The novel The Bite Of The Mango takes place in the country of Sierra Leone, Africa. I only read the first eight chapters and I know that it tells about a very depressing and violent attack from the armed rebel soldiers. In this blog I am going to tell about what life was like for Mariatu Kamara, the main character, before the attack took place. Maiatu lived in a small village with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. The village had around 200 people, and everyone chipped in to help each other out. The women usually cooked, while men fixed the houses and the children played and did chores. The children from the small village did not attend school, which I thought was interesting, because usually the women go to school and get an education while the men stay home and worked. They did not attend school because it was too expensive. Also not receiving an education in this community appeared to not be essential. In Canada everyone has the right to graduate from high school, free of cost. While the children in this small village, learned the essential lessons of life from their family members and the elders in their community. Birthdays weren’t celebrated by any age group however, it comes about as unusual that they celebrated funerals. Funerals were celebrated by everyone staying at home for three days, the adults cried and depressingly communicated. Mariatu’s culture was very interesting to me, because of how different it is from the Canadian culture. Mariatu started thinking about marriage at the age of 12. “I saw Musa the next day at the farm, and I smiled when he looked at me. ‘When his father sees how happy we both are he’ll say yes to our marriage’ I told myself “, located on page 21-22. Here in Canada, it is abnormal for children under the age of 18 to get married because a person is not considered an adult until reaching the age of 18. In Sierra Leone, people take on more responsibilities at a younger age such as washing their own clothes, gathering and preparing food, daily chores which include hauling water than what is expected of children of similar ages in Canada. In Mariatu’s culture, if her grandmother reveals important information it will be cherished and repeated over many generations which is the same practices we enjoy here. “ ‘Whenever you dream of palm oil,’ my grandmother had told me when I was seven, ‘blood will spill by the end of the day.’ ” found on page 25. Mariatu’s grandmother was always right, for example if Mariatu dreamt of palm oil then Mariatu would end up injured to where blood was shed. This shows that their cultural beliefs are passed on from generation to generation.This is used in Canada as well. The majority of Canadians live in nice warm houses with several bedrooms and running water as well as other utilities.In Canada only a few children share bedrooms while most have their own room. In the novel it tells about how the people in the village live with their extended family in one small house. The adults slept in the small bedrooms while the children all slept in the living room. Maiatu lived by a river where they would haul water to use in their house. When they needed to bath, or wash their clothes they would walk to the river carrying all the materials needed. In the novel I learned about their unique culture and how different their lifestyle is compared to the Canadian lifestyle.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Friday, December 16, 2016
The Rebels
The book The Bite of the Mango is a great example of strength because normally people think that strength is on the outside, but a 12 year old girl shows everyone how to be strong within. I have currently read up to chapter 9 and the first part of the book really shows how cruel the rebels were. The rebels were a group of people who all dressed the same and were just equally as horrible. A point of interest I had so far was the part of the book where the rebels came in. This part of the book really took my attention because it showed how they treated everyone who was not them. “I heard voices coming from the house beside me. The rebels had blockaded the doors and windows with big wooden planks. Inside, one of the rebels told me,were about 20 people. A single voice stood out, that of my friend Mariatu. She was wailing, calling for help, trapped with the others.” page 31. This part of the book explains how careless the rebels were! They could lock a bunch of people up and set them on fire, without holding any feelings. “I tried to find somewhere my eyes could rest, but the first place they landed was back on the house. Three young rebels, no older than me, were walking alongside it, brandishing torches that set the roof on fire.” page 31. The part that really caught my attention was the fact that the people doing the mischief was young boys, no older than Mariatu. The rebels were ruthless people and wouldn’t do anything to benefit anyone but themselves.“Which hand do you want to lose first?” page 39. Just when I thought these men were done, they did something so horrible I am sure it made them the worst people. “Two boys steadied me as my body began to sway. As the machete came down, things went silent. I closed my eyes tightly, but then they popped open and I saw everything. It took the boy two attempts to cut off my right hand. The first swipe didn’t get through the bones,which I saw sticking out in all different shapes and sizes. He brought the machete down again in a different spot, higher up on my arm. This time, my hand flew from the rock onto the ground.” page 40-41. Only the cruelest people would be able to do this. They chopped off her hand and then left her there, knowing she would survive enough to tell the government about them. I found this part of the book interesting because it really caught my attention of how brutal the rebels were and it was the first part of the book that explains who they were.
