The Destruction Of Dignity By Dave Eggers - 1757 Words

Jordan Wong Mr. Dwyer AP English Language Period 5 31 August 2017 The Destruction of Dignity Acclaimed writer , Dave Eggers, in his riveting novel Zeitoun retells the story of a New Orleans painter as he finds himself in the city following Hurricane Katrina. Throughout his harrowing journey throughout the aftermath, Eggers exhibits the horrifying results a disaster can have on the dignity of victims. There are countless examples throughout the novel of those who have been dispossessed of their dignity and humanity, and there is no better example than that of Zeitoun himself. Egger’s portrayal of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina demonstrates the devastating effect a disaster has on the dignity of individuals and how it can strip the†¦show more content†¦It defied belief.† (Eggers, 101) The disregard of Zeitoun’s pleas by those on the boats forms almost an exact parallel of the parable of the Samaritan in the Bible and highlights the lack of humanity shown by the soldiers on the boat. The parable describes the story of an injured man beaten by r obbers on the side of the road. Two men, a priest and a levite, pass down the road and avoid him, while a third man, a Samaritan helps the man recover. The priest and the levite both had a moral obligation and were duty-bound to assist the injured man, yet chose not to, and this is the exact situation the soldiers and police officers in the boat were in. They too had a moral obligation and were duty-bound to help assist the residents of New Orleans following the hurricane. Eggers also emphasizes their position of authority by appealing to logos, as he describes their boats as, â€Å"a military model, loud, with a great fan anchored perpendicularly to the rear. It was headed directly towards them.† (Eggers 100-101). By describing the crafts as something specific to the military, Eggers indirectly points out their duty to help the people due to their possession of vehicles capable of saving many lives. Unfortunately, despite having both the means and the duty to assist Zeitoun, all of the military personnel choose to ignore Zeitoun, This utter neglect of their duty indicates their decline in humanity as they choose to ignore someone who could’ve potentially beenShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream By Dave Eggers1992 Words   |  8 PagesDave Eggers, author of A Hologram for the King, Heroes of the Frontier and The Circle, among many other books, often comments on the American dream. Eggers believes that the American dream has changed over time, and is no longer an achievable goal. The American dream was initially the ideal of each man and women being able to reach their full potential and have equal opportunities (Amadeo). Yet this ideal slowly morphed into the necessity of owning a house and having a happy, prosperous family. InRead MoreZeitoun Fight or Flight795 Words   |  3 PagesIs it worth risking your life to protect your belongings and property when a Category 5 hurricane is barreling towards your city? Is it right to disregard reports abo ut a storm because in past experiences the news has been wrong? In Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, a man named Zeitoun decides to let his family evacuate New Orleans without him so that he can stay behind and protect his several homes, business, and personal belongings from Category 5 hurricane Katrina. Once the hurricane passes, and he survives