Friday
22Aug2008
For Monday, Aug 25th - They Poured Fire On Us From the Sky
Friday, August 22, 2008 at 10:30AM
In at least four sentences, provide a reflection on the final question from our discussion of They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: "What aspects of your character's experience do you find most compelling?" Feel free to include things you learned through examining this text, connections you have made personally, or any awareness this has raised in your mind.
Reader Comments (21)
I find it most interesting that at a very young age, Alepho understood what was expected of him as a lost boy in Sudan. He did not allow the war to depress him nor allow himself to make stupid actions, like many of the other lost boys. Instead, Alepho matured quickly and accepted the war and the loss of his family. He took on the responsibilities of an adult by fending for himself as well as others throughout his journeys. He understood that the boys could not fight or be greedy, because that would not help bring an end to the war. Thus, he shared everything he received. For example, he found food by climbing trees and collecting the fruit. He then in turn would share his findings with the other lost boys. If he had extra, he would sell it to buy clothing for himself. I am most impressed by the fact that Alepho was able to move forward during such an emotionally distressing time. Ultimately, he was able to do this because he had such a courageous attitude and a generous character.
What i found very interesting and inspiring about my characther Benjamin, was his determination and will to carry on. Although he was very young, he never let the physical pain he was in keep him from surviving and carrying on. There is alot to be said about a person when they are able to rise above their pain and carry on without complaining. throughout the book ( even in the beginning) he was faced with challenges that i cannot even imagine coming across however he always seemed to make it through. From when he was first introduced dealing with the goats and hyenas to his refugee journey, i cant see anyone i know who is that age doing it. the amount of responsiblity and the other boys had at that age is intemidating.
The aspect I found most compelling in Benjamin's life was the fact that he was forced to mature so quickly. Back at home, he was five years old and was a normal boy scared of snakes, hyenas, and lions. He played with his friends all the time and always went home at the end of the day to be with his parents. But, after the rebels attacked his village he lost everything. He lost his friends, he lost his family, and most importantly, he lost his childhood. He went from being scared of wild animals to being scared of men with guns. He went from playing, to running away from danger. He saw things that children the age of five shouldn't even know about. When I was his age, I was enjoying life, playing, and not worrying about anything. Benjamin was constantly worrying about staying alive. He entered a life of adulthood at the age of five and I think that is the saddest thing ever.
What I found most compelling about my character Benson, was his drive to stay alive and his strength. From the beginning he faced challenges that I could never imagine happening to me. His painful circumcision is a real testament to his bravery. The most painful thing that I could ever imagine, and there he is out playing around with his friends only a week later. Benson lost everyone, but there was never a doubt in his mind that he should quit. He would always keep going. When people were lying down, he knew he should not because he would never rise again. The things that Benson saw and went through during his time traveling inspires me to always keep going, because no challenge I will ever face will be as bad as the things Benson experienced.
What I found most compelling about Benson was the sheer strength and willpower that he possessed. He was in a place without anything, and all he had was hope and he was able to achieve things as a young boy that I will probably never face in my lifetime. This book and Benson's story are not only amazing stories and inspiring, but they have also made me realize how blessed I am with all the things I have in my life and how easy I have it. One more thing I found interesting in this book was how even though Benson was split up from his close friends, they were always able to find each other and be there when necessary.
What I found most compelling about Benjamin was his strength and his will. Though forced to mature at such a young age, he willed himself through physical pain as well as the emotional pain of war. Fearing wild animals and hyeenas to fearing gunmen trying to erase an entire religion is unfathomable to me, but somehow a boy as young as five mustered the strength to survive. Benjamin's story is awe inspiring as it shows his triumph over a heartbreaking situation; that being said, his life makes me realize how easy my life is.
Although all of the events in the book were shocking, I think that the most interesting thing was Benson's will to survive and his determination to make it alive at such a young age. At the age of five, I was still playing with my Barbie dolls, and the thought of war wasn't even on my mind. My parents were telling me not to take candy from strangers, and I think that if they told me that I might have to leave them for the rest of my life and make it on my own I would not have understood, much less taken their advice. Benson was so strong throughout the entire journey, and he was determined to make a better life for himself. I found it very compelling that Benson forced a group of boys to take him with them, and then he ended up being the first boy to make it to the destination.
