Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Response Question: what the What is
In Chapter XXV, Valentino has a conversation over CB radio with his father. Reread this section. Based on the conversation, what do you think Valentino's father thinks "the What" is? And how does this compare with your first ideas about "the What"? Do you think Valentino's father is giving him good advice by telling him to go get the What?
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9 comments:
I think Valentino's father is saying that "the What" is a good opportunity . A comfortable life, one very few people in Sudan could receive. I thought “the What” was the land that the Arabians wanted, the cattle, and the crops that could not be a prosperous in other areas. But Valentino’s father gave him good advice; he knew that if Valentino came home right then, he would have no life and no successful future.
I think Valentino's father think's that "the What" is a great opportunity to have a better life for himself.One with privliges and success, and choices. My first idea of "the what" was that it was the land and the cattle. Yes I think Valentino's father is giving his son great advice, he knew that if his son went to America he could have a better life for himself. He knew that if Valentino came back to his country there would be no good life for him there.
I can infer that Valentino's dad,believe that the "what" is a sensational opportunity. I also think that the "what" is good fortune,a blessing so to speak. Because, after all a lost boy who has the chance to go to American is considered very fortunate.The Dinka's have good fortune.No matter what they go through they will always over come, richer ,smarter,and more prosperous, then before .The Arabs do not have this and so they will never be contant with what they have. They will always desire what the Dinka's have because they do not have good fortune.
Hmmm, when the big mystery of the "WHAT", came into the story, I immediatly assume that the what was a way, or path for each Dinka to better themselves and their lives. To add, I also thought, that since Sudan had a history of so many suffering people, that the "what" was the little part of hope or faith & got them though the tough days, and reminded them that everything will be o'k. But after, hearing Valentino have a CB radio conversation with his father, just like the rest of my peers I thought the "what" was some flabbergasting,or overwhelming opportunity. Moreover, Valentino father gave him good advice to stay in America, because he that this was the place where he was free to better him and his life....such as make something out of hisself. America was a better place for Valentino, because his home couldn't provide him with the opportunities he had in the U.S. at the time.
I think the what is bassicaly risk itself the way I see it it has two different meanings "the What" could be a good oppertinuity or a misfortune kinda of like a bet or a game show.For example like who wants to be a millionare your start out with a easy question and get a 100 dollars for that but the questions start to get harder afterwards but the money also increase and if you know when to take the quit when your in a good position you can get the money you just earned instead of ending up with a qeustion you don't know and loseing all your money but on the other hand if you went on to the next question and got it right you will earn more money.That is what I think "the what" is both benefits and misfortune.
I believe the what is America. Akack or watever his name is, Valentino's father, related his story to the story of "Adam and Eve". The cattle, symbolizing the Garden, full of fruit and the necessities of life. Where u would learn to appreciate the little things u have such as a few drops of water and food. Even a little bit of food would statisfy a refudgee in Africa. The What, is the United States, the outer part of the garden. Where u learn to not appericiate wat little u have. Where people are spoiled, contaminated, and the will to live is clouded by the idea to enjoy. In Africa, when living with the cattle instead of the what, living was wat made them happy. When arriving in the US and being exposed to "The "What", Valintino's desires for living was toppled by his desires to have even more then what he ever had before. This all means that when exposed to "The What" poeple develop greed and a disire to want more then to appreciate the fact that their already living. In relationship with Adam and Eve, where having all they ever needed was not enough. They just wanted more. They wanted to know the unknown. They wanted to have the knowledge the Apple provided to uncover "The What", and there they endangered their whole race.
In Addition, people in the US are spoiled. That is the what. Simple people that can't appreciate things that True Africans nver had. For example, education today is very low. We have the best funding for education compared to the would world but yet we do the worst compared to any country. Why is this you ask? It's because of the spoiled hearts of Americans. This is the what. A plague. A Plague of greed; creates spoiled children that can't consider what they have to be a luxury. If our Opportunity to educate ourselves were given to the refeudgee africans or any other unfortunate country in the world, they would fully take advantage of it. When coming to American. living with these luxuries, you appreciate them less and less and suddenly want more. The Luxuries of America (the epic conatmination of greed), is "The What".
MY OPINION ONLY....
I agree with Roy.
In most ways what the what is has nothing to do with the story. Valentino Achak is told by his father to get the what, that where he was right then was on the right track. The what is not just one thing; it is what can come into your life by embracing whatever good comes to you. The what in Achak's thinking was a question of good and bad, but in his father's thinking it could be anything. Continuing with the style from the rest of the book, the author, Dave Eggars,never actually tells you what the what is. It is an open ended statement. It is like the end of the book in many ways; there is no definite closure. The what is the moral to the story. It is brought up once at the end, no more.
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