Independent Study Reading Response by Anonymous
In the book, The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy, there were numerous parts of the first half that got me thinking. One of the most shocking parts, was when the text states that, “Every night he beat her with a brass flower vase” (Roy 47). When I first read this, I had to go back and read it again and again. I was shocked to find out htat Pappachi would beat Mammachi every night with more than a hand, and nobody would do anything about it. Here in the United States, people do get beaten, but most people usually do something to stop it from happening no matter the consequences. Another part in the text that suprised me was when it stated that, “‘inquilab Zindabad! Thozhilali Ekta Zindabad!’ ‘Long Live the Revolution!’ they shouted. ‘Workers of the World Unite!’” (Roy 63). I was suprised that there was such a big protest going on in the middle of the street. It is very similar to what happens here in the United States. There are numerous protests every day, and it is not seen as anything out of the ordinary. This is the same situation as in India. Some of the ideals and beliefs of India confused me. I thought it was odd how a woman is expected to play the part of a daughter, wife, housewife, and mother. I believe that every person on the planet should be equal no matter their gender, age, or sexual orientation. Here in the United States, one of the most common phrases in the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, states that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Although at the time it was written, certain groups of people are excluded. Now, most people hold this statement as true, and follow it. Another thing that confused me was that when you hurt someone, they love you a little less. Here in the United States, you can make mistakes, and people will still forgive you. It suprised me that, if you make so many mistakes, in India, you are no longer loved, as demonstrated by Rahel. Some of their ideals made sense to me. One of the ideals that made sense to me, was when you were at the airport, you are epected to be on your best behavior because you are acting as Ambassadors of India. I felt that this is something that should be done because if you are acting crazy, people will not want to come back, and your country is losing money. The author, Arundhati Roy, was an outsider telling a story. He was telling it as he was told, and is not adding anything else. He does a good job of relating each paragraph to the next, and always ends each chapter with a very strong last sentence. Independent Study Reader Response by Kendra Erdman
While I was reading the novel Things I’ve Been Silent About by Azar Nafisi, something that I found to be extremely interesting was the idea of traveling to other countries to study. I know that in the United States, foreign exchange students are extremely common in high school. People travel to other countries to study abroad in college to learn new cultures and lifestyles. What I did not realize is that young children, like Azar, were sent to other countries to study if they were considered to be “delinquents” or “lawless.” Azar tended to act out in class and even tormented her teachers and principal. I feel like going to a new country to study would be a reward, but for Azar it was supposed to be a way to mature and learn how to behave. I think part of the reason why Azar acted out was because of the noticeable strain in her relationship with her mother. By acting out, she was able to catch her mother’s attention. I think all that Azar really needed was to have attention from her mother. When her mother did notice her, it tended to be in a negative way; her mother would only yell and shout at her. This was an act of rebellion against her mother, not against the school or her teachers. I do find it interesting how her experiences in Lancaster affected her. She eventually was homesick and her mother did miss her. For some reason, they continued to fight when she returned. I feel like the distance between them would make their relationship stronger than it ever was before. Reader Response on Nothing to Envy by Sadhana Ugru
This book as a whole was really an eye-opener for me. I have been interested in politics for the past few years, but I had only the basic knowledge of North Korea. I loved learning about North Korea from the average person’s point of view. It stripped away all the deceit and fanfare and showed me what really lay beneath all the glitter. North Korea is a country that failed its people, and there are several instances in the book where they show this. However, it is also a country filled with hope and love, which the book beautifully demonstrates. One of the most shocking moments in the book to me was in Chapter 13 when Jun-Sang started listening to South Korean new on his television. This chapter as a whole was interesting to read because it showed Jun-Sang’s progression from a believer to a rebel. He started reading more risky books, such as a book on economic reform. What I found shocking was that he blatantly agreed with the book, even with years of propaganda stuffed down his throat. A quote that really stood out to me was ‘“He’s a real person after all,” Jun-sang said to himself.’(Demick 142). This was so ironic to me because foreigners knew more about Kim Jong-Il than North Koreans. We have heard his voice on TV before, but Jun-Sang was probably one of the only non-high ranking officials to hear his voice. One of my favorite moments in the book was when Mrs. Song decided to defect in Chapter 17. It was so interesting to read how she progressed from being a North Korean so loyal to the Regime to becoming a traitor to her nation. One of the quotes that stood out to me in this chapter was “As she stirred to consciousness, she heard the chirp of the rice cooker in the kitchen.”(Demick 177). This was essentially the moment she decided to defect. All because of a rice cooker. How easily she assimilated into South Korean society makes me question whether she was really loyal to North Korea the whole time it of some of it was a front. This book demonstrates the qualities needed to survive in an oppressive country where every move you make is watched. There is nobody you can trust, not even your neighbors or friends. It makes me happy to live in a nation where free speech is a right, not a privilege. It also made me realize how much we take food for granted. There are millions of tons of food being wasted every year that people in North Korea would have killed for. However, although North Korea is a desolate country, there is still hope. This quote says it all, “They don’t stop to think that in the middle of this black hole, in this bleak, dark country where millions have died of starvation, there is also love.”(Demick 9). We must never forget that we are all humans, and we must learn to treat each other right. |
Independent Study Reading Response by Anonymous