A Little Bird With Clipped Wings...
"One afternoon when I was little, I was sitting underneath a coconut tree when a tiny yellow and brown weaver dropped suddenly from the sky. I don't know what made the little bird fall, but it landed with a thud on the red clay earth. I moved to help it then decided not to. The weaver was injured. It was better off dying on its own than having me take it back o the village, where it would likely die in pain a day or two later or, worse, live out it;s life with a broken wing. For the longest time, I watched as that stubborn bird tried to stand up on its crooked little legs, flapping its wings wildly, only to topple over and lie still before trying all over again.
Then something miraculous happened. After the bird had lain motionless for so long I thought it was dead, it stood up as solid as ever and lifted off into the sky" When a little bird begins life they don't know how to fly. They soon to learn how, and flying becomes so natural that they become accustomed to doing it everyday without any efforts. Then, one day, without no heads up, someone comes along and decides to cut them off. How will that bird live without something they are so used to having? How will that bird ever be considered normal again by other birds or even other species? Ask Mariatu Kamara. She of all people would know. In her book, The Bite of the Mango, Mariatu describes something that none of us Canadians could imagine. Many people don't look deep enough but, that bird was a symbol. It symbolized Mariatu.
Mariatu was born in a small Sierra Leone village, she seemed to be happy little girl, though she wouldn't know what would happen twelve years later. Scared. She would be scared as the rebels coming to take apart her village. She was sick that little boys the same age as her could have the guts to laugh and cut off her hands. She was hungry a she wondered helplessly through the woods in search of help.She was shocked that she was "somehow" pregnant. She wanted to die.
I can relate to Mariatu, except not in such an extreme way. I have a bad day or I get hurt and I can't do anything the way I'm used to doing it. When I broke my right thumb, I couldn't write in school, so I had to write with my left hand. I couldn't shower properly without getting my cast wet and wrecking it. I couldn't eat like a considerably normal person. I couldn't use a fork like I was used to using it. I felt helpless and like a baby. I can also connect text to world because I know for a fact that in some countries kids are facing the same consequences. in some cases way more serious consequences. in some cases there are way more serious cases than just getting your hands cut off. A friend of mine the other day, told me about a book she was reading for a book talk that she was doing. Her description of the book sounded a lot like Mariatu's story of war and tons of pain.
No matter all the pain and sorrows that Mariatu has faced her story never ends. Just like that little brown and yellow weaver, she got up as strong as ever. She flew away and she is still soaring.
I can relate to Mariatu, except not in such an extreme way. I have a bad day or I get hurt and I can't do anything the way I'm used to doing it. When I broke my right thumb, I couldn't write in school, so I had to write with my left hand. I couldn't shower properly without getting my cast wet and wrecking it. I couldn't eat like a considerably normal person. I couldn't use a fork like I was used to using it. I felt helpless and like a baby. I can also connect text to world because I know for a fact that in some countries kids are facing the same consequences. in some cases way more serious consequences. in some cases there are way more serious cases than just getting your hands cut off. A friend of mine the other day, told me about a book she was reading for a book talk that she was doing. Her description of the book sounded a lot like Mariatu's story of war and tons of pain.
No matter all the pain and sorrows that Mariatu has faced her story never ends. Just like that little brown and yellow weaver, she got up as strong as ever. She flew away and she is still soaring.
The Rebels who had No Business Killing Innocent People
I will be talking about one of the key themes of the story which is how the war was unfair for the village people and the Rebels just assuming they were voting for the President that they did not like. The part of the story that I will be reflecting on is when the Rebel forces invade Manarma which is where the people from Magborou had fled to to try avoid the Rebels earlier, and when Mariatu had her hands chopped off. This part is important because Mariatu was totally unaware about why the Rebels were attacking, but she knew one thing about the Rebels that might have saved her life. Her aunt Marie once told her that if the Rebels liked what you have seen to always say yes, or else, you too will be killed. So, when the Rebel who had shot a pregnant woman asked if Mariatu liked it she somehow found a way to say yes and just like her aunt said, they let her survive. The man who she had told that she liked seeing the killing then decided to let her go but not before having three boys the same age as her slash her arms off. With one of the boys saying "Which one of your hands do you want to lose first." She also tried telling the boy that she liked him and asked why he would want to kill someone who likes him, he said "Because I don't want you to vote." After Mariatu heard that she was going to lose her arms she came to a conclusion that she would rather die and she begged the boys to just kill her instead. But one of the boys said, "We want you to go to the President and show him what we did to you. You won't be able to vote for him now. Ask the president to give you new hands." Once the boys carved her hands off and at the end of the chapter, and right before she passes out, she remembers asking herself, "What is a president?" From that, we can infer that Mariatu was not the only person living in Sierra Leone who didn't know what was going on politically, and that the Rebels had no right killing and torturing people who were totally innocent.
