And the Mountains Echoed - Book Review

NARRATIVE OVERVIEW

Khaled Hosseini’s powerful narrative of separation, power, love and life leaves one stunned and awestruck at the beauty of the many intertwined stories. The story revolves around the powerful relationship between a brother and his sister - young Abdullah and Pari. Their mother died while giving birth to Pari and their father remarries Parwana who bears him a son. This forces Abdullah to become a mother to his sister creating an unbreakable bond between them, which will have to face the test of time and distance. Their uncle, Nabi works for a rich gentleman in Kabul. He regularly comes to see them in the village. He invites them to Kabul for a tour of the city. This seemingly innocent trip turns into a nightmare when Abdullah and Pari are separated. Pari is ‘taken in’ by Mr. Wahdati and his wife – Nila. The story then shifts to Mr. Wahdati’s new family. All seems to be going well but their perfect life is disrupted when Mr. Wahdati has a stroke, which leaves him paralyzed. Nila leaves him with Pari and settles in Paris. In France, Pari grows up in a new culture and struggles with her identity and history. The storyline then shifts to America, where Abdullah had emigrated after the war displaced them from their village. He has a daughter who he named Pari in remembrance of his lost sister. She manages to reunite the long separated brother and sister, but will they recognize and recapture their lost relationship? The author stuns us with a seat-gripping answer. We also see the story of two brothers who fled the war and return to claim some land. We realize the struggle they face when confronted with the reality of their broken country and traumatized fellow citizens. The author also shows us the heroic work humanitarian groups are doing for Afghanistan with the story of Markos who works as a Plastic Surgeon, helping people who have been disfigured after the war. At the end, he ties up all the stories superbly and teaches us many valuable lessons.

REFLECTIONS

RELATIONSHIPS

Abdullah’s and Pari’s separation is complemented with a variety of other relationships giving us an overview of the dynamics of various relationships and how they can help or hurt the person. For example, Pari’s relationship with her brother was one of total trust and confidence. She knew that he would do anything for her and he actually did that. He loved her with a pure and divine love. This shaped her life in a huge way. After the separation, when she grew up she always felt a presence missing in her life. This surely can be traced back to the strong relationship she had with her brother when she was young.

We also see the strength of the relationship between Nabi (Pari’s uncle) and his employer, Mr. Wahdati. Nabi is grateful to his boss for having given him the job and learns to accept and live with the many eccentricities of Mr. Wahdati. He does his job well and Mr. Wahdati does not give him a hard time. After Mr. Wahdati gets a stroke and becomes paralyzed, His wife Nila leaves him with Pari. It is now that Nabi shows his loyalty by sticking by his master’s side during this difficult period. The relationship of ‘Master-servant’ transforms to one of ‘Father-Son’. Nabi becomes more than a friend to his employer; he becomes his son. This transformation is certainly surprising and shows a selfless attitude on Nabi’s part. What is even more surprising is the fact that after Nabi discovers that his master is homosexual and has feelings for him; he continues to behave normally with him. This fact does not change anything in their relationship but actually strengthens it because Nabi, rather than judging Mr. Wahdati, understands him and grows closer to him. In the end when Mr. Wahdati passes away, Nabi is shocked to find that he has inherited all the property, which his employer owned.

MAKING CHOICES

The book starts with Abdullah choosing to follow his father and sister to Kabul and staying fixed in his choice. Though his father is trying to dissuade Abdullah from following them, but he will not be shaken. Nothing can separate him from his beloved sister. But when they arrive in Kabul and meet their uncle Nabi, little did they know the choice he had made. He had chosen Pari to be his mistress’ new child. Since she was not able to conceive naturally, Nabi recommended adoption. He approached his brother and told him all about it. Her father also chose to give Pari up for a payment. These series of choices and decisions made a huge impact in the life of little Pari. She was not aware of all that was going on but it affected her on a deeper level.

We also see what Nabi chooses when he has to decide between remaining as a servant or leaving his master after his master suffers a stroke. We see Nila making a choice of leaving her husband after he becomes paralyzed. In this book, we understand that one has to make hard choices in one’s life. What influences these choices are not the concern but that in life choices are to be made. Once they are made, one has to learn to live with them. Whatever the consequences of one’s choice are and however hard the effects of the choice are; one has to live with it. Since one cannot change the choices in one’s life, we must be aware while making big and small decisions. Understanding that all our choices, however small make a difference in our life and in the lives of others is essential to making good choices.

