An Enthralling must read!
"The Illegal is not just Keita's story, it's the story of all people."
-Clara Hughes
Thursday, 21 July 2016
My Narrative Essay
Lara Connell
Mr C. Conway
ENG4U-01
July 21, 2016
Refugees on The Run
Your joints
scream out in pain as they ache to keep your body upright. Pure exhaustion
begins to take over your body, as you struggle to keep one foot in front of the
other. The pulsing thud of your overworked heart fills your ears as your pulmonary
valve rushes to supply your blood with the oxygen it craves. You begin to thirst,
and your eyes begin to darken. Every movement you take pains you. You wonder
why you are doing this, subjecting your body and mind to such excruciating pain
and turmoil. You tell yourself you must
keep going, there is no other viable option. Everything depends on this…
For me, this is
a story of my experience with running. I am no elite marathoner, nor have I
ever even been on my schools track and field team. In my earlier childhood
however, and still occasionally, I will take a run.
I immediately regret
it. For me, running is rarely enjoyable. Denying your body of oxygen, to the
point that breathing becomes difficult and makes continual movement even more difficult
is not my idea of enjoyment. Even the aftermath is filled with torture, as your
muscles tighten and your limbs begin to feel heavy. In all fairness, this torture
is self inflicted. I could choose to be a healthier, active teenager. Yet I
choose not to. Unfortunately for some people, this activity is not a choice.
For over 60
million refugees worldwide, they must run. Run from government and groups that are
willing to take their lives and everything they own. Run from the continual
mass shootings and bombs that litter their lives and countries, destroying
everything in its wake. For most refugees they must run away from the basis of
their entire lives, taking only the clothes on their back with them.
As privileged
Canadians this is hard to imagine. Close you eyes for a second, and imagine
that by luck of the draw you had not in fact been born in a peaceful, privileged
society such as Canada. You were born instead in an eastern country such as
Syria. In your earlier years, you become accustomed to ordinary life; the
routines, vast family members and the neighbourhood in which you live becomes
home. Yet one day, your entire life takes a turn for the worst as the periodic
build up of tension in your country bursts; with it coming unspeakable violence
and horrors. Suddenly everything you know and love is at risk. Chaos and confusion
fill the streets of the country that you call home. You pinch yourself, drawing
scarlet red blood. This cannot possibly be real. It’s a product of your childhood
imagination, a terrible, terrible dream that conflicts with all your dreams of
reality. But the nature of crisis quickly becomes reality, settling on the
lives of those it affects like a suffocating black sheet. Your rights, freedom,
feeling of safety, and material possessions are slowly being denied of you.
Yet even as you
try to escape your country which has now become as cold and foreign as a
stranger; you come to the harsh realization that the rest of the world is not
eager to come to your aide. Suddenly you feel like a small ant dying under the
glare of a reflected microscope, struggling to survive in your own habitat
being targeted by those who hold higher positions. You have no options, no
where to turn. So you must run.
Running in of
itself, is an art. It requires high levels of endurance, both physically and
mentally. Some people, such as myself, have never quite mastered that art due
to the lack of necessity. Why run when you can drive a car, or ride the public
transit? Refugees do not have that privilege. And while most of them are not
physically running, the trials and tribulations that they face can be metaphorically
represented through the image of writing running. Much alike to the endurance
required while running in the endurance of refugees. They undergo such extreme levels
of loss. More impactful however is their loss of lifestyle. They are forced out
of their own countries, naked and naïve to the ways of foreign countries. They
must endure the unsanitary conditions of the refugee camps, and are often
inflicted with disease and malnutrition. If they are lucky they may be granted
refugee status in a developed country. Yet this too takes time, much like a
marathon does. Each step has purpose; you will never finish the race by
cheating. Marathons are individual sports; you only have to worry about yourself.
Yet with refugees, they carry the weight of family members on their shoulders
and for some they cannot bring their relatives with them. Similar to running,
refugees must adapt to their surroundings and test their moral strength. Like a
runner, they must carry on.
As a run, I
reflect on a variety of things. Mostly the extent of my hatred for the
activity. Yet I will now reflect with thoughts of gratitude and appreciation for
the country I live in. For all the personal struggles we face collectively as a
society, none can compare to the baggage that refugees carry. As a society, we
must welcome refugees to our country like marathoners passing the finish line.