I have had similar experiences with getting punished before I was able to explain myself, though the consequences weren't nearly as harsh, such as taking a penalty in hockey that I did not deserve and having to sit in the penalty box for two minutes. In my mind that is kind of what happened to Mariatu as the Rebels assumed she would have voted for the president when really, she did not even know what president meant, like the referee assuming that I did something to a player on the opposing team and taking me to the penalty box. A similarity between what is happening in the book and in real life right now is Isis as they too, torture beat and kill people who are not like them. The last thing that the Rebel's attacks reminded me of was some footage of World War 2 when the Nazi's took the jews to concentration camps and also killed and tortured them just because Hitler did not like them and they were not like him. These things all have one thing in common. They shouldn't happen.
I have had similar experiences with getting punished before I was able to explain myself, though the consequences weren't nearly as harsh, such as taking a penalty in hockey that I did not deserve and having to sit in the penalty box for two minutes. In my mind that is kind of what happened to Mariatu as the Rebels assumed she would have voted for the president when really, she did not even know what president meant, like the referee assuming that I did something to a player on the opposing team and taking me to the penalty box. A similarity between what is happening in the book and in real life right now is Isis as they too, torture beat and kill people who are not like them. The last thing that the Rebel's attacks reminded me of was some footage of World War 2 when the Nazi's took the jews to concentration camps and also killed and tortured them just because Hitler did not like them and they were not like him. These things all have one thing in common. They shouldn't happen.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Torn to Pieces
This is the story of Mariatu Kamara, well, part of the story. This is the part in which her story begins, and where her life becomes painful and threadbare.
Mariatu Kamara was a girl like many others in Sierra Leone. Nearly twelve years old when her world had begun to spin faster, she lived in a small village, called Magborou, with a large family. None in her village went to school, all in her village were very poor. None of them could afford an education, and they needed all of the help they could get to work the fields so they could at least have enough food and money to survive another year. This is said from Mariatu's perspective on pages 13 and 14, in quotes that vaguely describes how she feels about the lack of education and the harsh, demanding work.
"None of the kids in my village went to school. My family, like everyone else in Magborou, was very poor. 'We need you to help us with the chores on the farm,' Marie explained. Occasionally children from wealthier families and villages would pass through Magborou on their way to and from school. Some of these children went to boarding schools in Sierra Leone's capital city, Freetown. I felt sad when I saw them. I wished I could see for myself what a big city looked like.
Starting from the time I was about seven, and strong enough to carry plastic jugs of water or straw baskets full of corn on my head, I spent my mornings planting and harvesting food on our farm outside Magborou. No one owned land in the villages; we all shared the farm."
The significance of this passage is that it explains, in her own words, how Mariatu feels about how poor her and her family are, and about not being able to go to school. Mariatu's situation of poverty and constant fear that they will not have enough food or money to survive the year forces her and her family to stay working in their fields all day until they run themselves ragged, only to start again the next day. Needing all the help they could get in the fields, Mariatu and her family had neither the time nor money for school. This is some background on Mariatu, so people will know what she comes from, and what was taken from her.
I titled this blog "Torn to Pieces" to describe not only what had happened to Mariatu, but what happened to her life, as well. In the sense of being physically torn to pieces, she had lost her hands to the rebels, but in the emotional and psychological sense of the word, her life was ripped apart, twisted, and formed into something unrecognizable, even to her. In the next part of this blog, you will see exactly what I mean by this.
Fear was drawn from rumours of rebel attacks nearby, getting closer to Mariatu's village with each passing day. But there is nothing to worry about. It's all just rumours, at least according to the village chairman. But Mariatu's village hides in the bush anyway, just to be safe. There is a quote on page 22 that puts this in Mariatu's words.
