This book interested me because of how it is writen, it does not follow the regular pathern. its more like reading a group of short istories.
"Victoriano Gomez died on 8 february in the small town of San Miguel, El Salvador. He was shot under the afternoon sun, in the football stadium".
This is one of of the stories that I enjoyed reading the most, the real reason is a bit misterous to me. I fiogured out some of it after reading and consentrating on this story. I actually read it four times before I realized how important it was. when I was little I loved to hear my grand father tell me stories of the acient times. I remember him telling me how Romans used to go to the coliseum, to watch gladiators fight to death or gladiators fight animals. In a strange way after I read how the people were sitting in the stadium waiting for the execution. the way it is described how the stadium was full and some people could not even find a seat, this reminded me of the coliseum. They were waiting for someone to die and the Salvadorans were desperate to see it.
"Death loses its literalness at that distance: it stopsbeing deathand instead it becomes the spectacle of death".
If death has turned into a game,the question is what are we? a player or an spectator.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Where Does Courage Come From?
“Pick up your guns and let’s go guys cut those Salvadorans down to size”.
This was not something that surprised a lot since the novel mentions a lot of conflicts all around the world. Any way the words are what really shocked me, they are strong to me they seem like they are chanting to go to war. Something that I believe is that the words are strong as to give a man the courage to fight and kill. Well wile I was in middle school I had to wake up at 06:00 hours for the mile run, during the run I we had to sing to forget about being tired. Also we singe the pledge to the flag every morning, that inspired us o be patriotic just as the soldiers to kill the Salvadorans.
To me a song can inspire as much as a speech that is why this quote, is interesting it expresses the hate of the soldiers and their desire to fight.
This was not something that surprised a lot since the novel mentions a lot of conflicts all around the world. Any way the words are what really shocked me, they are strong to me they seem like they are chanting to go to war. Something that I believe is that the words are strong as to give a man the courage to fight and kill. Well wile I was in middle school I had to wake up at 06:00 hours for the mile run, during the run I we had to sing to forget about being tired. Also we singe the pledge to the flag every morning, that inspired us o be patriotic just as the soldiers to kill the Salvadorans.
To me a song can inspire as much as a speech that is why this quote, is interesting it expresses the hate of the soldiers and their desire to fight.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
“Then he began to be afraid of the dark glasses, because he thought they would serve as a mark of recognition for the avengers of Guevara”.
In this quote it is easy to appreciate the conflict that South America was living at these moments. I noticed by the words he said that even a military man was afraid of the rebels. I have been educated in a military way since I was in elementary school; I have had to learn to have discipline and not to fear pain or exercise. I take this as an advantage but as the military man that shot Guevara, I am afraid of something that is as scary as death which is doing something wrong that affects my dad. There was a time that I got a problem of discipline at my school and my dad found out, the look in his face. I can say that when he was in uniform I was afraid, because I saw how other people were afraid of him at the military base. Any way I relate the situation of the sergeant because I was also paranoid afraid of the consequences.
In this quote it is easy to appreciate the conflict that South America was living at these moments. I noticed by the words he said that even a military man was afraid of the rebels. I have been educated in a military way since I was in elementary school; I have had to learn to have discipline and not to fear pain or exercise. I take this as an advantage but as the military man that shot Guevara, I am afraid of something that is as scary as death which is doing something wrong that affects my dad. There was a time that I got a problem of discipline at my school and my dad found out, the look in his face. I can say that when he was in uniform I was afraid, because I saw how other people were afraid of him at the military base. Any way I relate the situation of the sergeant because I was also paranoid afraid of the consequences.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
is this the world we want to live in?
“UPGA! UPGA! On this road, UPGA ruled. UPGA held men in its way. I could feel three knifes pointing against my back and I saw several machetes aimed at my head”.