At long last, they have finished the race, a feat deserving of respect.
More about the Author-Lawrence Hill
"To gaze into another persons face is to do two things: to recognize their humanity and to assert your own."
-Lawrence Hill
Being the son of mixed race parents, Hill grew up surrounded by his parents work in the human rights movement. This has been reflected in his writing, as he focus' advocates for human rights.
He is the author of ten novels including Black Berry, Sweet Juice, The Illegal, and perhaps most notably, The Book of Negroes. He has won multiple awards including the Commonwealth Writers Prize for the best book, and was inducted into the Canadian Hall of fame.
He is currently working on a children's book and co-writing a mini series adaption based on his current novel, The Illegal. He is also a professor for creative writing at the university of Guelph.
For more information visit his website : http://www.lawrencehill.com/
Watch Lawrence Hill discuss his new novel, and where he found his inspiration to write it.
Works Cited:
http://www.lawrencehill.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Hill#Academic_awards_and_honours
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/20411.Lawrence_Hill
Concept Map for The Illegal-Refugees
Concept Map of exploring the term Refugee
in two different scans due to the size, both of them have different sides slightly cut off; in order to see the missing words look to the other scan
Portfolio Plan
Surprisingly, this blog post is perhaps one of the most exciting because through it I will map out the various aspects of my final project which is a media portfolio reflection of the novel The Illegal. I feel similar to how Keita would feel running his marathons; one step at a time brings me closer to the finish line.
There are many fabulous options for this portfolio, but I have decided to complete the following: a narrative essay, concept map, blog post, and a short google slides presentation.
Thesis Statement: Through a reader response perspective of the novel The Illegal by Lawrence Hill, readers gain a stronger empathetic understanding of the plight of refugees and those who live on the borders of society.
One of the major topics in the novel revolves around the moral topic of refugees. Another theme in the novel is Keita's running. As such, for my essay I want to link the story of refugees-their struggles and tribulations- to the aspects of running. How the endurance and hardships that come with running can be applied to the story of various refugees.
Concept Map
This concept map will take a closer look at the terms and ideas that are associated with refugees with respect to Keita. It will compare and contrast tolerance and intolerance.
Blog Post
My blog has already been set up for this unit, so please feel free to read my other post on my analysis of the novel from various literary perspectives.
All portfolio submissions will be made on this blog site, so if you would like to follow, please feel free to do so!
Archetypes-The Most Insightful Theory
"All the most powerful ideas in history go back to archetypes."
-Carl Jung
What makes a literary theory effective?
By now, we have all become familiar with the various literary theories; reader response, archetypal, post-colonial, and feminist. Yet each time we have used them it has been because we were instructed to do so. It certainly makes things much easier for us doesn't it? So when faced with this final question, I had to put quite a bit of thought into it. After all, which theory had provided the most insight for me as a reader? My initial thought was that they had all contributed equally to my understanding, which is partly true. They certainly all helped me to take an even closer look into the underlining message of the novel. In order to discover which theory influenced me the most, I had to ask myself this question; What did I take away from the novel? At the end of the day, what message spoke to me the most. Once I discovered that, it only meant I had to determine the method by which that message was communicated to me.
For me, the illegal wasn't about the various characters trials and tribulations. It was the larger picture, that every person has their own story. That maybe rather than being quick to accuse, we should show empathy and love towards others. This book is special because it draws attention to the plight of refugees and those who live under the rule of communist and totalitarian power. Lawrence Hill effectively draws the readers in so that by the end they feel as though they to have gone experienced the characters journeys with them. This feeling can be achieved through understanding the archetypes of the various characters. After all, it is only through understanding these archetypes can we fully comprehend the meaning of the story.
