that aren't right, like the brutalizing of africans in Darfur

Week Five

Welcome to Week Five, and our last week week of blogging. This week's post should be on your overall thoughts about the book. It must be a ten sentence summary. You do not need to comment on anyone else's blog, but your post should be up here by Sunday, March 29 You should have made up any missing work by then as well.

question!:]

In the book, Halima stands up for herself, and fights for what she believes in, and her father supports her actions against the Arabs. However in the novel we just read, In the Time of the Butterflies, Minerva, Patria, and Mate are advised to not take direct action by participating in the revolution, and are told to fight the government on a lower level. So, do you think that Halima should fight her battle against the Arabs directly, or should she stand back and try to fix the cultural differences on the sidelines?

Question?

Halima is quite the fighter throughout the memoir. She kicks and screams at her circumcision, refuses to get her scarring, and beats up an arab girl at the school. This feisty asset brings her both positive and negative outcomes. Do you think this trait is something Halima should continue to express? or should she settle down, especially as the genocide begins when she could be put in very dangerous positions?

?

Because of the western intervention in the world our story takes place, is it the west's obligation to try and help make peace here?