"Todd was arguing with his interrogators. Zeitoun could hear occasional bursts as the questioning at the Amtrak dest continued. Todd was hotheaded on a normal day, so it didn't suprise Zeitoun that he was agitated during the processing.
'Are we going to get a phone call?' Todd asked.
'No,' the officer said.
'You have to give us a phone call.'
There was no answer.
Todd raised his voice, rolled his eyes, The soldiers around him stood closer, barking admonitions and threats back at him.
'Why are we here?' he asked a passing soldier.
'You guys are al Qaeda,' the soldier said.
Todd laughed derisively, but Zeitoun was startled. He could not have heard right" (212).
Monday, May 16, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Zeitoun Foundation Links
These are the websites of the Zeitoun Foundation and the foundations that they benefit...
http://www.zeitounfoundation.org/
http://www.msanational.org/
http://www.savewesleyunited.org/
http:/www.jeremiahgroup.org/
http://www.thejusticecenter.org/lcac
http://www.meenamag.com/
http://www.masnet.org/
http://www.ny2no.net/theporch
http://www.thegreenproject.org/
http://www.ccano.org/
http://www.irw.org/
http://www.theneworleansinstitute.org/
http://thelensnola.org/
http://www.ip-no.org/
http://www.nocca.com/
http://www.neighborhoodstoryproject.org/
http://www.rtno.org/
http://www.voiceofwitness.com/
http://www.zeitounfoundation.org/
http://www.msanational.org/
http://www.savewesleyunited.org/
http:/www.jeremiahgroup.org/
http://www.thejusticecenter.org/lcac
http://www.meenamag.com/
http://www.masnet.org/
http://www.ny2no.net/theporch
http://www.thegreenproject.org/
http://www.ccano.org/
http://www.irw.org/
http://www.theneworleansinstitute.org/
http://thelensnola.org/
http://www.ip-no.org/
http://www.nocca.com/
http://www.neighborhoodstoryproject.org/
http://www.rtno.org/
http://www.voiceofwitness.com/
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Devistating Effects
This picture sums up how urgent things actually were after Hurricane Katrina, people forced to their roofs, with very little supplies, action needed to be taken. The only question is, was it the right action?
More Links
The report of a crashed helicopter, much like the one Zeitoun found while helping his friend.
Details on the looting that took place after Hurricane Katrina.
Some general facts and numbers relating to the storm.
The National Guard's account of how they helped with the relief effort.
Stories of one man rescuing over 400 people in a borrowed boat.
Details on the looting that took place after Hurricane Katrina.
Some general facts and numbers relating to the storm.
The National Guard's account of how they helped with the relief effort.
Stories of one man rescuing over 400 people in a borrowed boat.
Hunt Correctional
This is a picture of the outside of the Hunt Correctional Facility, which is the prison that Zeitoun was moved to after his stay at Camp Greyhound.
The NO Union Passenger Terminal
This is the outside of the NO Passager Terminal before it was turned into the infamous Camp Greyhound, where "looters" were kept after Hurricane Katrina.
Salaat
This is a picture of a group of Islamic people performing salaat, which is the same prayer that Zeitoun did while he was incarcerated at Camp Greyhound.
More Pictures
A crashed helicopter like the one Zeitoun found while trying to help his friend evacuate.
As the city fell into chaos, looters began stealing from houses. This image shows some residents' attempt to repel the criminals.
This image shows residents of New Orleans seeking shelter in the Superdome.
This image shows how polluted the flood water became. Here, it is clear that the water is full of oil.
This is a picture of Hurricane Katrina over New Orleans to show just how huge the storm was.
Camp Greyhound
This is a picture of "prisoners" being processed at the same prison that Zeitoun was processed at, Camp Greyhound.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
More Links
Naval response for Hurricane Katrina relief.
Details on the outdoor prison Zeitoun was held in here
Details on temporary housing for evacuees here
The story of the evacuation of the Superdome
The general impact of Hurricane Katrina
Details on the outdoor prison Zeitoun was held in here
Details on temporary housing for evacuees here
The story of the evacuation of the Superdome
The general impact of Hurricane Katrina
Character Purpose
Zeitoun: The protagonist, contractor and painter, during the aftermath of the storm he stayed behind and helped people who were stranded. He was arrested for looting, and was suspected of being Taliban. He is mistreated in prison by the guards because they think he is Taliban. His story is what the novel was written about.
Kathy: Is Zeitoun's wife, leaves New Orleans before the storm hits, and urges Zeitoun to do the same. She is southern born, but converted to Islamic, and is now devoted. She serves as a worried wife because there are weeks at a time where she hears nothing from Zeitoun and she believes that he is dead.