"Whenever we heard a rumor that the rebels were close, the chairman would order all of the villagers in Magborou to flee into the bush." Another quote on page 23 says this:
"Around the fire at night, we would tell stories or share what we had heard about the war. We would lie on our backs and stare up at the moon and stars. I remembered, though, that long ago my father had told me never to count the stars. 'If you do, and you land on the star that is you, you will die,' he said. I wasn't quite sure what he meant, but I knew I didn't want to die."
The first quote shows just how poorly the living conditions were in Magborou, relying on rumours and hiding to keep them safe from the rebel attacks that plagued the country, because there is no kind of law enforcement to protect them. The second quote from page 23 gives you a look at what their fear of the rebels has done, to the point of making hiding in the bush, sometimes for months, seem as normal to Mariatu and her village as working the fields in Magborou. It also shows how much she wants to live, which helps her greatly in the days to come.
On page 25, a quote from Mariatu's grandmother reads, "'Whenever you dream of palm oil,' my grandmother had told me when I was seven, 'blood will spill by the end of the day.'" And how right she was.
Mariatu's village moved to Manarma to be safe, but as Mariatu dreamt of palm oil, her simple fear of the rebels turned into a living nightmare. The morning after she dreamt of palm oil, Mariatu's uncle, Alie, sent her and some of her cousins to do one simple task: go back to Magborou for supplies. But the simple task became impossible, as the sleeping beast that was Mariatu's palm oil nightmare came alive, shifting from imagination to horrifying reality in a matter of seconds. This is where Mariatu's thrashing struggle pulls her head under the roiling black water.
What the rebels did to Mariatu was a horror in itself, but what they did to her family, to the people she knew and loved, that was it's own world of torture that Mariatu relived constantly. The rebels had torn Mariatu apart, chopping off her hands before letting her go to find help, but before they had done this, they had ripped her apart in a completely different way; the rebels had burned some of her family alive, along with some villagers, which included a woman with a baby. They had killed people from her village, people she knew and cared about. The rest of the people she was travelling with were taken, and she had no idea if she would ever see them again.
Imagine if this happened to you. Imagine if, all of a sudden, everyone you knew and loved was taken or killed right in front of your eyes, and there was nothing you could do to save them, knowing that you would die, too. Only instead of dying and joining your loved ones, you lose your hands and are sent away, made into an example of how much power and ferocity the people who took everything from you possess. What would you do? In the face of so much death and destruction, would you die in a fruitless attempt to save your people? Would you do what Mariatu had done, and lived to find help and your family? Would you wait to see what other horrors will come your way? If you had faced as much pain as Mariatu had, if you had lost as much as she did, I ask you this: What would you do?
When the only thing keeping you alive is your own will to live, the hope that you will see some of your loved ones alive, you have enough strength to keep going. That is what Mariatu did, she kept on going. And after a few days of trying to find help, all the while trying to survive, she finally found what would be her salvation: a kind man who gave her something to eat and who pointed her toward safety. The man gave her a mango to eat and it was enough to get her to Port Loko for help. This man had ultimately saved Mariatu's life, giving her food so she wouldn't starve, and giving her directions so she wouldn't get lost, doomed to wander the land until she bled out or succumbed to infection. The man had saved her life, and to this day she does not know his name.
But, all was not lost to the rebels, for once she had reached Port Loko, she discovered that her cousins, Ibrahim and Mohamed had survived, but like Mariatu, their hands had been cut off by the rebels. Once they reached Freetown, the three cousins had found that their other cousin, Adamsay, had also survived the rebel attack, missing her hands, but alive. The discovery that Mariatu's cousins had survived the rebel attack after she had thought them all to be dead brought her as much happiness as she could be possibly have, and in turn began to mend her shattered heart and spirit. But like all good things, her joy was short-lived.
Mariatu had no idea she was pregnant. She didn't understand, how could this happen to her? On page 65, Mariatu says this herself.
"'You're pregnant,' the doctor said to me again. 'You are going to have a baby. Do you understand?'
Abibatu, a large woman with Marie's warm smile, had tears in her eyes. 'How did this happen to you?' she asked me.
'I don't know,' I muttered. 'I don't know.' It didn't make any sense."
This quote shows how innocent Mariatu is, and explains further how horrible the things she had seen, the things done to her, had been. Mariatu had no idea how or why she was pregnant. She would soon remember what had happened to her. The rebels did not do this to her, but someone she knew, someone from her village. Mariatu had warned her auntie Marie of Salieu, tried to make her understand what he was doing, but Marie did not listen. And Mariatu suffered greatly for it. At the end of chapter seven, on page 71, Mariatu prays for her suffering to end.