EFFECTS OF THE WAR

The war in Afghanistan displaced thousands of people and the beautiful village of Abdullah and Pari is not spared. Abdullah and his family become refugees and they flee to Pakistan. We are given an example in the book that shows us how easily the country forgets its people in the name of development. It is the story of Aziz, whose father is a rich executive who helps the needy and solves the problems of the ordinary man. But he has bought the entire village at dirt-cheap prices since the war was ongoing and now he runs an orchid farm on it. When Ghaloum comes with his father to reclaim their village land, he is shocked to find his house demolished and see fruit trees in its place. When they approach Aziz’s father to ask for their land back, they are rudely refused and ignored. They are now made paupers and have to do small jobs while they can settle down and rebuild their life again. Aziz and Ghaloum strike an unlikely friendship and they bond over football and secret cigarettes. But when Ghaloum reveals his unfortunate story to his friend, Aziz loses faith in his whole life starting from his father. Aziz goes through an identity crisis and understands that the world is unfair.

We also see through Ghaloum the horrific state of refugee camps. This reality forces children like him to grow up much more quickly than a normal child. The effects of a war are very devastating. We see the far reaching effects that it has on the psyche of people. Awareness of the problems allows us to help these people if we come across them. The feelings of compassion and empathy that the novel evokes should lead us to helping out in real life. Once that is achieved, real good is done through novels like this.

SEXUALITY

The author pushes into new areas of sexuality, at least for the novels initial place. We see this in the fact of Mr. Wahdati being homosexual. Is the author trying to send a subtle message to the audience, especially conservative Afghanistanis? He says that perhaps he was born in the wrong age, the wrong culture or both. This presents Mr. Wahdati as a trapped and misunderstood person. This explains the reasons for his eccentric character.

We also see on the opposite side his wife Nila. She is an extroverted and extremely sociable person. She has affairs and is a ‘loose cannon’. We see the contrast presented very visibly with Nabi –their servant observing them closely.

CONCLUSION

The book is a wonderful read; the language is clear and easy to follow. The author is creative with the form of writing. To break the monotony of narration, he uses letters, interviews and stories within stories to engage us. The chapters are not placed according to a logical flow giving the reader a puzzled but curious feeling. Though the chapters don’t flow into each other, there is a connection which is up to the reader to make. Ultimately an engaging read, ‘And the Mountains Echoed’ leaves the reader satisfied yet thirsting for more. Read and enjoy it for yourself.

Alfred Menezes 

Choose your Side

In the past few years we have witnessed an exodus of young people leaving their real homes and families, venturing into mysterious lands, fighting malevolent forces and displaying untold bravery. This isn’t the story of a soldier leaving home but of any young person, leaving the real world in pursuit of happiness in video games. However many scientists, educationists, philosophers, researchers etc. have been unable to explain why such a phenomenon has occurred. What is the reason that people have been so taken up by these pseudo realistic worlds that they spend hours before them, full of motivation, and keep playing them?

Gaming, as the term is commonly used, has its values and vices. Video Games have been, reportedly, accused of being the cause of infusing criminal behaviour in young minds. This claim isn’t built on a firm foundation, though there has been an observed increase in belligerence seen in those playing violent games. However scientists have shown how certain games have helped increase the ability to make good decisions. Fast paced, strategic, decision-making genre related games have shown not only better ability to grasp the situation and decide but also an improvement between the hand-eye coordination. Certain games like Minecraft or Hand Simulator have helped youngsters increase their ability to pay attention because such games need an intense amount of focus in order to get the tasks completed. Moreover, it has been observed that games give the gamer, a certain boost while playing them, a release of Endorphin. The Gamer takes on the role of a protagonist in the game and goes on adventures that he or she would never find or dare to undertake. The rewards, unlike in real world underpaid rewards, goes on becoming better; maybe an enhancement of their avatar or a new ability to be used. Games like the Assassins Creed series, Halo, Splinter Cell, etc. let us play as iconic characters, through an intense mission, maybe set in a historic event ( or not ) that is not only informative but mind enhancing.

However there have been many instances where people have died while playing a game. Far worse are occasions when people carry on being their virtual avatar in the real world. This causes a huge catastrophe for the society. For the sake of privacy issues I will cite instances with anonymity . Several Youngsters have committed suicide due to a very sadistic and manipulative game called Blue Whale.  The game is based on the design of a real Blue Whale that is found to come on the shore and die. The creator of the game talks of cleansing the world of those who are weak and don’t deserve to live; his target group being those suffering from depression and its severe forms. The game is built to manipulate the player to slowly complete a certain set of tasks, the last being killing oneself. In 2010, a married South Korean couple unfortunately gave birth to a premature child and fearing the taboo of the culture, took to the internet to play Prius Online, a simulator game where they had a virtual baby to look after. In the bargain they forgot their real child which died due to malnutrition. There have been cases of people playing games for long hours, even 40 hours for some and dying due to exhaustion. Tyrone Spellman was jailed for 47 years as he cracked his daughter’s skull for pulling out his XBOX cards of the console. A 71-year-old man named Jack and his 30-year-old son Jackson were accused of brutally attacking another man during a Pokemon Go hunt in Kirkwood.