Lawrence Hill does not simply create a boring atmosphere to draw attention to major issues, rather he creates characters and situations that readers can ultimately connect to on a personal level. Take the archetype of Keita for example; the hero. He is not a hero that can defy gravity or win whole wars. He is a hero for his simple humbleness of heart and unselfish nature. He constantly puts other before himself, such as his sister who he prioritizes over his own life. In this way, the author has constructed a hero that readers can easily immediate. In a selfish, greedy society there is no doubt that we desperately need people like Keita, who are so willing to seek justice. Or women like Viola Hill, the rebel, who is willing to expose the dishonesty of government officials and the injustices across the world. Or simple kindness such as displayed by Ivernia, the caregiver and mentor. Being able to simply open your heart and home to someone in need is an amazing quality.
Through analyzing the characters from an archetypal perspective I was able to delve deeper into the real message of the novel, and gain a better understanding of the nature of humanity as a whole. It is the actions and qualities of the characters that bring the book to life, and connect with readers on a personal level.
If you want to experience what I am talking about...read the Illegal. You won't regret it!
Feminism in the Illegal?
Let me be the first to tell you, I do not consider myself a feminist. In fact, the very word makes me squirm. Don't get me wrong, I believe women should be respected, and be viewed equally in terms of their humanity. Yet it is plain ignorance to claim that men and women can be equal in all things; because we can't. The simple fact is, men and women are different. That does not mean that we cannot exist in harmony with one another.
Thankfully, it is not required to be a modern feminist in order to analyze a piece of literature from a feminist perspective. In fact, modern feminists would do well to adopt the main theory of feminist criticism. It simply analyzes and passes judgement on the way in which females in the literary society are portrayed.
Feminist Perspective in the novel, The Illegal
I chose to analyze the last third of my novel from a feminist perspective because of The Illegals diversity of female characters. Not only are there a significant amount of female characters, they all highlight different aspects of females positions in the novel. The author himself and main character Keita hold women in the highest respect, yet it is the society itself that imposes negative views on these women. Essentially, this novel's time period is very similar to ours now, therefore the struggles faced by women are alike to the struggles in our society. This negative view does did not impact me as a reader, in fact in only reinforced the importance of women's roles in society.
Viola Hill
Viola is perhaps the feminist of her time. This unfortunately led to my personal difficulty connecting with her character, yet I firmly believe that she added diversity to the novel. Viola is a hard working journalist trying to prove herself in the journalism world. Her main goal throughout the novel is to discover a ground breaking news story that will get her promoted from sports reporter to a news reporter. At this point, I can guarantee that Viola is nothing like the way you are imagining of her. She is a bald, african american who travels by wheelchair due to the absence of her legs that she lost when she was run over by a truck that killed her mother and almost ended her own life. Viola also identifies as a lesbian, which is not further referenced throughout the rest of the novel. As you can see, Viola is rather badass. She knows what she wants, and she is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. This is evidenced when she voluntarily puts her life on the line to travel to Zantoroland in order to discover the truth behind the corruption of the government.There she finds another powerful female, Keita's sister, Charity. Charity is an advocate for women struggling to prove themselves equal to men in intellectual ability. Even as she is sentenced to death, Viola is not sorry because she knows that the truth needs to be found. Viola understands that as a black women she must work even harder to get what she wants. In this way, Viola is a representation of the ambitious, courageous women in our society.
Ivernia Beech
Ivernia is the most subtle of the female characters in the novel, yet for Keita's journey she is perhaps the most significant. Ivernia provides Keita's with support and financial aid in a time where it is illegal to do so. As a legal, white, elderly citizen she knows she must do something to help the illegal, oppressed citizens of her society. Quite personally, her courage and virtues reminded me slightly of those who hid Jews during the holocaust. Repeatedly she puts her own safety and comfort on the line in order help another fellow human being. Ivernia serves as encouragement to women that no matter what your age or level of independence, it is never to late to exercise your power as a female.
Candace
Candace is a African american women who has overcome her childhood circumstances to become quite successful as a police officer. She becomes romantically involved with Ketia, which emphasizes that women can be in relationships and have careers as well. Candace's character is an example to women that you can be feminine and beautiful and be taken seriously by men though hard work.
Lula Destefano and Prostitutes
Lula Destefano has both negative and positive attributes as a female character. She is powerful and doesn't take anything from anybody. She helps those in need, all the while building a safe community for illegals and blacks. Yet Lula encourages the degrading of women through her Bombay Booty which is a prostitute house. This is actually a large focus in the novel, especially after one of the young prostitutes is deported and killed. Many scenes focus on the mental and physical abuse of these women. The sad part is that these women are being manipulated, and work only so that they can have enough money to survive. This element of the novel highlights the sexist view that women can be used and treated as sexual objects, which Lawrence Hill clearly objects to.