And I ask you this: Could you ever do what Mariatu had done? Could you have faced all the horrors she had? She wants her suffering to end so badly that she wants to die. This is what Mariatu had prayed for:
"'Take me, Allah. Take my baby and me. I want to die.'"
As overwhelming and unbearable as this may all be; and despite all of the horrors she had witnessed, this is not the end of her story. No, this is where Mariatu Kamara's story takes flight.
I titled this blog "Torn to Pieces" to describe not only what had happened to Mariatu, but what happened to her life, as well. In the sense of being physically torn to pieces, she had lost her hands to the rebels, but in the emotional and psychological sense of the word, her life was ripped apart, twisted, and formed into something unrecognizable, even to her. In the next part of this blog, you will see exactly what I mean by this.
Fear was drawn from rumours of rebel attacks nearby, getting closer to Mariatu's village with each passing day. But there is nothing to worry about. It's all just rumours, at least according to the village chairman. But Mariatu's village hides in the bush anyway, just to be safe. There is a quote on page 22 that puts this in Mariatu's words.
"Whenever we heard a rumor that the rebels were close, the chairman would order all of the villagers in Magborou to flee into the bush." Another quote on page 23 says this:
"Around the fire at night, we would tell stories or share what we had heard about the war. We would lie on our backs and stare up at the moon and stars. I remembered, though, that long ago my father had told me never to count the stars. 'If you do, and you land on the star that is you, you will die,' he said. I wasn't quite sure what he meant, but I knew I didn't want to die."
The first quote shows just how poorly the living conditions were in Magborou, relying on rumours and hiding to keep them safe from the rebel attacks that plagued the country, because there is no kind of law enforcement to protect them. The second quote from page 23 gives you a look at what their fear of the rebels has done, to the point of making hiding in the bush, sometimes for months, seem as normal to Mariatu and her village as working the fields in Magborou. It also shows how much she wants to live, which helps her greatly in the days to come.
On page 25, a quote from Mariatu's grandmother reads, "'Whenever you dream of palm oil,' my grandmother had told me when I was seven, 'blood will spill by the end of the day.'" And how right she was.
Mariatu's village moved to Manarma to be safe, but as Mariatu dreamt of palm oil, her simple fear of the rebels turned into a living nightmare. The morning after she dreamt of palm oil, Mariatu's uncle, Alie, sent her and some of her cousins to do one simple task: go back to Magborou for supplies. But the simple task became impossible, as the sleeping beast that was Mariatu's palm oil nightmare came alive, shifting from imagination to horrifying reality in a matter of seconds. This is where Mariatu's thrashing struggle pulls her head under the roiling black water.
What the rebels did to Mariatu was a horror in itself, but what they did to her family, to the people she knew and loved, that was it's own world of torture that Mariatu relived constantly. The rebels had torn Mariatu apart, chopping off her hands before letting her go to find help, but before they had done this, they had ripped her apart in a completely different way; the rebels had burned some of her family alive, along with some villagers, which included a woman with a baby. They had killed people from her village, people she knew and cared about. The rest of the people she was travelling with were taken, and she had no idea if she would ever see them again.
Imagine if this happened to you. Imagine if, all of a sudden, everyone you knew and loved was taken or killed right in front of your eyes, and there was nothing you could do to save them, knowing that you would die, too. Only instead of dying and joining your loved ones, you lose your hands and are sent away, made into an example of how much power and ferocity the people who took everything from you possess. What would you do? In the face of so much death and destruction, would you die in a fruitless attempt to save your people? Would you do what Mariatu had done, and lived to find help and your family? Would you wait to see what other horrors will come your way? If you had faced as much pain as Mariatu had, if you had lost as much as she did, I ask you this: What would you do?
When the only thing keeping you alive is your own will to live, the hope that you will see some of your loved ones alive, you have enough strength to keep going. That is what Mariatu did, she kept on going. And after a few days of trying to find help, all the while trying to survive, she finally found what would be her salvation: a kind man who gave her something to eat and who pointed her toward safety. The man gave her a mango to eat and it was enough to get her to Port Loko for help. This man had ultimately saved Mariatu's life, giving her food so she wouldn't starve, and giving her directions so she wouldn't get lost, doomed to wander the land until she bled out or succumbed to infection. The man had saved her life, and to this day she does not know his name.