When we see the negative side of video games we tend to see an imbalance between the positive and the negative (the negative having more strength).  However we cannot forget that games are not always evil. Our choices are; there are games intended to destroy and there are games intended to build. Each game has its own ideology, background work, its own story for its creation. We are the ones on whom the

responsibility to choose the game correctly and play with maturity falls on. We must, while playing games, understand, assimilate, and respond to every situation thrown to us. This helps us use games for the right reasons. Excessive game-play is hazardous and so playing for a limited time while doing some work which is society-building is always appreciated. Understanding ones virtual self in the virtual world helps one realise who one truly is in reality and this helps one to accept oneself as being unique and essential. At the same time we need games that can help us understand reality better. It is these games that will help us enrich our reality in ways we would have never thought of.

-RohanD’souza

Youth Caught Up In Streets

Today the number of young people roaming  the streets has grown alarmingly. They find themselves in the busy streets and market places. Streets have turned into their homes which hardly provide them with the means for survival. It has become for them the order of the day to go to the busy streets and pick up scraps to sustain themselves. Some turn out to be rag pickers and live from ‘hand to mouth’, while some engage themselves in  other ways of survival which society does not approve. Others take to petty thievery and create chaos and fears to the passers-by. Survival is all that matters for them. Robbing and looting have become the fashion of their lives. In some cases, such behaviour has proved to be fatal to the lives of the people. For this reason many end up in juvenile homes.  

Causes of their plight

There are many reasons that force youn

g people to move to the streets. For the most part it is poverty that proves to be the driving force. Among the village folks and the city slum dwellers it is natural to have a large family. However, the fact is that a large family cannot afford the needs of all the family members. Therefore, an individual usually goes to the streets to sustain himself or herself, his or her family. In city slums especially there are no means of survival unless one is hired to do the menial jobs.

Family atrocity is another cause that forces young people to move to urban cities hoping for better life. It includes forms of harassments such as beating, starvation, abusive language and even threats to one’s life. Orphans are usually treated badly by their step-parents. Young people who look for independence cannot bear up with atrocities towards them especially within the family circle. This is why they move out into the streets. However, unqualified for better job employments, they mess up their lives in the streets with bad company. Some even take to addictions and  substance abuse. For this reason often society tends to look down on them.

Young people in the streets seem to have lost their dignity in the eyes of the public which is never true. Even in the face of rejection and discrimination they long for a better life and they want to come out of their misery. Deep within them, wrapped in their faces, they cry out for help and support which individuals and society as a whole could help lightening their burden.

 Johny Lamare

Overburndened Youth

Overburndened Youth 

Ambrose Monteiro SDB

Ramanuja Jadhav, aged 24 is pursuing his studies of Commerce and comes from a humble background. To continue his studies, he is forced to work in a restaurant as a part time waiter. His salary helps him to make ends meet and ensure that he can continue dreaming to become a learned person.

              It is widely believed that the most energetic age-group award (if it ever would be!) would always, undoubtedly go to the Youth, thanks to their soaring energy levels. Youngsters often seek opportunities to prove themselves as responsible adults. They are constantly in search of identity and meaning in life.

But how much heat and pressure can they possibly bear in the process? There is always a tipping point for everything. It is very common today that people, especially the youth, are overburdened in order to yield as much profit as possible.

The Agony of Students: In a college setup, youngsters are seen running around trying to complete assignments and meet deadlines, not to forget the daily household duties which they already have. All of this slaughter is coolly termed as “Preparation for the Future.” It becomes very easy for the professors to tell and delegate assignments but at times it is just too much. Another phenomenon in today’s academics is the pressure of competitive examinations for which students prepare for months and in the bargain are stressed and lose quality family time. They lose leisure and games time ‘coz they have to fulfill the expectations of their parents and teachers. They surely have no time to lose!

The Office Rat-race: At office, young employees are often picked upon and are considered as cheap labour. A lot of work is pushed their way because they have not yet learnt the ‘tricks of the trade.’ They come to office early but often leave quite late. And in terms of payment they are paid less because of their lack of experience. All these things lead or I should say, push them into the rat race. And when they become ‘Bosses,’ the track is just replayed!