The Soccer Wars
The way this situation is represented makes me see the African conflict as very unstable situation. They are full of fallen governments, and civil wars. This fragment of the book surprised me a lot. I saw how people suffered every time the government failed and the anarchy returned to the streets. These words shocked me because I pictured him standing in this road block alone unarmed against men that did not care if he lived or died. The scariest part is that like this quote people in Africa face these killings that in a matter of days can turn in slaughters of thousands. I could relate it to Hotel Rwanda because the killings in the movies were using knifes and also machetes which I suppose is one of the worst ways to die. In the movie people are murdered since they are from other tribes. In the book they are killed for not paying or voting for the political party and they are not supposed too. It is sad that now we are taking the life of people so easily, that it’s becoming something as common as breathing.
The Soccer Wars
The way this situation is represented makes me see the African conflict as very unstable situation. They are full of fallen governments, and civil wars. This fragment of the book surprised me a lot. I saw how people suffered every time the government failed and the anarchy returned to the streets. These words shocked me because I pictured him standing in this road block alone unarmed against men that did not care if he lived or died. The scariest part is that like this quote people in Africa face these killings that in a matter of days can turn in slaughters of thousands. I could relate it to Hotel Rwanda because the killings in the movies were using knifes and also machetes which I suppose is one of the worst ways to die. In the movie people are murdered since they are from other tribes. In the book they are killed for not paying or voting for the political party and they are not supposed too. It is sad that now we are taking the life of people so easily, that it’s becoming something as common as breathing.
what is courage?
“The Algerian people showed the highest proof of their heroism, endurance and patriotism”. The Soccer War
This quotation is without a doubt speaking about the topic of the book, the wars in a point of view of someone that was really close to it.
Which as far as now seems more like a documentary than a novel, it has been interesting since is new to me I haven’t read something like this. From the way the first 20 pages have been written I can say that the author seems like someone that was related really closely to the wars and their history in this book. Also this quote shows the real heroes in this war, the way they fought and how they were killed in combat for their principles of a free country. From the point of view I see it this story of heroes seems a lot like the movie “The Patriot”. I know they are in different location miles away but in both stories the oppressed countries are trying to free themselves from the imperialistic country.
How they are imposed to do anything to gain their freedom, even if it costs their lives. This example of patriotism has been seen several times trough out history in the past year, WWII the countries in this war showed as much courage as Algeria in this citation.
This quotation is without a doubt speaking about the topic of the book, the wars in a point of view of someone that was really close to it.
Which as far as now seems more like a documentary than a novel, it has been interesting since is new to me I haven’t read something like this. From the way the first 20 pages have been written I can say that the author seems like someone that was related really closely to the wars and their history in this book. Also this quote shows the real heroes in this war, the way they fought and how they were killed in combat for their principles of a free country. From the point of view I see it this story of heroes seems a lot like the movie “The Patriot”. I know they are in different location miles away but in both stories the oppressed countries are trying to free themselves from the imperialistic country.
How they are imposed to do anything to gain their freedom, even if it costs their lives. This example of patriotism has been seen several times trough out history in the past year, WWII the countries in this war showed as much courage as Algeria in this citation.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Is Having a Goal Important in Life
"I said that people never change their lives, that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn’t dissatisfied with mine here at all". The Stranger
After reading this book for a while I came to understand that Meursault adapts easily to any circumstance, as he says it himself all around the book. I can say that he may not even be aware he is in a bad situation, due to his fault of initiative trough out the book. He could be classified, as a typical case of an average person that doesn’t try hard at any think. His lack of priorities in life makes him seem like someone that doesn’t care and does the least always. He never wants more for the future; he just waits and takes it how ever it comes.
After reading this book for a while I came to understand that Meursault adapts easily to any circumstance, as he says it himself all around the book. I can say that he may not even be aware he is in a bad situation, due to his fault of initiative trough out the book. He could be classified, as a typical case of an average person that doesn’t try hard at any think. His lack of priorities in life makes him seem like someone that doesn’t care and does the least always. He never wants more for the future; he just waits and takes it how ever it comes.
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