Sometimes life’s most important lessons are not taught at school. Mawi Asgedom, in Of Beetles and Angels, narrates his story of how goes on a journey from a refugee camp in Sudan, to Harvard, one of the best schools in the United States. Mawi learns how important it is to become a man, from his father who exhibits these traits the best. Mawi observes different men such as his brother, friends, and teachers to find what the qualities of being a man look like. He completely overlooks his father, Haileab who is the ideal example of what it means to be a man. Haileab teaches Mawi that the man must take, “responsibility for... [the] family” (110). Even as Haileab’s eyesight decreased, he continued to work hard at trying to provide for his family. Mawi learns from his father by watching him while he worked with, “tireless dedication” (130). After moving to America, Haileab was having trouble finding a job he preservers and eventually gets a job as a janitor. Mawi learns first-hand from his dad about the qualities of being a man, but also watches painfully as these characteristics were taken away from him. …show more content…
He could barely afford to pay for daily necessities for his family. Haileab felt like he was, “transformed into a monstrous black beetle” (95). Without a job, he could not provide for his family. This means he is viewed as less in society. Beetles are insects, they do nothing to contribute, or bother the flow of life. Once Haileab realizes that he is a beetle, “no one respects you anymore” (97). As Haileab’s eyesight decreases and he is diagnosed with diabetes, he realizes that he will no longer hold a respectable position in society. For Haileab, this was the most devastating experience he had to bear, because this meant he would not be significant
The first environment that readers can analyze between the two Wes Moore’s is the lack of a father influence. Author Wes Moore grew up in Baltimore, Maryland with a family who seemed to have everything in place. Wes looked up to his father in many ways even as a young child. “I tried to copy his walk, his expressions. I was his main man. He was my protector” (Moore 11). Wes tells readers in the story that
George and all readers learn from this story about the merciless and callous effect the human nature has on mankind. The general theme of the novella highlights the voracious and often malevolent aspect of human nature. The novella in its essence flails at the idea of ‘every man for himself’. George learns many lessons throughout the book that can be applied to a reader’s everyday life. Loyalty and Sacrifice
Parenthood was a factor in the boy’s life, this ideas gives you an insight on what he wanted the reader to convey. here are two different emotions running through this story from both the boys. In the author Wes Moore the emotion you feel while reading it is hurt and compassion.
The first Wes will know that he was loved by his father, but the other Wes will never know how his father truly felt about him, and he’ll carry that burden for his whole life. Furthermore, the author highlights the problems of the other Wes Moore’s father, building his character by describing that “he spent most of his time searching for himself at the bottoms of liquor bottles. Mary was left with two alcoholic, abusive men who shared the DNA of her two children but no husband or dad for her boys” (23). An instance of metaphor is noticed as the author phrased “searching for himself at the bottom of liquor bottles”. The solemn meaning draws out pity and empathy for the other Wes’s family, feeling somber and woeful towards what they are forced to go through and witness with their unit’s male figure.
Parenting played a big role in shaping the two boys lives. Having a parental mentor is important because they assist and guide children to take the right decisions about their lives. The author had his two parents at the beginning of his life. Also, the author’s parents, especially his mother, tried to raise him in an effective way wanting him to know the right from wrong at an early age. “No mommy loves you, like I love you, she just wants you to do the right thing” (Moore 11). This quote was a live example of the author’s life with his parents. It reflected the different ways his parents used to teach him “the right thing.” Though his mother was upset from his action toward his sister, his father
As Alex Knapp wrote about in his article “Five Leadership Lessons from James T. Kirk,” leadership is about constantly learning, encouraging creativity and innovation, working with team members, and understanding the competition in order to lead better and lead to greater places. Knapp observed through Kirk’s actions that the knowledge required to lead is not necessarily all the information that is needed to be an accomplished leader. A good leader will also have people on their team that contradict their views, as Knapp implied, in order to get a better perspective of the problem. Being a good leader also encompasses working with lower positions and experiencing the different types of work so that the leader will earn the workers’ trust and
