Our ASTU class recently covered Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, a non-fiction piece which acts as a memoir to the Zeitoun and his family’s experience in Hurricane Katrina. Even though it is a non-fiction account of the events, there are elements which make it seem like fiction. For example, towards the end it states that Kathy, Zeitoun’s wife, has trouble remembering things. However, throughout the book there are many fine details which Kathy seems to recall, which the authenticity questionable.

Throughout the book, the protagonist Zeitoun is portrayed as almost perfect, through his actions as well as Kathy’s recollection. He is a selfless hero who gets wrongly arrested and mistreated by various governmental agencies due to his race and religion. Therefore, as a reader we are made to feel sympathetic towards him. Personally, after reading the account of what happened to Zeitoun during Hurricane Katrina, I felt shocked and angry that anyone would be treated in that manner, let alone by their own government.

Our ASTU professor, Dr. Luger, only revealed to the class after we finished reading the book that the protagonist Zeitoun had in fact been arrested for allegedly trying to murder his wife Kathy. After being led to believe that Zeitoun was a heroic figure who was severely mistreated, it was hard to comprehend this information. I understand that the injustices that were committed against him might have made him better and resentful towards the US government. With that being said, Zeitoun and Kathy seemed to be a perfect match and it seemed highly unlikely that anything of this sort would happen. It is definitely saddening, as I honestly believe that Zeitoun was a good person who put others before him, but was changed by what happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

This leads me to question the US government and how they reacted to Hurricane Katrina. Not only did they fail to respond properly to the hurricane, but at the same time they managed to commit such atrocities to their own citizens. The story of Zeitoun and what happened to him shows us how much of an effect the injustice done can change a person’s life.

Works Cited:

Eggers, Dave. Zeitoun. Canada: Vintage Canada, 2010. Print.