Everything that ALepho went through I found incredibly compelling. He went through so many things that I will most likely never have to deal with in my life, and as a child he is dealing with death, hate and struggling to survive. Somehow he still finds somehtin to live fo and never gives up even when the going gets really tough. The biggest and most compelling tragedy to happen to Alepho was the long walks without water and food. Also one of the hardest hitting events was how after his village was attacked and his family was killed he went ot see if his best freind was at her house and when he arrived he found the house burned down and inside was his best freind and her family burned to death.
The thing I find most compelling about Benson is his drive to stay alive and his observational skills. For example, even though he is a young boy, Benson knows that during walks he can never sit down for very long for fear of not getting up. Benson also has the ability to stay strong despite being separated from his family. He never loses hope that he will meet up with them again. What I always find amazing about Benson's story is when he runs away from the camp that makes young boys into soldiers. Even though Benson is told that he is too young to survive the long walk, he refuses to stay behind. As a result, Benson becomes one of the toughest boys that made the escape. Another thing I find very compelling is the fact that he can still think and act despite being extremely hungry. Benson knew many times he was on the verge of death, but instead of laying there and dying he carried on and found food. Many people his age gave up. Lastly, Benson's urge to learn English after all he endured strikes me as very fascinating and heroic.
What I found most compelling about Benjamin was his strong attitude of constantly movie forward. Even though he had to deal with the pain of his leg, he never let that slow him down. At such a young age, he was able to prioritize his emotions in order to continue staying alive and trying to get to America. After overcoming his fear of animals, he was able to get over some images that a person should never have to witness. It was Benjamin's strong attitude that allowed him stay alive and finally be able to get to America.
The aspect of Benjamin's story that I found the most compelling was the casualty in which he was able to relay the story of what happened to him. Even when life was happy for him, before he was exiled from his village and put on the run, he faced dangers that I, as a kid from america, would never be able to handle. If someone had told me when I was less than five years old that there was a lion attacking the animals in the village i would have been terrified to leave the house. This was the type of story that came from the safe part of Benjamin's life. The things that happened to him were so terrible, ranging from running alone away from his family to surviving with a gigantic piece of wood lodged in his leg, would be overwhelming for a person like me to deal with at the age of seventeen--much less when I was five. Like I said at the beginning of this response, the part that was the most shocking to me was how they tell the stories of murder and terror in the same tone throughout the whole story, because to them it was just a fact--just something that had happened. This should just never be something that a child should have to accept.
One part of the story that stuck out most in my mind was how callous some of the people were to the lost boys. Throughout Benson's story, he writes down many accounts where grown men attack him and the other children. That Benson and the other lost boys had to endure this kind of stuff from the people that they met, from SPLA soldiers, citizens and other refugees was perturbing. That Benson managed to survive these and other hardships through the strength of his willpower and determination also embedded itself in my mind. Another part of the story that I remember well are how strong the intrafamily and interfamily ties are. Throughout the story, Benson meets up with many different people who are either relatives, or know his family. These people, along with a few others, form a support network for Benson, and I think that the incredible amount of support these people gave was crucial to Benson's survival.
There were so many things that were compelling about Alepho's journey throughout the book which inspired me and made me realize what kind of boy he is. Alepho is a strong, hard headed boy that went through situations that i know i would not be able to make it through. Alepho was faced with the problem of his village being raided and set on fire. What impressed me the most is how he stayed within him self, worried more about his friends and family than him, and was able to make it out safely only to return to his house to see his best friend dead. It was very compelling to see how he faced adversity. I personally have never had to face death within my family and i have no idea how i would handle it if i had to. Throughout the entire book, Alepho was a leader and he new that he had to be the strong one in the group, in order to get everybody through all the tough situations. There were times when he would push himself without any water or food and would have to fight for is life every single day. That is something that most people dont experience and to read about someone who experiences it every day of his life i something that is extreamly compelling.
I think the most compelling aspect of the character I was assigned ( Alepho’s ) experience that catches me was his will to continue on to survive. At his young age, he realized the value of staying alive and decided to go on and also offered help to others during times of hardship. Although he went through days without food or water, wasn’t properly dressed for different weather circumstances, was rejoined with family members and then got separated, he still continued on. I think I can relate to it when I had a task to do for field hockey. Although I had the same task last year, to complete the 2 mile, this year I put in effort properly and have completed it twice so far.