Conflict was used effectively in the short story to reveal the theme of the story. The boy has an internal conflict about which parent to stay with, and because his father left, he seemed to have favored him. He wanted him back so badly that every night, he watches him on the six o’clock news while wearing his old jackets. He was blinded by his father’s sudden departure that he forgot about what is really important. Additionally, another development in the short story’s conflict has been used effectively to reveal the theme. When the boy went to Macdonald’s to see his father’s true colors, he thought: “I finished my drink quickly, thankful that he had to be back in the studio for the news.” By the time he saw his dad for the first time in a while, he knew he was not the man he thought he was. At that moment, he also realized that he lost sight of what he had all this time: His mother’s unconditional love. If it wasn’t for the characterization of
In one scene of the memoir, Allison describes her uncles and their need to be depicted as masculine and to act “hard” to the world around them. She also remembers her cousins as young boys and how quickly they seemed to turn into men. The time came for them to act as the world expected them to. This action shows how gender may oppress some males when they feel the pressures of the world to act a certain way. Otherwise, they are at risk for being seen as different and abnormal. Men who do not portray masculinity well are often seen as feminine and weak. When Allison describes her uncles she states, “If you didn’t look close, you might miss the sharp glint of pain in their eyes, the restless angry way they gave themselves up to fate,” (Allison, 28). These men already had their futures planned for them though the society and gender norms. Acting against these norms was seen as unusual, radical, and
“‘Treat all people -- even the most unsightly beetles -- as though they were angels sent from heaven’” (29). In Mawi Asgedom’s memoir, Of Beetles and Angels, he talks about the obstacles he faces through growing up. Throughout Mawi’s life he overcomes the obstacles of racial prejudice, school bullies, and financial disadvantage, which motivated him to build a fulfilling successful life.
There are many ways to interpret this but I think the title is referring to a way of living. Haileab has always taught his children to accept people no matter what their situation is. Because of this many people have came into their lives and significantly made a difference on the way they view certain subjects in american culture.
In the novel “The Pact” follows three teenagers who have lived in the dark, tough inner city-streets of Newark, New Jersey. However they overcame their obstacles countlessly and made a pact: they would stick together, go to college, graduate and become doctors. Now many years later, these three men have become doctors and helped people across the country with their intellect in medicine and health. Now George showed many important and quality characteristics in the novel. The three most unique characteristics or traits that led him to be successful academically and personally are that he is attentive, curious, and determined.
Universities and the NCAA make a lot of money off the likeness of college athletes, however these athletes get no form of physical compensation. The NCAA claims to be a nonprofit company, but in a reality they’re a multi-billion dollar industry that is comparable to professional leagues such as the NBA and NHL, due to their players’ ability to entertain and perform to their fullest extent at all times. Over the 9-month 2013-2014 NBA season, the league grossed $4.7 billion, with athletes averaging $5 million salaries. In contrast NCAA Basketball grossed $2 billion over a month long tournament. Despite this staggering figure, the athletes received no compensation. In 2011 the NCAA signed a historic television deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting,
his father’s death, eventually the true measure of his character comes forth (Book I: 11).
“Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice”, focuses on the relationship between the protagonist, who is referred to as ‘Child’, and his father, referred to as ‘Ba’. The opening story follows the protagonist as he is struggling to overcome writers block, whilst dealing with his estranged Vietnamese father who is visiting. A number of flashbacks are used as a literary device to divulge into the protagonists past with his father as well as the fathers past. This reveals, not only an abusive past with his father, but also his father’s memories of the Vietnam war. It becomes clear that the son makes excuses for his father, with his girlfriend Linda also noting this, “I think you’re making excuses for him…You’re romanticising his past to make sense of the things you said he did to you” (pp.20). The protagonist reflects this himself, making the excuse that “he was a soldier” (pp.13), and that is why his father treated him as he did. The protagonist, despite once being able to admit to Linda that his father abused him, can no longer admit this, as his relationship with his father grows, and it can be argued that he is willing to overlook his past in an attempt to reconcile with his father. “It was too much these words, and what connected to them” (pp.13).
how much of a man he was. After he hit his father, he felt a sense of pride as if he won a prize of some sort. The act was more selfish than selfless being that he was not thanked for it. After the incident, he looks at his sisters for validation for his actions but he has never seen the difference between them or separate the roles of them from their mother. His misogynistic views are passed down from his father and this is due to his immaturity and lack of exposure to the independent world.