Where to Head? : With these and so many other trends, which do no good other than overburdening the youth. There is a need to ‘pull the chain’ somewhere. The agony of these youngsters needs to be understood and relieved. The need of the hour is to strike a healthy balance between healthy pressure, something that is needed for proper growth and leisure time.

Fear of Responsibilities

Fear of Responsibilities

Gaurav Sansare SDB

“Eat, drink and be merry”, this concept of the Charvakas, has been playing on the minds of many youngsters. Living the life in view of monentary gain, pleasure and fun has made the young people become ‘I-centered’.

Today’s youngsters are living by the principle of pleasure and fun and most of the basic values from our culture and families are gradually losing its place. Youngsters are seeking for freedom, as if it were there inherit right, but when it is separated from responsibility, there is danger awaiting us. Some youngsters choose to live without taking any responsibilities, eg: a child who has seen his family suffering, and has never experienced the love and care in the family, thinks that life gives pain and this leads them to abandon the truth of taking responsibilities. For them the thought of having their own family becomes a lie that they must be wary of.

Everyone seeks for true happiness, and they seek it only in freedom. They fail to take into consideration the role of responsibility because of some event in their personal and known experiences. This understanding comes from the wrong notion that they get from today’s media and modern society. For example, those youth who are in search of love, get the impression, that love is just for their personal pleasure and nothing else. The mentality of this age, has lead the youngsters towards an illusionary world.

In search of Idols

In search of Idols

Jokim Mannar

Youth is the time when we always want to copy someone. We look for perfection and we don’t mind copying perfection. Youth by their very nature are smart and learn things fast. We learn from our parents, caretakers, siblings, relatives, friends, teachers, etc. and we are most influenced by people around us.

Choosing a role model, an idol can have positive and negative effects on us. If we choose a good role model, it affects us positively and if we happen to choose a role model of bad character it influences us in a bad way. Take the case of Hitler. He always admired the Italian Facists Benito Mossolini and wanted to be like him. We all know today who Hitler was.

Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell, in her book: “Tomorrow’s Change Makers: Reclaiming the Power of Citizenship for Our New Generation” describes how a role model affects a person. She presents many examples of young people who feel downed and tired but the very thought of their role model motivated them to live life enthusiastically.

Qualities to look out in a role model:

What are some of the qualities that we need to look out when choosing a role model. We need to examine the person by the values he lives by. Certainly we won’t choose someone who deosn’t have any values. We look up to somene who is loving, caring, kind.

Is our idol a spiritual person, a person who believes in God?

True models are indusrious people. They are committed to a good couse and ready to sacrifice to achieve the goal. Role models can’t be people with narrow mindedness. An open minded person accepts others view and is willing to give other a chance to grow. Another quality that we need to look for in chooding an idol is selflessness.

We need others and one day others willl also need us. No one can claim that he or she is a self-made person. Living with others bring about growth in us. We cannot have all the inspiration we need from ourselves alone but look up to someone to be inspired.

We will be Idols to someone someday. In all that we do may we inspire.

Academic Rat-Race

Academic Rat-Race

Alan D'Silva SDB

Eighteen year old Reena, from the fishing community was found hanging from the ceiling of her house, near Villupuram village, 170km from Chennai. She committed suicide since she could not crack the NEET exam.

We are living in a fast-moving, technologically advanced and extremely competitive world. Life moves and changes in seconds. And it appears that, the law of the world is, ‘The BEST will survive.’ Competition has become a part of daily life. Everyone wants to be better than the other and not just better, but the best.

Positive Effects:

The purpose of education is to create responsible and competent citizens. The competitive structure of education has been a cause of motivation for both teachers and students. It has boosted the performance of the students and has taken education to a whole new level; Teaching strategies have changed, classroom infrastructure has been improved and the teaching faculty has been enhanced.

Negative Effects:

On one hand, competition has proven to be the cause for better academic performance, it has in some cases led to unfortunate consequences. The failure to meet targets has affected the morale and confidence of youngsters. In some, competition has led to stress, depression and disappointment. The disproportionate focus on marks and grades has led to long hours of study and reduced time in relaxation and recreational activities. In extreme cases, it has led to the loss of life.

A Final Word…

Competition is necessary in as much as it helps us to better ourselves and shapes us into competent individuals. It is necessary to engage in competition, but it should be healthy rivalry rather than students participating in a rat-race, in a bid to outperform their peers. It is always an important and noble duty of educators and parents to support children and help them cope with failure.[