Ahmad: Is Zeitoun's brother. Zeitoun does not want Ahmed to learn of his time in prison because he is ashamed of what is done to him. Ahmed serves as a connection between the United States and Israel, relaying news about Zeitoun to the rest of their family.
Yuko: Yuko is Kathy's best friend. She serves as a sort of sanity to Kathy, and offers Kathy a place to stay after Kathy cannot take her overwhelming family anymore. Yuko is very kind, and plays an important role of offering Kathy a place to stay, a safe haven from insanity.
Nasser: Nasser is a friend of Zeitoun's. He acts as a sense of sanity for Zeitoun when they are in prison. He is put in prison because he has a big bag of money when the police enter his house, only because he does not trust American banks and keeps all of his life savings in cash. They also accuse Nasser of being a terrorist. When these men were in prison together they spent a good deal of time praying, despite the ugly looks from the guards.
Jerry: Jerry acts as a sort of antagonist to the men in the jail cell. He serves as a spy for the police, he is trying to find out if Nasser and Zeitoun are actually terrorists. He adds a sense of mystery into the novel.
Todd: Todd was in the jail cell with Zeitoun, Nasser and Ronnie. He served as a filler character, and his purpose was just to make the story make sense so Zeitoun wouldn't be alone in the jail cell.
Ronnie: Ronnie was also in the jail cell with the four other guys, Todd, Zeitoun, Nasser and Jerry. He helped to make the story make sense, he also tries to expose Jerry for the spy that he is, although Zeitoun does not believe him at first.
Kathy: Is Zeitoun's wife, leaves New Orleans before the storm hits, and urges Zeitoun to do the same. She is southern born, but converted to Islamic, and is now devoted. She serves as a worried wife because there are weeks at a time where she hears nothing from Zeitoun and she believes that he is dead.
Ahmad: Is Zeitoun's brother. Zeitoun does not want Ahmed to learn of his time in prison because he is ashamed of what is done to him. Ahmed serves as a connection between the United States and Israel, relaying news about Zeitoun to the rest of their family.
Yuko: Yuko is Kathy's best friend. She serves as a sort of sanity to Kathy, and offers Kathy a place to stay after Kathy cannot take her overwhelming family anymore. Yuko is very kind, and plays an important role of offering Kathy a place to stay, a safe haven from insanity.
Nasser: Nasser is a friend of Zeitoun's. He acts as a sense of sanity for Zeitoun when they are in prison. He is put in prison because he has a big bag of money when the police enter his house, only because he does not trust American banks and keeps all of his life savings in cash. They also accuse Nasser of being a terrorist. When these men were in prison together they spent a good deal of time praying, despite the ugly looks from the guards.
Jerry: Jerry acts as a sort of antagonist to the men in the jail cell. He serves as a spy for the police, he is trying to find out if Nasser and Zeitoun are actually terrorists. He adds a sense of mystery into the novel.
Todd: Todd was in the jail cell with Zeitoun, Nasser and Ronnie. He served as a filler character, and his purpose was just to make the story make sense so Zeitoun wouldn't be alone in the jail cell.
Ronnie: Ronnie was also in the jail cell with the four other guys, Todd, Zeitoun, Nasser and Jerry. He helped to make the story make sense, he also tries to expose Jerry for the spy that he is, although Zeitoun does not believe him at first.
Even more Links
New Orleans is still a popular travel spot after the storm. Zeitoun had a hand in rebuilding this fabulous city.
Yuko lives in Phoenix with her family and houses the Zeitoun's until they are ready to face New Orleans. Phoenix is a very buzzing city.
After the disaster FEMA offers help to the Zeitoun family and many other needy families, however the methods of help are flawed and they may do more harm than good. These people were almost forced on the streets due to FEMA's neglect.
Zeitoun was not the only one left to be mistreated in Hunt Correctional Facility and other jails.
Yuko lives in Phoenix with her family and houses the Zeitoun's until they are ready to face New Orleans. Phoenix is a very buzzing city.
After the disaster FEMA offers help to the Zeitoun family and many other needy families, however the methods of help are flawed and they may do more harm than good. These people were almost forced on the streets due to FEMA's neglect.
Zeitoun was not the only one left to be mistreated in Hunt Correctional Facility and other jails.
The whole city was distraught and under water after Hurricane Katrina.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Literary Devices
Allegory-By showing the mistreatment of the prisoners Egger's acts as an allegory and slows down the speed of the story to describe how the victims treatment should change.