But, all was not lost to the rebels, for once she had reached Port Loko, she discovered that her cousins, Ibrahim and Mohamed had survived, but like Mariatu, their hands had been cut off by the rebels. Once they reached Freetown, the three cousins had found that their other cousin, Adamsay, had also survived the rebel attack, missing her hands, but alive. The discovery that Mariatu's cousins had survived the rebel attack after she had thought them all to be dead brought her as much happiness as she could be possibly have, and in turn began to mend her shattered heart and spirit. But like all good things, her joy was short-lived.
Mariatu had no idea she was pregnant. She didn't understand, how could this happen to her? On page 65, Mariatu says this herself.
"'You're pregnant,' the doctor said to me again. 'You are going to have a baby. Do you understand?'
Abibatu, a large woman with Marie's warm smile, had tears in her eyes. 'How did this happen to you?' she asked me.
'I don't know,' I muttered. 'I don't know.' It didn't make any sense."
This quote shows how innocent Mariatu is, and explains further how horrible the things she had seen, the things done to her, had been. Mariatu had no idea how or why she was pregnant. She would soon remember what had happened to her. The rebels did not do this to her, but someone she knew, someone from her village. Mariatu had warned her auntie Marie of Salieu, tried to make her understand what he was doing, but Marie did not listen. And Mariatu suffered greatly for it. At the end of chapter seven, on page 71, Mariatu prays for her suffering to end.
And I ask you this: Could you ever do what Mariatu had done? Could you have faced all the horrors she had? She wants her suffering to end so badly that she wants to die. This is what Mariatu had prayed for:
"'Take me, Allah. Take my baby and me. I want to die.'"
As overwhelming and unbearable as this may all be; and despite all of the horrors she had witnessed, this is not the end of her story. No, this is where Mariatu Kamara's story takes flight.
Lift Off
Imagine life with no hands, being close to death, and feeling all alone. This was Mariatu Kamara's life. She was helpless, with no hope in living. She didn't have the luxury to have a "regular" life anymore. She felt like she lost everything and that there was no way to get it back again.
This is shown from this quote “I watched as that stubborn bird tried to stand up on its crooked little legs, flapping its wings wildly, only to topple over and lie still before trying all over again. Then something miraculous happened. After the bird had lain motionless for so long I thought it was dead, it stood up as solid as ever and lifted off into the sky... I felt like that bird. Something had knocked me clear out of the sky, and here I was on the ground, trying to get up. But I couldn’t, and I wondered if I’d ever have the perseverance of that small weaver. I sat in a trance, not moving.” (page 59) This section of the book tells the readers how Mariatu felt after her incident with the rebels. She questioned if she would ever be healthy enough, strong enough, or courageous enough. She compares herself to this bird but she doesn't believe that she can overcome this traumatic experience, and she may not. From the parts of the book before she says this quote we can find out some of her character, and she is a fighter. Instead of lying on the ground and dying after her hands were cut off she ran away to go find other people for help and comfort. She has fought this hard and made it so far that if she gave up now she would have worked so hard for nothing.
Later in the chapter it shows Mariatu starting to get hope in herself again and thinks there may be a light at the end of this long confusing tunnel. This is known because of this quote “I don’t know where it came from but I laughed and laughed. I felt like that little weaver bird again, but this time I had the feeling I could learn to fly” (page 64) She began to stop doubting her ability to "fly" again. But how long would this feeling last before she was hit to the ground again? Was her hardest struggle still hiding, until the perfect time to push her down? How strong would she become if she was pushed to rock bottom and then some?
Later in the chapter it shows Mariatu starting to get hope in herself again and thinks there may be a light at the end of this long confusing tunnel. This is known because of this quote “I don’t know where it came from but I laughed and laughed. I felt like that little weaver bird again, but this time I had the feeling I could learn to fly” (page 64) She began to stop doubting her ability to "fly" again. But how long would this feeling last before she was hit to the ground again? Was her hardest struggle still hiding, until the perfect time to push her down? How strong would she become if she was pushed to rock bottom and then some?
This text enhances the understanding of yourself because it gives you the message that you are stronger than you think and you can make it through a challenge even when you don't think you can. It also tells us that with hard experiences comes strength and endurance. Your fight with struggles will get easier with more experiences. There is always a plan for your future when you push through, lift up your head, and soar.
