Malaria:
"a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die. In 2010, an estimated 216 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 655,000 people died, most (91%) in the African Region"(Webmd.com). Interestingly, this makes the mosquito the world's deadliest animal. The quinine Mattie suggests is a common preventative medication for the disease.
"If you don't have schooling you are up against it in the country..." (84). Rooster is describing the difficulty people like him have in the world. Do you agree that the lack of education puts people in much more difficult circumstances?
The confrontation between Mattie and Rooster about whether or not she will go along on the hunt for Tom Chaney includes the famous lines, "I aim to get Tom Chaney and if you are not game I will find somebody who is game. All I have heard so far is talk. I know you can drink whiskey and I have seen you kill a gray rat. All the rest has been talk. They told me you had grit and that is why I came to you. I am not paying for talk" (87). Does she have some of the "grit" she is looking for in Rooster?
Think about Rooster and LaBoeuf's attempt to rid themselves of Mattie. What do they learn about her from her persistence? Does she earn their respect?
DTD
Ask your parents about the value of persistence. What are the experiences in their lives that have taught them about maintaining effort in a difficult situation.
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ReplyDeleteRooster hits the nail right on the head when he states that "If you don't have schooling you are up against it in the country..." (84). Education and the desire to learn although not absolutely necessary - especially in today's world when a college degree doesn't hold as much value as it once did, and many jobs don't require much education - pursuing any sort of education allows people to open countless doors that they could not even fathom approaching if they neglected being educated. Although there are opportunities of "making it" without education, there are many more stories of poverty than of success from people who do not embrace the privilege to learn. Education does not guarantee a million dollar pay check, but those who seek to be educated are often able to find good jobs, and ultimately, if they wish, are able to support a family, pay off loans, and buy a home and car. That is not to say that those who do not have a chance to get educated are automatically doomed into a life of unhappiness and lack of prosperity, but with education, humans are really able to find their passion, learn how to master it, and ultimately embrace it in whatever way they choose - through business, law, social work, health services, teaching, music, performance art, agriculture, engineering, beauty, or fashion. Ultimately, the knowledge that education provides people with gives them the upper hand in the job process - which although seemingly only one part of their life, usually affects family, economic, moral, and health dynamics as well.
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