"'If you touch the fence I'll fuck you up!'"(220)..."Chain-link fences, topped by razor wire, had been erected into a long, sixteen-foot-high cage extending about a hundred yards into the lot. Above the cage was a roof, a freestanding shelter like those at gas stations. The barbed wire extended to meet it."(218)..."A few feet a way, they dropped him on the pavement, and with the help of two more guards, they tied his hands and feet with plastic hand-cuffs. He did not resist."(233)
Dramatic Irony- Zeitoun did not know that the levee's would break. The reader did making the scene fairly predictable yet scary. "He sat up up and looked down through the window that faced the backyard. He saw the water, a wide sea of it. It was coming from the north. It flowed into the yard, under the house, rising quickly.
Ethos-The ethos (projected character) of Zeitoun shows how his own personal morals are outweighing the dangers that he is facing. Though there is no one quote to pin this to Zeitoun the fact that he satays to feed dogs and save people show the ethos that he poseeses. (Noun: The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as seen in its beliefs and aspirations)
Motif- The idea of discrimination(mainly Muslim) is a motif throughout the creative novel. "Zeitoun had long feared this day would come. Each of the few times he had been pulled over for a traffic violation, he knew the possibility he had been pulled over for a traffic violation , he knew the possibility existed that he would be harassesd, misunderstood, suspected of shadowy dealings that might bloom in the imagination of any given police officer. After 9/11 he and Kathy knew that many imaginations had rum amok."(212)
Climax- The Climax of Zeitoun is when the police officers enter the house and arrest Zeitoun.
“‘I live here,’ Todd said. ‘I have proof. It’s inside the house.’ ‘Get in the boat,’ the officer said” (207). This quote shows the scene where the officers cam in and arrested the men, despite the fact that these men are doing nothing wrong, they are in their own homes.
Simile- A simile used by Dave Eggers is, “Ahmed and Abdulahman built more homes for them,until they had assembled complex that looked not unlike the stone and adobe structures in their neighborhood, homes stacked upon each other, rising up from the ocean, interlocking like a crude Mosaic” (161).
Metaphor- A metaphor in the novel is “They Repeated Mayor Nagin’s assertion that the city had devolved into an ‘animalistic state’” (183). This is a metaphor because they compare a city to a animal.
Tone- The tone of this novel is very sad. Kathy is a good example of the tone because she is sad for a good portion of the story because she is afraid that she has lost her husband. A quote to show this is “twenty-five thousand body bags have been brought into the area, they noted” (183).
Imagery:
“the water, now green-grey and streaked everywhere with oil. It smelled dirtier every day, a wretched mélange of fish and mud and chemicals.”
“The sky was muddy, the wind cool.”
Symbolism:
“There were three horses, chewing happily. They were free, with no riders or saddles.”
The horses are symbolic of the normality of life that exists in some places despite wide-spread destruction and confusion.
Alliteration: “happy to help”
“blue blouse”
“to talk to Todd”
Circumlocution: Wednesday September 7th - Saturday September 17th could have been cut down to one chapter of Kathy worrying.
"'If you touch the fence I'll fuck you up!'"(220)..."Chain-link fences, topped by razor wire, had been erected into a long, sixteen-foot-high cage extending about a hundred yards into the lot. Above the cage was a roof, a freestanding shelter like those at gas stations. The barbed wire extended to meet it."(218)..."A few feet a way, they dropped him on the pavement, and with the help of two more guards, they tied his hands and feet with plastic hand-cuffs. He did not resist."(233)
Dramatic Irony- Zeitoun did not know that the levee's would break. The reader did making the scene fairly predictable yet scary. "He sat up up and looked down through the window that faced the backyard. He saw the water, a wide sea of it. It was coming from the north. It flowed into the yard, under the house, rising quickly.
Ethos-The ethos (projected character) of Zeitoun shows how his own personal morals are outweighing the dangers that he is facing. Though there is no one quote to pin this to Zeitoun the fact that he satays to feed dogs and save people show the ethos that he poseeses. (Noun: The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as seen in its beliefs and aspirations)
Motif- The idea of discrimination(mainly Muslim) is a motif throughout the creative novel. "Zeitoun had long feared this day would come. Each of the few times he had been pulled over for a traffic violation, he knew the possibility he had been pulled over for a traffic violation , he knew the possibility existed that he would be harassesd, misunderstood, suspected of shadowy dealings that might bloom in the imagination of any given police officer. After 9/11 he and Kathy knew that many imaginations had rum amok."(212)
Climax- The Climax of Zeitoun is when the police officers enter the house and arrest Zeitoun.
