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)
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.
The use of specific vocabulary in this post makes it easy for the reader to visualize and get a better concept of the point that the author was trying to get across. I agree that Mariatu is perseverant and resilient because she is hardworking and doesn’t give up when times get tough, as times clearly did get tough when she lost her hands but she kept trying. Losing her hands is what pushed Mariatu harder to find a hospital and save her own life. I interpreted Mariatu as not only independent, but dependable as well. Mariatu was given the opportunity for a better life when Bill contacted her, but she saw it as a chance to improve not only her but her family members lives too. She sent home crates with clothing, shoes, and helpful hygienic products like toothpaste and soap. Mariatu’s family could depend on her to make their lives easier and improve their quality of life. Mariatu was not entirely independent, it showed strength when she accepted the help that people offered her, such as the prosthetic hand devices, the fundraiser at school, and the chance to become educated. Obviously a teenage girl without hands and with the inability to speak fluent english is going to struggle in the Canadian society and will need both physical and emotional support. It takes strength to accept help from others, as it can be seen as a sign of weakness. In a way Mariatu’s weaknesses (lack of hands, language barrier, immigration) are what made her stronger in the long run, as it taught her to be independent when she could, but that to also be grateful when aid is offered and take it.
ReplyDelete