I find that the most compelling aspect's of Benjamin's experience with the entire situation over in Sudan had to have been all the pain he had to suffer through even though he was only five years old. The fact that such a young person could suffer through so much physically, mental, emotional, and spiritual pain is uncomprehendingly difficult, at least in the eyes of myself. Benjamin had to survive with not only the worry of being bombed or shot-down on sight, but he also had to deal with the ideas of wild animals, extreme dehydration/lack of water, lack of food, extreme heat, and abuse from other persons dealing with the war. On top of all the fear, it is amazing how Benjamin was able to understand how to survive the Gilo River, how to gather food, how to treat his severe leg wound, and how to comprehend the consequences for being jailed in the Natinga jail. Overall, Benjamin's strength, knowledge, and will to survive is unimaginably of a large extent.
The most compelling aspect of my character (Benjamin) was his ability to persevere and remain strong and focused throughout his journey. In the beginning of the story, we read that Benjamin and his family encounter life-threatening animals such as hyenas, and lions; at a young age, Benjamin faced dangers that I myself could never, ever handle. His number one priority throughout his journey was to stay alive, and to take care of himself. Incredibly, Benjamin was able to survive with an infected leg wound, and also was able to keep his faith in God.
I find the most compelling part of Alepho's experience was how fast he grew up from his usual mischievous self to being someone who felt compelled to take care of others around him. From the beginning he saw death first hand that made him appreciate life and realize how his actions could alter others life through the death of his monkey. I believe that in his monkey's death showed extreme irony in the sense that like his actions could hurt others when caught up in a moment of hate, that the soldiers who were compelled to hate jeopardized his life as well as others he cared for. Also, seeing his best friend's dead body made Alepho realize how fast things can change in an act of cruelty. In Alepho's journey I felt that through his pain he found strength, that through his suffering he understood compassion and love more than many of us can ever hope to know.
What I found most compelling about Benson's story was his circumcision. What stands out most in my mind is what his dad said to him after Benson heard his cousin screaming and crying in pain. His dad told Benson that he "will be a strong and brave son..." (page 9) and that he is stronger than Majok, his cousin. I really think that how others saw his bravery and strength is really important, especially at such a young stage. It really made me think about people's reactions to me going through such a painful experience and what they would say.
What I found most compelling about Benson's story was his circumcision. What stands out most in my mind is what his dad said to him after Benson heard his cousin screaming and crying in pain. His dad told Benson that he "will be a strong and brave son..." (page 9) and that he is stronger than Majok, his cousin. I really think that how others saw his bravery and strength is really important, especially at such a young stage. It really made me think about people's reactions to me going through such a painful experience and what they would say.
in my opinion, the most compelling part of ALepho's journey was his ability to keep going no matter what. Even when times were hard he still had hope that the rest of his family was alive and that he would be able to find them. I find this truly remarkable, and it was especially amazing that he was actually able to find them and reunite with benjamin and Benson. He found the time to help others and share also even when supplies were almost gone. He is truly an amazing person with many amazing stories
There are a few aspects of Benjamin's life and experiences that I find compelling. The thing that I most felt an attachment to was the amount of danger surrounding his normal, daily activites. When he is four, he tries to find his lost goat in the bush because he is watching the herd. Benjamin sees a hyena run off with one of his goats, and his father merely tell him how to scare it away. This hit me hard because it was something that was a normal chore in the life of a four year old. My nephew Jelani, who is five, was dropped off at the wrong bus stop, walked two blocks down Lucas & Hunt, and crossed the street. When he arived at his house, his dad, my older brother, opened door surprised because not only was he alone, but early. It infuriated my family and we had the school call the bus driver on her cell phone, asking how she could have let a kindergardener leave the bus and walk down the street unattended. She was not supposed to let him leave the bus without a parent/gardian present to take him home. I thought about this when a lot when I reviewed Benjamin’s experiences. It’s incredible that I am so worried about my nephew walking down the street alone, yet thousands of boys his age and even younger had to fled their homes and walk hundreds of miles.
The amount of responsitbility he took on as a young boy was also very interesting to me. Benjamin was driven to find his family and help them through their hard time. A major component of his travel was the stick in his leg, which he took care of himself by stealing medicatio that he knew, would be effective. I also feel that you cannot exclude the familiarity with death when talking about compelling aspects. By outliving many people, Benjamin had to watch many friends and others die who had been kind to or helped him. I cannot fathom the amount of trama, stress, depression, or fear that one would face in these conditions. One of the most amazing facts, however, is how he always refers to himself as strong no matter what happens. That is probably the most compelling aspect of his experience.