“‘I live here,’ Todd said. ‘I have proof. It’s inside the house.’ ‘Get in the boat,’ the officer said” (207). This quote shows the scene where the officers cam in and arrested the men, despite the fact that these men are doing nothing wrong, they are in their own homes.
Simile- A simile used by Dave Eggers is, “Ahmed and Abdulahman built more homes for them,until they had assembled complex that looked not unlike the stone and adobe structures in their neighborhood, homes stacked upon each other, rising up from the ocean, interlocking like a crude Mosaic” (161).
Metaphor- A metaphor in the novel is “They Repeated Mayor Nagin’s assertion that the city had devolved into an ‘animalistic state’” (183). This is a metaphor because they compare a city to a animal.
Tone- The tone of this novel is very sad. Kathy is a good example of the tone because she is sad for a good portion of the story because she is afraid that she has lost her husband. A quote to show this is “twenty-five thousand body bags have been brought into the area, they noted” (183).
Imagery:
“the water, now green-grey and streaked everywhere with oil. It smelled dirtier every day, a wretched mélange of fish and mud and chemicals.”
“The sky was muddy, the wind cool.”
Symbolism:
“There were three horses, chewing happily. They were free, with no riders or saddles.”
The horses are symbolic of the normality of life that exists in some places despite wide-spread destruction and confusion.
Alliteration: “happy to help”
“blue blouse”
“to talk to Todd”
Circumlocution: Wednesday September 7th - Saturday September 17th could have been cut down to one chapter of Kathy worrying.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Links to related sites and interview with Zeitoun
1) The Guardian's article on Zeitoun's story here
A tour and interview with Abdulrahman Zeitoun
2) The Zeitoun Foundation
Profits from book sales go to rebuilding New Orleans
3) The short story of another New Orleans hero
Rescued many in a borrowed boat and helped on other fronts as well.
A tour and interview with Abdulrahman Zeitoun
2) The Zeitoun Foundation
Profits from book sales go to rebuilding New Orleans
3) The short story of another New Orleans hero
Rescued many in a borrowed boat and helped on other fronts as well.
Images
Zeitoun witnesses looting and Kathy stresses that the looting and chaos could be dangerous for Zeitoun.
The Quran is the religious book used in the Muslim faith. The Zeitoun's follow this book even though Kathy was raised Christian.
Kathy and the children go to seek refuge at her friends house in Arizona.(Arizona flag)
Zeitoun and his family were born and raised in Syria.
Zeitoun tours the underwater city saving people and animals on his aluminum canoe.
Zeitoun made a point to feed the dogs he saw and heard in the city around him. Above the police are helping the dogs.
Zeitoun and Kathy run a contracting and painting business in NOLA, they were believed to be a gay company because of the rainbow.
Zeitoun grills himself chicken and other meats on the roof using a small grill. He is fortunate to have good food.
The only way to get around the city was by boat, Zeitoun did the same. These men are pitching in to help children get to safety.
People waded out into the city with all the food water and possessions they could get and tried to swim to safety and dry land. They often abandon all the things they had.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Discussion Question
After Zeitoun comments that he notices the flood waters draining he seems relieved, did you think that Zeitoun was going to leave when he had the chance? Why do you think he stays after everything he sees?
-Lexi
-Lexi
Monday, May 2, 2011
Links to various Hurricane Sites.
1.) Hurricane Katrina-The Numbers and Stats
Seeing the statistics of the deadly storm that Zeitoun fortunately survived.
2.) Pictures of the aftermath.
A view of what New Orleans looked like after the hurricane and what Zeitoun survived through.
3.) What happened to Zeitoun?
The article on the arrest of the main character of the book
4.) All the news on Katrina.
A website dedicated to what went on in NOLA.
5.) Did Global Warming cause this?
New insight on to how the hurricane was impacted by global warming and how global warming could have been the reason Zeitoun had so many things to overcome.
6.) Pictures and descriptions
What New Orleans looked like through the eyes of Zeitoun and the others who stayed.
7.) Timeline
The calender of events and the timeline of things Zeitoun experienced while stranded on his rooftop.
8.) FEMA
A look at FEMA's funded rescue efforts in New Orleans. FEMA helped Zeitoun by giving him food and water.
9.) Pet Rescue Efforts-Lost and Found
Zeitoun gave some dogs food and water but not all pets were fed and taken care of.
10.) Abandon in the sunken city
Some pets were lost around the city of New Orleans, though Zeitoun and the others were trying to save these animals, people couldn't always get to them.
Seeing the statistics of the deadly storm that Zeitoun fortunately survived.
2.) Pictures of the aftermath.
A view of what New Orleans looked like after the hurricane and what Zeitoun survived through.
