Compare and Contrast: When Deo Met Nancy and Charlie Wolf
For people who have a defined place in the society, good or bad - people who have jobs of any kind, or live with their families, or part of a cause - which is most probably most people, it would be hard to imagine what it is like to be displaced from a society and be flung into a place that does not know or need you. In a "normal" situation, we take for granted the relationships we have, even the slightest connections to old schoolmates or neighbors or even childhood acquaintances. We do not realize how much these relationships contribute to our sense of identity and purpose - until they are all taken away.
Deo came from an even worse situation. The connections, relationships, the identity he had known all his life were something he'd die trying to escape from. And escape he did. Civil war, genocide, massacre, among other things are the things that shaped his world, and when it threatened his life, he needed to exchange it all for a hope of any kind of future, a promise of a very green pasture in the so-called "land of opportunities" that is the United States. He escaped to save his life, only to find himself in a place where he has no identity, no purpose nor relevance, nor even a voice. What he thought were his assets, his intelligence for instance, were rendered useless. He can live or die without anyone noticing or anyone being affected. He was not even part of any society, or so he feels.
His becoming part of the New York underground was even a blessing. Connecting to another human being is a basic need we all take for granted, and in that time of Deo's life, he mostly likely found a pathetic relief from his utter isolation. But it was a far cry from the standing he was used to. Deo belonged to a superior tribe back in his homeland, and was in an upper standing among his peers. He was meant to be an important person, who could bring change in his war-torn country. His sense of purpose, identity, and value was strong. If there was anything positive thing about his escape, it highlighted his sense of identity, as he was being pursued because of his social standing. All these took a nose-dive when he came “successfully” to New York. He cannot even communicate because of the language barrier. He does not belong there. And since his life is threatened in the place of his origin, he comes to a position that he does not belong anywhere in the world at all.
After all these ordeal of surviving, and living literally like a rat in probably one of the coldest places on earth for people like him, the coming of Nancy and Charlie Wolf in his life can be likened to seeing a blinding light after a journey in a very long and dark tunnel. The childless couple provided everything Deo was missing that was basic in a human being's life: connection, purpose and a place in the world. No doubt that the struggle to fit in this entirely different culture was very pronounced in this intimate setting with the Wolf couple. Nevertheless, this meeting of a brilliant young man who have survived this long clinging only to hope and a loving couple with open hearts illustrate more than ever how relationships, understanding and reaching out can change the course of the future of one person, or one nation, illustrated when, in Deo’s act of forgiveness in building a health center in his hometown, sparked a hope of reconciliation between the warring tribes of his original home.
Work Cited
Kidder, Tracy. "Strength in What Remains." Strength in What Remains. New York: Random House, 2009.
