Plan of Action

Plan of Action

            I enrolled in this course thinking the focus would be on children's literature. I wanted to expand my  repertoire  of young adult novels. Instead, the class was filled with philosophy and political science. That's the beauty about literature, it's like a million different disciplines combined into one. Where does one begin when the problems are bigger than any individual? In short, I will take what I've learned from this class and teach. I can't make a significant financial contribution to a charity, but I can spare a couple dollars. I can't start a great organization, but I can sign petitions that give aid to those in need. If I teach my friends, family, and students to care about these issues, then perhaps enough small gestures will make a large impact. A large scale change rarely happens overnight. Change is gradual and needs time. I wish all the great minds could sit down and solve world's problems, but that is not the reality. I've already made progress with my plan. I taught a lesson to my seventh grade class that discussed working conditions in developing countries. A girl asked, "why should we care. They aren't American workers." After the lesson she changed her mind and perhaps her world view. The only way problems like hostile work environments, border disputes, child soldiers, or any global issue is to first be aware and understand the problems. A large percentage of Americans either ignore or just don't realize what is happening around the world.  This is the age of information. It's just plain sad that so many people don't know or don't care. If I can spark some interest among my students, then perhaps they will go on to be great leaders and innovators that solve the world's problems. You never know a child's true potential. As an educator, I can have a tremendous impact on a person's life. I can change the world through teaching tolerance and critical thinking. I have a few decades of teaching ahead of me and that is how I plan on leaving my mark on the world.

Response: A Long Way Gone

I was impressed with A Long Way Gone. I didn't know what to expect while reading it. It's hard to imagine how this world exists within my own. I had known about child soldier in Africa for a long time but I never gave the matter extensive thought because it was painful. While reading the book I thought of it as fiction so I could not dwell on the horror of reality. Ishmael's transformation is unique in the sense that he begins as a normal innocent kid, to a survivor, to a murderer, and then returns as a recovering victim. I just can't imagine how someone can recover from the guilt. I used the term "murderer" and wondered if "soldier" would be a better fit. I think that real soldier don't kill noncombatants. But then I remember Hiroshima, the Vietnam war, and even the current wars. War has a tendency to complicate everything. I think the appeal of this memoir besides the compelling story is the moral dilemma readers contemplate: "What would I have done in this situation." Fight. Die. Run. Kill. The answer is unknown. The pacing of the book is excellent. Every time Ishmael found the safety of a village or jungle, the RUF wasn't far behind.   The novel also has brief moments of kindness that lightens the tone. These subtle acts of kindness is part of the theme that is hope. Ishmael came back from a hellish experience. Although he will never be the same, Ishmael survived. And that is a comforting thought. 

Response: Revolution Is Not A Dinner Party

This book adds an emotional experience of an isolated nation. I have studied China's history and found that Mao's rule, while incredibly oppressive, was not the most violent part of Chinese history. I thought in terms of numbers. More Chinese had lost their lives in the second World War. History records the facts and events but it is literature that preserves the stories. What I found most interesting about the book was the way the revolution slowly crept into Ling's life. Comrade Li moves into their home. Then he eats all of their food. Then the apartment is raided. How much should a person compromise? There is a chapter that addresses this question, but it is too brief. Granted, the people had little choice in resisting the regime. Is it better to compromise personal freedoms to live, or risk imprisonment and death to stand against tyranny? I doubt the characters, with the exception of the father, seriously contemplated these questions. The family factor complicates the situation further. Being responsible for a loved one's health and well being can quickly become a sole motivation. I noticed a great transformation between Ling and her mother after her father was imprisoned. Ling's mother began to show more emotion towards her daughter. The two of them seemed like they had a distant relationship in the beginning. I thought the mother was more materialistic than maternalistic. Now they were taking care of each other because the father was gone. The lives they had lived were transformed by the revolution. Another aspect of the book that caught my interest, was the Red Guards. Besides punishing people for the use of Western products/ideas, the guards attacked anyone that was different. They really were school bullies that were now in a position of power. This country practically destroyed itself by following the ravings of a mad man. Education became propaganda memorization. Industry was fueled by backyard furnaces of farmers. It's hard to believe this backwards nation is now one of the most powerful economies in the world. History tends to forget the everyday people like Ling. And after reading this story I feel humbled and grateful to live in a relatively free nation. 

Response: Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs

I have mixed feelings about this book. I don't think Crossing the Wire has enough emotional intensity. Perhaps my expectations are too high from reading Sold. Nevertheless, the book was an easy read and enjoyable read. I've done very little traveling and have lived in the same house for most of my life. So I'm trying to comprehend leaving home and traveling to a new dangerous country. There is a coming-of-age theme to this book because Victor has to grow up very quickly. At the age of fifteen, Victor is risking his life for a slim chance of earning a living for his family. When I was fifteen I was worried about passing driver's ed. Reading this story is somewhat humbling and makes me glad that I live in a country where I'm free to travel from state to state and not worry about starvation. That being said, I recall Victor's injury from jumping off the train and I noticed the hospital treated him free of charge. I think many foreign countries as well as some of our own citizens create this utopist image of America. And while reading the story I wondered how Victor would live in America. He would still be an outcast. The American immigration and border policies are inefficient. This story reinforced my political stance on the immigration problem. I want America to be secure but I don't want to dehumanize anyone. The border patrol spends all this time rounding up people like Victor instead of real threats. For the most part, the travelers Victor met were friendly and aided in his journey. Although, he did get mixed up with some smugglers. I was expecting Victor to get shot or maybe one of his friends would die but the author kept things on the lighter side. I laughed at one particular reference about how the Americans would have a better chance of finding Bin Laden than the drug mules. I checked the publication date and saw 2006. I liked how Victor is portrayed as just an average kid struggling to control fear and his responsibilities. He is an honest, hard-working guy that just wants to feed his family. It's hard to find a flaw on him. It reminded me of The Outsiders. Kids are forced to take on more responsibilities and drama than they should. And that's just wrong regardless of where they are from.  

Response: Sold by Patricia McCormick

Wow. This book is pretty heavy. The first few pages left me wondering if a proper story could be told with a few short journal entries and a couple lines of poetry. My skepticism was quickly put to rest. From the beginning, young Lakshmi's life is filled with challenges  The simple necessities like food, shelter, and even water elude Lashkmi and millions like her. What I found interesting was that her religion had aspects of Islam and traditional Himalayan beliefs. Her faith plays a prominent role in her line of thinking and I wonder if this does more harm than good. Her Islamic faith dictates that she shouldn't even be in the same room as a man. Would she have resisted and been beaten, starved, druged, and raped if her religion didn't have such strong taboos? For a while she blamed herself and then started blaming the people responsible like Mumtaz and the customers. However, I don't believe Lashkmi ever blamed her father even though he was the one that sold her and put all of this into motion. Lashkmi sill feels a sense of duty to her family which i don't know if I admire or pity. It's all but impossible to begin to fathom the best way to survive such atrocities  Readers should ask themselves how the would react but understand that there is not way of knowing without first hand experience.  I read a few reviews of Sold online and the consensus is generally positive. Nonetheless, a few reviews claim the book is simplistic and only deals with one problem/conflict. I saw issues of poverty, women's rights, police corruption, healthcare, and international assistance. Any one of these issues is worthy of a story and I am dismayed that anyone could downplay such a tragic tale.