In our society and in the novel, both men and women play a key role. Yet it is mostly through the courage of the female characters that justice wins in the end. So follow the examples of these fictional women as your role models girls, and not those women that protest shirtless. You do not have to be topless to have your voices heard.
For additional reading on the history of women rights in our society visit:
http://www.nwhp.org/resources/womens-rights-movement/history-of-the-womens-rights-movement/
Wednesday, 20 July 2016
An Archetypal Perspective of The Illegal
Archetypes
The hero, the trickster, and the wise old man; the majority of literature is richly filled with these archetypes. Some archetypes represent characters that each of us aspire to be; brave, honest, and liked by all. Yet others speak to readers on a personal level because, at their core, they contain both the good and the bad qualities that are innately inside of all of us. A basic understanding and analysis of these archetypes is useful when trying to understand key concepts in a novel.
The Illegal is a novel filled to the brim with various characters. In fact, some critics have said that the amount of different characters is overwhelming and takes away from the message of the novel at times. The novel alternates between Keita Ali, Violet Hill, Ivernia Beech, Rocco Calder, Anton Hamm, and John Falconer. But do not jump to conclusions that the critics are correct. Because I tend to disagree. Each of these characters and many others contribute a unique perspective and overall increase the interest of the novel.
Plot Overview
Ironically the second third of the book begins with the exact same scenario as the prologue does, with Keita running in the Buttersby Marathon where he passes the racist runner. He eventually wins the marathon, yet it is due to necessity as he needs the prize money to stay alive. Yet he risks uncovering he illegal identity when he is publicized as the runner in the marathon. The journalist Viola Hill is persistent in her quest to discover his true identity. Keita quickly become discovered by his previous agent, Anton Hamm who becomes violent insisting that Keita owes him money; luckily the race directer intervenes and helps Keita. A turn of events occurs as Keita is notified of his sister arrest and confinement and he is told that he must pay a large sum of money in order to grant her release. The head of Afric town, Lula DeStenfano, then offers Keita protection, yet he later finds refuge at the home of a senior, Ivernia Beech. With the help of Ivernia and many other's Keita begins to find a place of belonging and hope, yet he is still burdened with the stress of ensuring he is not deported in order for him to collect enough money to save his sister.
Keita's Archetypal journey
Lawrence Hill's use of the archetypal plot helped me as a reader to better connect with the story. Keita undergoes a harsh journey from comfort and peace in his homeland, to loss of family and everything he is familiar with. Everyday is a constant struggle for him to survive in a country that does not welcome his existence. Yet as a reader I am familiar with the typical archetypal plot so I am confident that by the end of the novel, Keita will finally obtain the life of peace that he deserves. Keita is similar to other famous archetypal heroes like Frodo from Lord of the Rings and Superman because he represents goodness and the struggle these heroes must endure in order for justice to prevail. Yet more importantly is Keita's differences from these heroes. His struggles may be fictional, but they are real on so many levels. The racism he endures, and the prejudice against refugees speaks louder than most archetypal heroes are able to.
Other characters in the novel also created a sense of deja vu, as they follow a similar pattern of the twelve common archetypes. Ivernia's character is a reflection of the mother and mentor. She is probably most accurately connected to the fairy godmother in the fairy-tale Cinderella. Due to her age, Ivernia provides worldly wisdom and comfort to Keita, and provides him with safety. The perhaps unrealistic student genius, John Falconer, combines both the jester archetype and the sage with his intelligence and wit. The archetype of the villain is represented through a variety of charters from the tyrannical government officials, George Maxwell and Graeme Wellington to the Queen of Afric town-Lula DeStefano.
So in conclusion, don't narrow your reading scope by becoming overly focused on the variety of characters. After all, it is only thorugh this variety that Lawence Hill is able to connect to such a wide audience; by demonstating the various aspects of humanity through these characters.
