First, read the following essay by David Eggers, author of What Is the What:
http://valentinoachakdeng.org/essay.php
This will help give you some context for the novel and an understanding of how it straddles the fiction/non-fiction world.
After you have done that, think for a moment about Valentino's journey & consider the journeys of other characters you have read about before (e.g. Odysseus). How does Valentino's journey compare? Is he on the "hero's journey" as other characters in literature have been? If not, where does his journey differ in significant ways?
Valentino and Odysseus's journey's and motives are similar because Valentino, as he reached Kakuma and received education, ready to go to America, he chased after, a main theme we were constantly reminded of, the what. He pictured the what to be a typical American life, with a family and a well paying job, similar to Odysseus, who strove to get home to his wife, son, and kingdom of Ithica. No Valentino did not go on the "hero's journey", defeating mythical creatures, or sacrificing himself for the sake of others, but he did endure a troublesome life, walking through lands filled with unmerciful war, wildlife, and disease all under malnourished conditions. So that he could later on tell others of his journey in hopes to create an awareness, and inform us of the Lost Boy's existence. Odysseus and Valentino both stove to attain the life they both wanted, but both did so under differentiated circumstances.
ReplyDeleteValentino is a very interesting and complex person. From how little he romanticizes his story in comparison to other Sudanese to how he treats the people who are trying to help him adjust to life in the United States, he seems to view himself in a different way than he views many of the other Sudanese living there. In this sense, he is a hero - not in the same way as Odysseus, a selfish, arrogant and flamboyant character - but a hero in the way that Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird was a hero. Both Atticus and Valentino are very humble, honest people who lead by example. Atticus is a character who sets examples to his children and the rest of the community by breaking social norms - mainly representing a black man in court in a time and place where racial tensions are prevalent. Valentino sets his example to the Sudanese living in America by trying to conform to the "American Dream;" working his way to success without expecting things to be handed to him, and not condoning those who are not willing to do so. Valentino looks down upon those Sudanese who expected that they would be treated like royalty as soon as they set foot in the United States. Both Atticus and Valentino are non conformists who lead by example, without regard to the way their respective communities may view them for it.
ReplyDeleteI find that very interesting, Pat. Atticus Finch is a great comparison to Valentino, mainly because of their traits, being "humble, honest people who led by example".
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ReplyDeletePat, I like your comparison. I never even considered that Valentino is a hero for going beyond social standards, similar to Atticus. People look to both of these men, in their respective settings, for salvation, since they stand out in the crowd, doing what people cannot muster up courage for.
ReplyDeleteValentino, like Patrick said, is very interesting and complex. It is hard to tell what emotions befall upon him as he goes on through the story. He is much like Henry from Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms. Henry is known to be a "silent hero", in the sense that he shows very little emotion as he fights his enemies or saves the life of an ally. Valentino is also stoic, for while he is being robbed in the beginning of the story, he remains calm while subdued. His thoughts go back and forth from the current event to his life back in Sudan before the war. Valentino acts like a storyteller with a distracted audience; sharing his thoughts to people who aren't listening. Valentino and Henry both share traits in showing emotion and reacting to affects on their lives.
ReplyDeleteI do not think Valentino is on a heroes journey. However he is a hero in his own way, not one looking for glory like Odysseus. He is a quiet hero. As ridiculous as this may seem I think in some ways he is a hero like Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice or Mr. Nightly from Emma. They are quiet heros, not looking for people to thank them for what they have done they simply want to help. When reading this book I got the sense that he was not telling his story as much to an audience as much as he was telling it to himself. His journey begins in his mind. He keeps jumping around in his thoughts from being tied up on the floor of his apartment taken aback by the boy who covers his mouth with tape using his foot, to being in Sudan as a little boy much like the TV boy. What is a heros journey, is it a decision to travel across the world seeking glory, is it finding your way home or is it discovering yourself by reflecting on your life. Do you share your story or keep it inside because you are ashamed. Valentino is on a journey through his life. Now that he is no longer a boy trying to survive he can remember and reflect. He discovers that even America, the promise land is cruel. The what he was searching for was this glorified America, perfect and safe. He is robbed in his apartment and he experiences pain. In the past he was lucky to have only witnessed it happening, now his perfect home is poisoned by pain. He feels weak and helpless. Eventually he tells his story. Just like Mr. Darcy at the end of the book, everyone realizes how much pain he has really gone through. Valentino discovers that speaking gives him strength, never hold your story in, tell it to people. He realizes that he is not alone and he says that if he did not talk about it he would feel less than human. He is a hero in a way for making his story known to the world. The more people that become aware the more we can do to stop history from repeating itself.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly to my posts on "Cold Mountain," I have not quite finished the book and will continue to post more as I read.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of calling someone a hero, I think of a person who as saved someone from something. Many classic hero's of fiction have saved others, ranging from books loved particularly by children and teens, such as Harry Potter continuously saving the school and Percy Jackson saving the world, to more mature books like "To Kill a Mockingbird" where Atticus Finch tries to save Tom Robinson from jail. In "What is the What," Valentino describes the journey he went through to save HIMSELF. Valentino is not on a typical "hero's journey" because he is not out to save the world, but he is on a sort of one because he is out to save his own.
What I found interesting, was at one point in the book Valentino says that every time a person would wrong him, for example cut him in line, or when he is robbed, he would silently tell them his story, wanting them to know of his hardship and have the effect the way they look at him. Obviously in the context of real life the is completely legitimate, I mean if I had gone through anything similar to him I would certainly want people to know and maybe treat me with more kindness. However the typical fictional "heroes" written about in stories do not have this in common. Unlike Valentino, they would not think to what they have been through already, but either move on or consider this a new challenge, not thinking of the past.
ReplyDeleteThough it is true that Valentino faced many hardships and has been very brave through them all, I would like to argue that he is not a hero. It is acceptable to say that he has been on something similar to the “Hero’s Journey” because along with facing challenges such as lion attacks, bombing, and ambushes by the murahaleen, Valentino met many mentors along the way to help him through. He experienced nearly every part of the Hero’s Journey just as Odysseus does. However, what sets him apart from Odysseus is that he does nothing to fight these obstacles. Instead, he does all that he can to survive them. But simply because he was born into a life where he was forced to survive against all odds, that does not make him a hero. He is a survivor and yes, it is true that his perseverance through these events was astounding, but he was born into this situation and he did what he had to do to survive. He made no efforts to fight these challenges nor did he conquer them, he simply pulled through. Hiding in the grass during a bombing and ducking to the ground during a lion attack takes immense courage, but by no means do these acts make someone a hero. The life Valentino has led is a truly inspiring and commendable one, and I do believe that in many ways it can be compared easily to Odysseus’s Journey. I do not, however, believe that being forced to survive such events qualifies him to be considered a hero.
ReplyDeleteThat is a really interesting point, Chloe. I really like how you defined a hero's journey as one where the protagonist does not just live through the challenges, but really fights them.
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