Another Father-Figure is Gone

Choose three Quotes
1. “We share in the sorrow as people weep and suffer in America today,” (Abbas 257)

Abbas to the crowd at the inaugural of the school.
2. “Thinking back on all of it,” McCown says, “no one in Pakistan was anything but wonderful to us. I was so worried about what might happen to me in this, quote, scary Islamic country. But nothing did. The bad part came only where after I left” (259)

3. “One day soon, you’re going to come here looking for me and find me planted in the
ground, too,” (Ali 259) Ali to Mortenson

Theme Pattern that I am Tracing

Well, first of, there are two themes that are really interesting to me. Mainly, I’ve chosen to pursue Mortenson’s attachment to father-like figures ( Hoerni & Ali )and vice-versa. As we continue our reading we now see that Haji Ali has passed away too. For me, it’s like they were brought into each other’s life at such a time that the each other needed the other person and when they both learned invaluable lesson from each other and the older men passed on their wisdom than they each passed away. Looking back on what I’ve read so far about these relationships, there was so much respect, almost like a son honoring his father, looking for the approval.

The other theme I’m hoping to explore more deeply is Mortenson and education. Here’s my link.
I read quite often where men will travel far distances to be able to ask Mortenson to come to their villages and build a school for them. He somehow manages to visit their villages usually on another trip and lets them know that the funds need to be approved for a school site before he can get a school built. I need to reread some earlier pages and find out if Mortenson was able to build a school in every village that asked him too. Hmm maybe the answer will come in the later chapters?

Explain what the quotes mean to me

1. “We share in the sorrow as people weep and suffer in America today,” (Abbas 257)
This was just an emotional moment for me alongside other quotes and paragraph from the same page. As a whole while reading page 257, I had to stop and just think about the words, the meanings and to once again look over the other passages because these people, have it all. Sure they don’t have all the comforts at their fingertips but they have something more.
2. “Thinking back on all of it,” McCown says, “no one in Pakistan was anything but wonderful to us. I was so worried about what might happen to me in this, quote, scary Islamic country. But nothing did. The bad part came only where after I left” (259)
This quote is ironic. McCown, got airline-food related sickness, after he left Pakistan. McCown was so eager to leave Pakistan, probably fearing for his life because of the terrorist attack on
9/11, I really don’t blame him for wanting to leave and get him and his family back to the U.S, more than likely what I would have done too.
3. “One day soon, you’re going to come here looking for me and find me planted in the ground, too,” (Ali 259) Ali to Mortenson
Mortenson did return to find Ali buried not to far from the school that was built. Mortenson always made his pilgrimage to Korphe when he went to Pakistan. We’re not going to always be around and Ali knew it would be soon. To me, reading a line like that, tells me the person saying it is at peace.




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