I enjoyed reading the book and many things in the book were quite surprising and upsetting in that manner. I didn't like the way Amir treated Hassan and how Amir was so self-centered. He made himself out as a hero and such a nice guy when he was just as bad as Assef by letting the bad things that happened around him occur without him standing up for his friend. I was surprised by the rape scene because from the setting and the context built in the book it was not expected. I was surprised that in a Muslim country where being gay is highly discouraged that little boys would rape each other. I understand that this is a work of fiction, but I still find it particularly disturbing. The worst part was that it so was unexpected and I would have never imagined it occurring. I was confused on what happened in that scene and I had to search it up to confirm my suspicions and I was that doubtful that the author would include that bit. I feel like you need more context on what Assef later becomes to understand why he did such a horrible thing. I understand that Assef is made out to be the devil, but I think that took it a little too far for me and I did not enjoy that particular section. I did enjoy the story of Amir fighting for his father's love and pride though. It was interesting how he showed so much desire to just impress his father and catch his attention and didn't like when his father was ashamed of him. It reminds me of the personal accounts that I have heard from my Dad and the stories that he has told me. My Dad was a similar character in attempting to please his father. He once told me a story about how when he was a teenager he wanted to buy a car, but his father would not buy him one, but my dad constantly persisted and once he realized that his Dad wouldn't budge he decided to go to work and purchase his own car. The reason his dad didn't want him to purchase a car is because he didn't think his son was responsible and good enough at driving to be on the road (In Lebanon especially in the 90s when my dad was growing up restrictions on driving where very scarce or essentially nonexistent so he legit drove when he was about 10). My dad eventually worked and purchased his car and wanted to show his Dad that he was wrong and that he was capable. My dad is originally from the villages of the mountains in Lebanon and had to go down to the city to work so he spent a lot of time away from family every day working in the city. After about a week he completely wrecked his car. He was so ashamed of his father's judgment and his knowledge that his father was right and that he should've listened that he stayed in the city for a month working nonstop 12 hours a day to be able to afford to repair his car. He didn't see his family for a whole month and eventually went back to see his family who had no idea what he was up to. He went through all of that just because he was afraid of his father's judgment and what he would say. My dad tries to use the story to issue the message of how that if he made a mistake he did the absolute maximum because he didn't want to disappoint his father and his family. The wanting to please a father and not have their father be ashamed of them is a common theme between Amir and my father. I was just thinking of that story when I read of Amir trying to constantly please his father. The ideology of attempting to please your father is very similar to North Korea with JunSang complying to his father's wishes in order to please him. I like the character of Hassan, how passive and genuinely pure he is. I feel like that, however, was his downfall and that is why what happened to him happened. He worked so hard to defend his "friend" who wouldn't do the same for him any day of the year. I would enjoy more of the book from Hassan's perspective as he isn't such a self-centered character and would give a much purer perspective for the reader. The book so far has been a good read and I look forward to finishing the book in the near future. Reader Response on Nothing to Envy by Anonymous
In the novel, many things warranted a reaction from me. The details were gruesome and really showed how brutal and apocalyptic life in North Korea was. One thing I constantly wonder about is if the famine never happened and the conditions of the people never dropped would anyone be complaining? The only reason people started defecting is that they saw other places were better than them. If they still had electricity, food, housing, etc would they want to leave? The people have lived there their whole lives why would they all of a sudden leave if not for dire need. It talked about people like Oakhee who questioned the government, but she never defected till the famine hit. She was not a true believer, but she stayed even though she disliked the regime and the way the country was run. The system that North Korea had originally used put the people against each other. In the book, it talked about a “snitch culture” where everyone was put against each other. Your friends, your neighbors, and even your family would rat you out for the reward while you would be punished. The snitch culture helped enforce their strict rules and kept their people under. The way they strictly monitored TV, radio, and other forms of technology also proved effective in controlling their people. The reason people started wanting to leave is that they heard of better places elsewhere. Jun-Sang listened to the South Korean radio and saw South Korean TV and saw how life was so much better over there. I found they way they controlled people and made them believe what they wanted them to believe impressive. In America, we are still trying to convince people that the Earth isn’t flat and in North Korea, they are literally controlling the way people think. I also question why they try to hide everything they do from the outside world. Do they do it to seek attention? North Korea is one of the most talked about countries because of what they do to their people and how different they are. It really helps make them relevant if they were just a normal republic or democracy no one would really care about North Korea; I wouldn’t probably be even doing this if they were a normal country. The reading really reminds of an apocalyptic scene it talks about how the honest and loyal don’t survive and only the ones who cheat do. That gives me the idea of an apocalyptic famine and when it talks about the dead bodies and people dying every day it really adds to the idea of an apocalypse. The way the famine is talked about it reminded me of the Black Plague and the way it wiped out so many people except that was more than 650 years ago, and we are post to be at the peak of the world with all our medicine and technology, but we have thousands of people dying every day to lack of food. The author does a good job at not just highlighting the bad, but also she highlights the good. She talks about Miran and Jun-sang’s relationship and the way it prospered in the harsh conditions, but she didn’t hesitate when it came to going into depth about the gruesomeness and how it really was. She highlighted the positives in the character’s live like Jun-Sang accepted into a prestigious university (p. 59), Miran getting accepted into teaching college (p.65). The author uses many phrases and quotes that really provide a new dimension to the book. The one that is my favorite is when she is talking to Dr. Kim and she says. “‘I wouldn’t have come here if I knew what I know now,” she answered, the only defector I’d ever met who would admit as much.” It shows how they abandoned their homeland and escaped the famine and the harshness of their homeland and some of them are still not happy and wanted to stay. I guess humans are a people of habit and they like what they are familiar with. I could go on and on and on about the book as it is hard to express 300 pages in under a page, but there are so many great experiences and ideas and perspectives you experience from this book. It was definitely worth the time reading it. (i used pages from pdf so may be off from the book sorry for a lot of words again) |