Saturday, September 22, 2007
Lessons form Grandparents
Being in the forest brings back memories of Beah's grandparents. On page51, he remembers one visit when his grand father points out medicinal leaves and trees and on page 53-4 retells a fable that his grandmother had told him. Why do you think he retells these accounts. Can you share any similar account(s) that you have had with your own grandparents or elderly relative?
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19 comments:
He retells these accounts because it reminds him of more innocent time when even crazy stories could be trusted because he loved and trusted the people who told the stories.This is from Elaine Santos esl 082-072
I think bringing those memories back to his mind helped him to stay alive and for few times kept him away from his reality... In the middle of his loneliness he wanted to go back in the time and live again those moments with the ones he loves.
In my case, I'm not in the middle of a war but, sometimes when I feel sad because I don't have my family with me in this country I used to remember the good moments I shared with all of them when I was there and that's like a therapy for me because it helps me to be strong and don't give up.
This is good Elaine and Maria, I agree with you. I think that remembering helped him deal with the loneliness and psychological pain.
Do either of you have any fables that an older generation taught you? I don't have any, but I do remember my grandmother telling me fairy tales (mostly German/Eastern European)- Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel- which many of you may be familiar with.
I think when he was thinking abouth what his grandparents had told him he felt lonely. I think that because back on page 45 when he was thinking about that pray that his father had made Ishmael said "I presed my fingers on my eyelids to hold back my tears and wished that I could have my family together again."
Beah retells this two accounts because this were the good memories he had with his grandparent, to fill the emptiness he had in the middle of his loneliness, he kept his mind busy thinking about those good memories just to passed the time.
Larry esl082-073
Hi, Judith.This is Haova.He retells these accounts becausse when he was loneless at the forest he had the same fade situation that his grandmother told him.I think that he wished he could apply the fade he heard before, but it was impossible.This sometime happen to me when I want my family to stay with my baby, but I have no family here. I wish I can have my family here to stay with my baby, but it is impossible.
Yes Judith, I do remember that my grandmother used to tell me or read me some fairy tales like the ones your grandmother told you too. But now I remember one story my grandfather told me once about the courage of a young girl when she had to decided by herself about being honest or not when she got in the middle of a hard situation, and then after he finished the story he told me that no matter what I have to be always honest and do the right thinks as the girl did it in the story because that will help me to be a good person. I think is so nice and important to remember this thinks because the world is becoming in a different place (many corrupt people) and now is when is good to think about the good things our family taught us and don't stop doing them.
Sometimes the things that we learn from our family are going to be useful in a future. This is the case of Ishmael, he used the knowledge that he gat from his grandfather to survive in those terrible days and the stories that his grandmother told him to made this moment painfulness.
Diana Granados.
Even thought he is in between nowhere he remembers his family specialy his gradparents. This is a hard situation for ishmael. I feel like him sometimes.I remember my gradparents and the good things they told me but the difference between ishmael and i is that i know that my grradparents are save waiting for me in my country. I miss them like ishmael missed his grandparents too. Nadia Volquez ESl,082-073
i think that he remembered that because he was in the middle of a war and he didn´t know what he can do ,where he can go to be safe and to be with his family ,so he brang those memories to be a few moments in peace and also to feel or trie to feel a little bitt well.
in my opinion he thought that if he found one of those leaves maybe it´ll work , it´ll help him to think better ,because it´d worked before and that medicine was for the brain.
i had never been in such a ravaged but my grandmother have always been giving me natural medicine as Beah´s grandmother did.
This is from miryan montoya...
I think that this memories bring him happiness and make him think that his not alone....he do this to forget everything that is going on around him for just a little bit...and i guess it make him a stronger...that not everything in his memories are bad things... he still got happy things inside of him... i dont have any fable that i know about :(...
By retelling these accounts, he fights against his loneliness. At that moment his thoughts were as harmful as the rifles that rebels carried. It's amazing how our states of mind are determined by our thoughts. He wanted to think about pleasant and nice things such as his grandparents even though it was just for a brief moment
i believe he retells it, to explain his relationship with his grandparents. Tells the type of natural medicine his culture used that greatful, to encourage himself from lonely and sadness thoughts. this is from Armando Datilus.
Iwona said...
when I was a child my grandma used to tell me many tales. I thouhgt that they were only fades which should make me sleep, but now I know almost all of them had morals. I don't remember any of them now, but the lesson from one was "friend in need is a friend indeed." maybe Ishmael wanted to find in his grandmother's fades any moral or lesson which could help him to survive in that huge and full of wild beasts forest.
September 25, 2007 2:11 PM
Iwona, you are exactly right. I do believe that he remembered the fable because he memory was triggered by seeing the wild pigs. He knew that he could not tame them, for as his grandmother had told him, they did not trust humans.
Carmen said... ESL 072
I think he retelled those accounts first: he ate a fruit unknown for him, and his grandfather knew too much about medicinal leaves and trees; second: because of his loneliness in to the forest. As he saw such herd of wild pigs, unconsciously ,he wished they transform into humans and have some companions.
September 24, 2007 12:52 PM
i think LARRY said everything already.he is right and i agree with him.
His story about his grandparent was a constant reminder of their love for him,these stories kept his spirit alive and also kept them alive in his heart.
M.Reid 089
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