Interesting earmark I want to record here for connection to my previous post about Zeitoun by Dave Eggers:
"For like other peoples around the world, Americans need heroes...Most of us tend to think well of ourselves when we have acted as we imagine our heroes might have done. Who our heroes are and whether they are presented in a way that makes them lifelike, hence usable as role models, could have a significant bearing on our conduct in the world." -James W. Loewen, Lies My Teacher Told Me, p. 30
This makes me think that my desire for Dave Eggers' portrayal of Zeitoun to be true, and for the context following the story to not be true, is perhaps rooted in how my upbringing and education have conditioned me to think - that heroes are required. Loewen reminded me that even the "heroes" of American history are more often ideals and not true to life. Every one of those "heroes" had flaws (Jefferson had slaves, Wilson was a white supremacist, Revere likely didn't do anything...)...but their accomplishments have been added to the cannon of American mythology and those flaws veiled or overlooked. Why? To influence. To make us seem better than we are and to strive for higher expectations.
But we can't forget the past, and we have to accept the whole story in order to truly learn and to become better. So maybe, while Zeitoun taught me about resilience, family and perseverance - the aftermath may teach me about mental illness, family dysfunction, and the both the implications of and lessons for government policy.
That's deep. And it isn't easy.
But wow - look what reading just made me do, and it's even past my bedtime.
Goodnight.
~MJ
No comments:
Post a Comment