For additional information on archetypal literary criticism visit :
http://www.soulcraft.co/essays/the_12_common_archetypes.html
https://blog.udemy.com/archetypal-characters/
Tuesday, 19 July 2016
The Illegal-First Impression, thoughts and feelings
"Lawrence Hill manages to that rare feat--a political thriller that never loses its heart. Keita's story will entrance you, enrage you, and finally make you want to reach right through the page and hug him. With skill and grace, Hill reminds us of our interconnected-ness with displace people around the world. This is a book about the liberating power of compassion. Don't miss it."
-Dolen Perkins-Valdez
bestselling author of Wench and Balm
One day, a couple of weeks ago, I was pushing through the masses of customers lined up for samples in order to reach my favorite section at Costco; the book section. I became quickly excited at the sight of a book written by an author I actually recognized, Lawrence Hill. For those who are unaware, he is the genius behind the literary work of art, The Book of Negroes. The book of Negroes was such and emotionally enthralling and captivating novel that I knew I must give his new novel a read.
The novel begins with an intriguing scene with the protagonist, Keita, running in a race some years in the future. This is perhaps unsurprising to the reader as the cover page itself indicates that running will be a key theme throughout the novel. This scene is especially important as it highlights right from the beginning another key theme and that is racism. It is important to point out here that Keita is 'Zantorolander' which would be the equivalent to an African American in today's society. Another runner, a white male, harasses Keita as he runs, shouting harsh things at him such as "Gonna kick your ass, nigger." (Hill-4) From this, it is clear that the rest of the novel will involve racial tensions.
Plot Overview
The first chapter begins innocently, describing Keita as a child, rebelliously wearing his running shoes at times which he should not. Yet this innocent tone quickly changes as Keita witnesses the Deacon of his church brutally murdered by extremists who hate the Faloo tribe in which Keita and his family belong. From there, Keita's life slowly takes a turn for the worst. Of course there is still the nice family scenes; Keita's father Yoyo writing his pieces for newspapers, Keita dreaming of running, and the banter between Keita and his older sister Charity. Political tensions increase as the president is killed and a violent government comes into control. Keita's mother dies of a sudden heart attack, and his family begins to be targeted for his fathers controversial journalism. As a reader, I can make clear parallels between the events of this fictional country and countries throughout history, for example the Soviet Union of the Nazi regime. Charity travels to america to study at Harvard, and Keita is left to care for his aging father. But Keita's father is persistent in his efforts to expose the government, which results in his murder. In his desperation to escape his own murder, Keita signs on with a running agent who will secure him a temporary visa so that he can run marathons in Freedom State. Although this is not the best decision, it is the only way Keita can escape the country. Once in the country, Keita escapes from Hamm and wanders alone as an illegal. If he is caught, he will be arrested and deported. The second part of the novel introduces a new point of view from a black, paraplegic journalist, and we are introduced to the child genius John Falconer who is also black. The the character of Ivernia Beech's point of view is introduced, a old women being evaluated after she ran into another vehicle. After winning an essay contest, John begins to film a documentary on the slums of Afric Town, a community of black citizens and illegals.
Reflection
The first half of the novel is so enticing because every chapter and perspective reveals new details that add to the ongoing mystery and plot. It seems clear that Keita's illegal presence in Freedom State will be discovered at some point, because of the continual focus on it. At this point in the novel it is not clear the exact importance of each narrative which adds to the suspense of the novel. There is however clarity in the imitation of the states through freedom state. The racial tensions and violence that it results in is a direct parallel of the racial tension in the states, yet African Americans in the states are actually legal citizens. Also, the negative attitude towards immigrants and refugees is also reflective upon our current society. I think that this connection has helped me to better understand the meaning of the text so far and has deepened my empathy towards refugees.The author uses words and situations that help me to visualize and comprehend what is occurring, especially through the different perspectives.
Overall thoughts
If this wasn't already a mandatory read, I would most definitely continue reading this book. It's direct comparison to our society has both strengthened my morals and helped me gain a better empathetic understanding towards those who have suffered and lost their homes. So far, this novel has been worth every penny of the $14.69 I made my mother pay for it;)
For more information and reviews on The Illegal visit : http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25622897-the-illegal
Tags: lawrence hill, the illegal, immigration, racism, running, award winning
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