Thursday, May 8, 2014

Week 5 Discussion Question - Wyman

In the chapter "Scars" we learn about a ritual from Sudan that symbolizes becoming a man in Kek's tribe. Why do you think Kek is so upset that he "will never have the gaar?" Ganwar tells him the scars mean nothing in America, but Kek is still very upset. Kek also tells Ganwar he doesn't think he has shown himself to be brave, Ganwar disagrees. Do you think Kek has shown bravery, yes or no? Explain your thinking. Use examples from the story to support your answer.

Make sure to answer the question with a RAD response and use details from the text to support your answer. Please check your grammar, spelling, capitalization, and conventions before submitting your response.

13 comments:

  1. I think Kek is upset that he “will never have the gaar” because the scars would be a memory of home. With those, he would always remember home. Also, in Sudan, the gaar was a sign of manhood, wisdom, and strength. If he doesn’t have the scars, he will never be ranked as high as Ganwar or his father. He wants to be like them. As Kek says on page 175, “How will I know when I’m a man?” In their culture, they knew they were a man when they got the scars, but now he cannot have them. I think Kek has shown bravery. Leaving his home, bravery. Living through wars, bravery. Not having the gaar, bravery. Living in a different, hard to understand country for the rest of your life, bravery. In the chapter Sleep Story, (pp. 198 - 200) Kek dreams, “ Run, Kek, my mother screams, run now. I kneel beside her. I can’t leave you, I say, or I think say, for my voice is swallowed by the roaring night. My leg’s hurt, I can’t run. You hide in the trees. You can get help for me when it’s safe. Go. Now. I start to run and I don’t know that I’m clutching her dress and a tiny piece rips free and I run and the trees are waiting and the men come with their knives and their guns and their mysterious hat. I wait with the other children. I hold a little child and cover her mouth when she tries to cry. Dawn comes, silence comes, blood and death are everywhere. And my mother is gone.” Leaving his mother, obeying her, bravery.

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  2. Kek is upset that he won’t get scars because in his home those scars meant everything. Ganwar is explaining that in America the scars mean nothing but Kek doesn't want to be in America. In Sudan those scars showed who you were and they meant everything to these people living there. I do think that Kek has shown bravery because it is hard to leave love ones behind, to save your self. Like when he didn’t want to leave his mother but he did.

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    1. I didn't think that Kek didn't want to be in America, but now I realize he didn't. Thanks, James. I agree with everything so much. You must've thought hard, even though it's not the longest post.

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    2. That is true because Kek is upset that he won’t get scares because Hannah and Ganwar are looking after him so he never gets a time to show his bravery and Hannah will think Kek isn’t ready yet because he moved to America not knowing anything so Kek never gets the scares.

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  3. I think that Kek is so mad that he will never get a gaar because he doesn’t think he is manly enough to have a gaar so, and that infers to himself that he is not brave or manly. I think in some parts he is brave and some parts of the book he isn't because in the chapter “White Girl”, Kek isn’t that brave because he just stands there, and Hannah backs him up, but he is brave when he came to Minnesota because he was scared to come but he showed bravery by being willing to learn and see new things.

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    1. I agree, I bet Kek doesn't believe in himself. I agree that he might not be the bravest all the time, but he is a lot braver than most, you have to admit that.

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    2. I agree when you say Hannah backs up for Kek so that does show Hannah doesn’t think Kek isn’t that brave because Hannah was the one who helped Kek and he didn’t do anything.

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    3. Lindsey, I agree with you that he really wants the scars, but I think to go along with it he wants the scars but he wants to be home like it said in the book in America the scars meant nothing but inj Sudan they meant everything.

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  4. I think Kek is so upset that he “will never get gaar” because the scares reminds him about his family and his home. To those he loves and remembers him in his home. Gaar means in Sudan is manhood, wisdom and strength. I think he is so upset because he didn’t get the time to hit these levels in Sudan so he is trying to do it in America but it isn’t doing so well so that is one part of him being so upset. One way he is upset is because Hannah said “ I am a man said Kek. Sure you are replied Hannah” that probably really hurt Kek feeling so it made him upset.
    I think Kek hasn’t showed his bravery because Hannah said “ I don't want you to get hurt” So it shows that he hasn’t showed his bravery because Hannah doesn’t want him to fight boys because she doesn’t want him to get hurt. So right there it tells use Kek hasn’t proved it to Ganwar and Hannah that he has bravery.

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    1. Notice, Hannah was the one that hid them, not Kek. Kek went through a lot of other things. Can you give me more examples?

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    2. Great Job using things out of the book it helped paint a picture in my mind.

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  5. Why I think that Kek is so upset is because he thinks he’s going to his mom and return to Sudan, if he does he will have the scars to prove he is a brave man. But if he doesn't return to Sudan the scars will mean nothing. I do think Kek has shown bravery because he has come all the way to America not knowing if his family was alive or not, and being able to live a normal life. Making friends, having a job, and going to school I wouldn't be able to live a life like that not knowing if I had living family. Like in the text on page 216 and 217 it says “Ganwar, I whisper, what if she never comes? What if its only... me? I can’t do it all by myself. Ganwar sends me a e say sad smile.My cousin, he says, you already are.”

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    1. The only part I don't get is the first part, hoping you get back home with your mom isn't something to be upset about. But I love your thoughts about bravery.

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