Human beings have a tendency to judge situations without fully understanding them. In Allan Stratton’s Borderline, one can see tragedy unfold due to the misconceptions of appearance versus reality. This is happening throughout the novel when Sami’s father is being accused of bioterrorism. It also occurs when Tariq Hassan and his friends are being accused of a terror plot and finally, it is evident when Eddy Harrison is not penalized for bullying Sami. The misconceptions of appearance can drive people into twisting reality into the worst scenario.
Firstly, misconceptions about appearance are seen when Sami’s father is being accused of bioterrorism. As Sami watches the news story about his father, he goes on to say “They talk about swine flu …show more content…
Tariq mentions to Sami “End of the summer, we’re in some field having a few beers after paintball. I know, I know, alcohol’s haraam; but that’s what we were doing. Erim’s taking a video of us with his cell, and he makes some crack about us whining all the time. ‘Yeah, you're all a bunch of martyrs,’ he says. ‘A brotherhood of martyrs’” (272). In the video, Tariq and his friends are all drunk and are not aware of what they are saying. This allows Erim to take advantage of the situation and use it against Tariq and his friends. This shows that when something is taken out of context, it can be misinterpreted drastically. Furthermore, after Tariq’s confession, Sami ponders “And I think of Eddy’s video, and all the other stuff in my life that looks one way but isn’t, or the way things have looked with Andy and Marty and they weren’t” (273). Sami is contemplating his life and how things really are not how they seem at times. Eddy’s video of Sami makes it look like Mr. Bernstein is a pervert when in reality he is comforting Sami after his head is in a dirty toilet. Andy and Marty are not abandoning Sami but are actually trying to help him after his father’s arrest.
Firstly, misconceptions about appearance are seen when Sami’s father is being accused of bioterrorism. As Sami watches the news story about his father, he goes on to say “They talk about swine flu …show more content…
Tariq mentions to Sami “End of the summer, we’re in some field having a few beers after paintball. I know, I know, alcohol’s haraam; but that’s what we were doing. Erim’s taking a video of us with his cell, and he makes some crack about us whining all the time. ‘Yeah, you're all a bunch of martyrs,’ he says. ‘A brotherhood of martyrs’” (272). In the video, Tariq and his friends are all drunk and are not aware of what they are saying. This allows Erim to take advantage of the situation and use it against Tariq and his friends. This shows that when something is taken out of context, it can be misinterpreted drastically. Furthermore, after Tariq’s confession, Sami ponders “And I think of Eddy’s video, and all the other stuff in my life that looks one way but isn’t, or the way things have looked with Andy and Marty and they weren’t” (273). Sami is contemplating his life and how things really are not how they seem at times. Eddy’s video of Sami makes it look like Mr. Bernstein is a pervert when in reality he is comforting Sami after his head is in a dirty toilet. Andy and Marty are not abandoning Sami but are actually trying to help him after his father’s arrest.