10/14/2016

In Professor Luger’s ASTU class in the Global Citizens CAP stream I found myself wondering about the past while reading Running In the Familyvby Michael Ondaatje.  Although Ondaatje explores many family members and aspects from “Ceylon” and possibly even makes up a certain amount of content, the exploration of his father, information, or even an ultimate conclusion is left out.  Part of what directed Micheal’s interest and journey home was the death of his father.  Part of his connection with home was severed by his death.  I have no relatable personal experiences of the sort,  but I understand the dilemma of family knowledge.  I know this much is true for me, and I assume that is is a natural human interest, but learning about my past, both historical information as well as my families past is very important.  Much of the focuses on his family but he shows interest on history when he talks about Sigiriyan cave paintings dating from 900-700 B.C.E.

For Onjaatje, access to his families history was cut off with the death of his father.  Much of his searching is subtly guided by his father’s impression on him.  What first caught my attention about Onjaatje’s expeditions into the past was his exchange with his brother.

“you must get this book right,” my brother tells me. “you can only write it once.” but the book again is incomplete. in the end, all your children move among the scattered acts and memories with no more clues. not that we have ever thought we would be able to fully understand you. love is often enough, towards your stadium of small things -183

Interest in family and history was so deep in his family that parts of the book are influenced by them.  Such is the case in the section I noted above where his brother is involved in Micheal’s search.  Onjaatje’s trips to Sri Lanka are more then just searches for information.  He wishes to live the history of his family and land.  He travels railways he frequented as a kid and went to cities his parents took him.

Going back to places I used to live gives me a sense of nostalgia.  I feel that this is the same feeling Micheal chases throughout the memoir.  And when I am visiting these places where I used to live, carry out my life, and was settled in, I can help doing the same things I did when I has apart of that community.  I do feel a sense of separation though, however i’m sure Onjaatje does too.  The separation comes from y time apart from the community and my old home.  When I am back at places I used to live I feel my connection to the place, but I am no longer apart of it.

Story Teller

September 22nd 2016

It is difficult to determine whether a personal account, through all its detail and biases, offers more or less sincerity than historical texts or sources.  Public knowledge is, statistics, facts, and records, the very building blocks of a story.  Although the stories told through public and personal perspectives share very similar information.  The experience of reading a journal, or another type of personal text connects the reader on an emotional level.  I see Marji’s perspective, and I can place myself in the situation.  Marjane Satrapi deals with this battle constantly in the graphic narrative, Persepolis.  In Persepolis, specifically the scene where Marji and her family discuss the bombing and fire at the Cinema Rex in Abadan, Satrapi uses the concept of public history with her father’s perspective on the situation blaming the government.  Although today, it is known that the SAVAK (Iranian intelligence) was not responsible but rather Islamic Militants, her father’s view offers other information.  Even though the fault was not the government’s, Marji’s father Ebi’s accusation implies his mistrust in the government gives historical context to the political turmoil of 1978 Iran.  I think that Satrapi is aware that she is balancing the history of her nation with her own experience.  In that light she is not just telling her story, but she is playing the role of a storyteller, recounting the struggles of families and even a nation.. 

My parents found it odd that I was never very interested in my family’s history.  It was when my grandma was visiting and, out of politeness, I listened to her story about my heritage. My family came out of Germany in World War Two , I knew that much, but as she explained further I noticed the same relation of what I heard from my grandma and what I learned in school.  I learned that although he was unsettled by the Nazi’s actions and rule, my great grandfather led a Platoon in the Nazi army out of pride for Germany.  At the same time his wife, my great grandma, harbored Jews and protected refugees.  Hearing this swayed my belief that war was a two sided conflict.  The thousands of intricacies of even family history just build to a community’s history, up to a nation’s history.  I think the most important aspect of being a global citizen is understanding.  Much of the world’s ignorance, conflict, and even hate come from a lack of understanding.  Because of this the idea of memory and history being opposite sides on a coin is brought into question.  Satrapi’s Persepolis is informative but through her own account she offers this understanding.

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