The first theme present in Mariatu’s memoir is survival and resilience despite great suffering. She shows resiliency by working hard to get an education despite her disability. On page 187, she stated, “My teachers gave me extra time to complete tests and examinations. I think I may have failed the first semester... But by June, I did get a report card, and I'd earned Cs across the board.” This shows how she worked hard and ended up achieving her goal of getting a proper education, which aided her in her quest to support her family back in Sierra Leone. Additionally, the loss of innocence, which is exhibited in many different forms, is present in the novel. The main form of this, however, is the loss of her sense of security and safety in
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She explains on various occasions the hardships she and many others faced after amputation. Kamara states on page 73, “After all, Ibrahim and Mohamed, as well as hundreds of other young people, had also lost their hands. There was some comfort in knowing that we shared the common fate of learning to survive and care for ourselves after such a devastating ordeal.” This shows how way over hundreds of people were negatively affected by this war and were permanently disabled as a result of the injustice of the civil war, even though they were not the ones that the Rebels were supposed to be fighting against. Lastly, the importance of social and political responsibility is a theme that is shown repeatedly throughout the book. On page 130 of Maritu’s memoir, the leader of a theater troupe in her amputee camp, Victor, states, “We are doing really good work, through theater, to help the amputees. Having you onstage will help the charities see how important theater is and get them to support theater programs in other parts of the country.” This passage shows how theater not only improves Mariatu’s mental and emotional health, but helps her and others fulfill the social responsibility of helping other amputees find sanctuary and stability too. Mariatu also shows the importance of social responsibility by joining a movement called Free the …show more content…
She was a mother figure to Mariatu who let her make her own decisions, but still helped her achieve her goals along the way. On page 156, Mariatu makes a risky decision, saying, “‘Somehow, I will get that visa for Canada, and it will be in that country, which snows, that I will go to school and make something of myself.’ ‘All right, Mariatu,’ Yabom said. ‘I will trust you. After all, this is your life. I will help you whatever way I can.” This reveals Yabom’s integrity and shows how she treats Mariatu like the adult she is, which is not a very prevalent thing in any other part of this memoir. She made a lasting impact on Mariatu’s life by supporting her in this decision, which ultimately led to Mariatu’s education and the growth of her future possibilities. Kadi is a significant adult in Mariatu’s life that helps her get an education, even when Mariatu thinks she isn’t ready. Kadi shows social responsibility by taking in dozens of Sierra Leoneans, including Mariatu, that live in Canada. Mariatu says, on page 180, “I knew by now that Kadi was like the mother of all Sierra Leoneans in Toronto. Many people credited Kadi and her family with saving their lives.” This is an example of how Kadi has made lasting impacts on many people throughout her time as a social worker. The last, and arguably most
She explains on various occasions the hardships she and many others faced after amputation. Kamara states on page 73, “After all, Ibrahim and Mohamed, as well as hundreds of other young people, had also lost their hands. There was some comfort in knowing that we shared the common fate of learning to survive and care for ourselves after such a devastating ordeal.” This shows how way over hundreds of people were negatively affected by this war and were permanently disabled as a result of the injustice of the civil war, even though they were not the ones that the Rebels were supposed to be fighting against. Lastly, the importance of social and political responsibility is a theme that is shown repeatedly throughout the book. On page 130 of Maritu’s memoir, the leader of a theater troupe in her amputee camp, Victor, states, “We are doing really good work, through theater, to help the amputees. Having you onstage will help the charities see how important theater is and get them to support theater programs in other parts of the country.” This passage shows how theater not only improves Mariatu’s mental and emotional health, but helps her and others fulfill the social responsibility of helping other amputees find sanctuary and stability too. Mariatu also shows the importance of social responsibility by joining a movement called Free the …show more content…
She was a mother figure to Mariatu who let her make her own decisions, but still helped her achieve her goals along the way. On page 156, Mariatu makes a risky decision, saying, “‘Somehow, I will get that visa for Canada, and it will be in that country, which snows, that I will go to school and make something of myself.’ ‘All right, Mariatu,’ Yabom said. ‘I will trust you. After all, this is your life. I will help you whatever way I can.” This reveals Yabom’s integrity and shows how she treats Mariatu like the adult she is, which is not a very prevalent thing in any other part of this memoir. She made a lasting impact on Mariatu’s life by supporting her in this decision, which ultimately led to Mariatu’s education and the growth of her future possibilities. Kadi is a significant adult in Mariatu’s life that helps her get an education, even when Mariatu thinks she isn’t ready. Kadi shows social responsibility by taking in dozens of Sierra Leoneans, including Mariatu, that live in Canada. Mariatu says, on page 180, “I knew by now that Kadi was like the mother of all Sierra Leoneans in Toronto. Many people credited Kadi and her family with saving their lives.” This is an example of how Kadi has made lasting impacts on many people throughout her time as a social worker. The last, and arguably most