HOW MUCH COURAGE DOES IT TAKE TO LIVE DURING A CIVIL WAR
This book “THE BITE OF THE MANGO” really caught my attention after about the second page. The way it was written told me that the real message was behind the words themselves. One example that told me this was when the rebels were torturing Mariatu’s village she didn’t show lots of fear but the book says that in her mind she was scared to death. A quote that supports this is “I knelt down in front of my captor, lowered my head, and waited. I wanted to show the older rebel that I would be obedient.”pg 38
Mariatu's courage to stand up to her captors made me really question myself. It made me wonder if I could stand up to people that are persecuting me and my family or would I let them kill everything that has any meaning to me. What I got from this part of the story was that trials come and go, but they leave scars and those scars don’t heal very fast. I feel lots of compassion for Mariatu as she was going through this period in her life. What happened to her makes me feel that my problems are very small and I have something to be thankful for. I shouldn’t dwell on my problems and I should help other people with their problems.
Beating This Thought to the Ground
In Sierra Leone violence towards others, both physical and verbal, seems to be a normal and acceptable act. On several occasions people are beaten, abused, or even killed without a second thought. In a typical home, a beating is a regular punishment for minimal lack of obedience to one's elders. In Mariatu's house Alie is the one that gives the beatings."When we kids didn't do what he asked, he liked to show how strong he was by grabbing a tamalangba and beating us hard." (pg. 26) Ending the life of an innocent person on an instant without valid reason happened on more than one occasion. When Mariatu was on her way to a hospital, people that she didn't know honored her through the murder of a man that she knew personally and who himself was a victim of the rebels. "Even if he didn't personally cut your hands off, we will kill him in your honor." (pg. 55) Based on how violence seems to be a regular occurrence, I think that although it was not justified, it was understandable that Mariatu's hands got cut off by the rebels.
I think that the reason that it may be considered "okay" for elders to essentially abuse the children they have authority over is to teach some form of respect. If a child knows there is a beating coming if they behave badly, they will most likely try to avoid the beating which in turn forces them to avoid poor behavior since the two go hand-in-hand. Here in Canada it is normal for kids to get the "wooden spoon" which is the same thing as beatings in Sierra Leone, just on a much smaller scale. Another threat parents may use with their children is the belt. As a kid, if you heard "wooden spoon" or "belt" after doing something, you knew to never do that thing again. For example, if you're throwing a ball around the expensive pictures in your house and get caught, you very well knew what was coming next. After the spoon or belt you knew to never do that again. There is a good chance that after kids in Sierra Leone are punished, they are left with "I will never do that again" beat into their mind.
I think that the reason that it may be considered "okay" for elders to essentially abuse the children they have authority over is to teach some form of respect. If a child knows there is a beating coming if they behave badly, they will most likely try to avoid the beating which in turn forces them to avoid poor behavior since the two go hand-in-hand. Here in Canada it is normal for kids to get the "wooden spoon" which is the same thing as beatings in Sierra Leone, just on a much smaller scale. Another threat parents may use with their children is the belt. As a kid, if you heard "wooden spoon" or "belt" after doing something, you knew to never do that thing again. For example, if you're throwing a ball around the expensive pictures in your house and get caught, you very well knew what was coming next. After the spoon or belt you knew to never do that again. There is a good chance that after kids in Sierra Leone are punished, they are left with "I will never do that again" beat into their mind.
The Power of Dreams
The Bite of the Mango has many themes, but one significant one in chapter 7 is "the Power of Dreams". On page 65, Mariatu discovers she is pregnant. She is young and innocent, and has no idea how someone becomes pregnant. People in Mariatu's village had told Mariatu that "babies came from a woman's belly button," (page 67). I found it interesting that they hide information about the human reproductive system in Sierra Leone to young girls, where rape is obviously a prominent issue. The way Mariatu becomes pregnant is by rape, which proves that it is a problem.
Mariatu is raped by Salieu. Salieu is an older man, who already has one wife, but eventually wants to marry Mariatu as well. Salieu's sexual abuse to Mariatu grows gradually. The first night he shows up while Adamsay and Mariatu are sitting around a fire while they are hiding out in the bush from the rebels. Eventually, Mariatu tries to go to sleep. While laying there, she hears heavy footsteps and Salieu lays down beside her. He starts to touch her without consent, and Mariatu screams for help. The assault ends when Ibrahim and Mohammed return.