3.) What happened to Zeitoun?
The article on the arrest of the main character of the book
4.) All the news on Katrina.
A website dedicated to what went on in NOLA.
5.) Did Global Warming cause this?
New insight on to how the hurricane was impacted by global warming and how global warming could have been the reason Zeitoun had so many things to overcome.
6.) Pictures and descriptions
What New Orleans looked like through the eyes of Zeitoun and the others who stayed.
7.) Timeline
The calender of events and the timeline of things Zeitoun experienced while stranded on his rooftop.
8.) FEMA
A look at FEMA's funded rescue efforts in New Orleans. FEMA helped Zeitoun by giving him food and water.
9.) Pet Rescue Efforts-Lost and Found
Zeitoun gave some dogs food and water but not all pets were fed and taken care of.
10.) Abandon in the sunken city
Some pets were lost around the city of New Orleans, though Zeitoun and the others were trying to save these animals, people couldn't always get to them.
Plot Based Discussion: Zeitoun
Zeitoun is a biography written by Dave Eggers and it follows the life of a Islamic man who stayed behind in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit land. The beginning of this novel leads up to the hurricane and Zeitoun's life, family history, and other personal information is released. The novel follows the life of Zeitoun, introducing him as a Islamic painter who lives in New Orleans. Zeitoun is married to a southern white woman (Kathy Zeitoun) whom converted her religion to Islamic, and is devoted despite the disapproval of her family. Zeitoun is very devoted to his work as a painter/contractor, and has a very good reputation among the locals because of his hard work. When news of the hurricane's severity arrived, Kathy urged Zeitoun to leave with her and their kids, but Zeitoun's stubbornness forced him to stay. He told his wife that there would be far less damage to their home if he stayed, opposed to the damage that would occur if he left with them. Zeitoun took time to secure the houses of his clients, and to secure his own house, then he hunkered down and prepared himself for the hurricane.
While Hurricane Katrina was hitting the mainland Zeitoun did some minor renovations to his home, and put down some trash cans to catch water, but he did not believe that the hurricane caused too much damage. The day after the hurricane finished Zeitoun reported that there was some minor flooding, over 18 inches of rain, and some wind damage, but overall damage was not too bad. Later that day he called Kathy and told her to come home because he believed that all the trouble was over because the flood waters receded, but Kathy was tired and decided to spend one more night away and was going to drive home in the morning.
When Zeitoun wakes up the next day(Tuesday, August 30) he looks out his window and realized the true severity of the situation, the levees had broken. He quickly calls Kathy and tells her to stay with her family up north because the flooding is worse and flood waters are rushing into there home. Zeitoun now knows that their home and property will be destroyed, and they will loose almost everything they have. Zeitoun attempts to save things by bringing them up onto the second floor, but he quickly realized that there is only so much that one man can do. He sets up a tent on his roof, and when looking out he notices his old canoe. Zeitoun then gets into the Canoe and canoes around the neighborhood hoping to help people.
While searching for people to help Zeitoun comes across an obese elderly lady who is holding onto a bookshelf to avoid drowning. He and a few other guys devise a plan to use a ladder to get her onto the canoe because there was no way that she could swim. This event shows Zeitoun's true character, and that he wants to help people and save lives.
While Hurricane Katrina was hitting the mainland Zeitoun did some minor renovations to his home, and put down some trash cans to catch water, but he did not believe that the hurricane caused too much damage. The day after the hurricane finished Zeitoun reported that there was some minor flooding, over 18 inches of rain, and some wind damage, but overall damage was not too bad. Later that day he called Kathy and told her to come home because he believed that all the trouble was over because the flood waters receded, but Kathy was tired and decided to spend one more night away and was going to drive home in the morning.
When Zeitoun wakes up the next day(Tuesday, August 30) he looks out his window and realized the true severity of the situation, the levees had broken. He quickly calls Kathy and tells her to stay with her family up north because the flooding is worse and flood waters are rushing into there home. Zeitoun now knows that their home and property will be destroyed, and they will loose almost everything they have. Zeitoun attempts to save things by bringing them up onto the second floor, but he quickly realized that there is only so much that one man can do. He sets up a tent on his roof, and when looking out he notices his old canoe. Zeitoun then gets into the Canoe and canoes around the neighborhood hoping to help people.
While searching for people to help Zeitoun comes across an obese elderly lady who is holding onto a bookshelf to avoid drowning. He and a few other guys devise a plan to use a ladder to get her onto the canoe because there was no way that she could swim. This event shows Zeitoun's true character, and that he wants to help people and save lives.
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