He begins to spend more and more time around Mariatu and her family. He comes over often to ask for supplies and "he'd look at me [Mariatu] through the slits in the corners of his eyes," (page 69, Mariatu). One day, when Mariatu is alone at her hut, Salieu shows up. He grabs her, drags her down the hall, and throws her on the floor in a room at the back of the hut. Salieu then proceeds to rape her.
A while after she finds out she is pregnant, Mariatu has a dream. In the dream Salieu appears and says "I know you didn't like what I did to you, and I know you weren't ready for this. But I love you. And I want you to have this baby for me, because my wife and I only had girls. All I ever wanted was a son," (page 74).
We learn that dreams play a significant role in Mariatu's culture. Elders in her culture believe that if you dream of palm oil, blood will spill by the end of the day. Mariatu has a dream about palm oil, and on the same day her hands get cut off by the rebels.
As her dream prophesied, Mariatu has a boy. This demonstrates the true power of dreams and how they can warn us about danger, sometimes by using symbols such as palm oil, and give us a glimpse into the future by showing us what could happen.
Mariatu is raped by Salieu. Salieu is an older man, who already has one wife, but eventually wants to marry Mariatu as well. Salieu's sexual abuse to Mariatu grows gradually. The first night he shows up while Adamsay and Mariatu are sitting around a fire while they are hiding out in the bush from the rebels. Eventually, Mariatu tries to go to sleep. While laying there, she hears heavy footsteps and Salieu lays down beside her. He starts to touch her without consent, and Mariatu screams for help. The assault ends when Ibrahim and Mohammed return.
He begins to spend more and more time around Mariatu and her family. He comes over often to ask for supplies and "he'd look at me [Mariatu] through the slits in the corners of his eyes," (page 69, Mariatu). One day, when Mariatu is alone at her hut, Salieu shows up. He grabs her, drags her down the hall, and throws her on the floor in a room at the back of the hut. Salieu then proceeds to rape her.
A while after she finds out she is pregnant, Mariatu has a dream. In the dream Salieu appears and says "I know you didn't like what I did to you, and I know you weren't ready for this. But I love you. And I want you to have this baby for me, because my wife and I only had girls. All I ever wanted was a son," (page 74).
We learn that dreams play a significant role in Mariatu's culture. Elders in her culture believe that if you dream of palm oil, blood will spill by the end of the day. Mariatu has a dream about palm oil, and on the same day her hands get cut off by the rebels.
As her dream prophesied, Mariatu has a boy. This demonstrates the true power of dreams and how they can warn us about danger, sometimes by using symbols such as palm oil, and give us a glimpse into the future by showing us what could happen.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
No Hands? No Problem!
Mariatu Kamara had to deal with many problems while living in Sierra Leone. She lives in one of the most war-torn countries in the world, she is being forced to marry a man that she does not like, and that man later ends up impregnating her. Despite those problems, there is one that is more difficult than all of the other problems combined; Mariatu has no hands. She and some of her friends were being held in the village of Magborou by a very large group of armed rebels belonging to the Revolutionary United Front. After forcing Mariatu to watch the brutal murders of her friends and family members, she is told that she can now go away. However, the rebels said that she must choose between losing her left or her right hand. Mariatu tries to run away, but she is quickly captured and brought back. As punishment, they hastily cut off both of her hands. She now runs into the bush and, after a long while, she comes across a man. The man says he cannot help her, but he also notices that she is very tired and hungry. So, he holds up a mango for her to eat.
"Here, he said, holding the mango up to my mouth for me to eat. But I shook my head. I couldn't eat from his hands. It felt wrong to be fed like a baby." (Page 48)
"Here, he said, holding the mango up to my mouth for me to eat. But I shook my head. I couldn't eat from his hands. It felt wrong to be fed like a baby." (Page 48)
As you have seen in the above quote, Mariatu does not like the idea of being fed like a helpless little baby. She ends up taking the mango between her arms and figuring out a different way to eat it. The quote proves that Mariatu is a strong independent person that doesn't need help to get through life, no matter how hard it may be. She is a perfect example of someone who is perseverant and resilient in our society, and she is a reminder that the world still has some parts that aren't as developed, lucky, or free as Canada, and those countries need all of the help that they can get.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
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