Choose one of the topics below and write a response in paragraphs (not an essay). Write a minimum of 150 words and a maximum of 200 words. Include at least one direct reference to the story through the use of a short quotation but do not quote more than 20 words total in your answer.Link to "Ghosts" full text at NewYorker.com
1.Write about something that surprised you, angered you, delighted you, or evoked any strong reaction as you were reading. Write about anything that stays on your mind after reading.
2. Explore a social or ethical issue raised in the writing. Judge the behaviour of the characters or the views of the author. Are they right or wrong in your opinion?
3. Does this work confront or confirm your personal beliefs? Explain.
NOTE: Please bring a word processed copy of your comments to class on Wednesday, October 5.
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13 comments:
I am delighted by the richly sensual description in Edwidge Danticat’s story, “Ghosts.” Those “few Protestant and Catholic churches, vodou temples, restaurants, bakeries, and dry cleaners, even Internet cafés” paints us a picture of Bel Air, “the Baghdad of Haiti.” Who could forget Tiye’s “shiny metal hooks”? Danticat helped me to see the world of Bel Air. I imagined the pain of having your hands handcuffed behind you, of someone blowing smoke into your eyes, of vomiting onto the front of your shirt.
The gang members angered me, but also evoked my sympathy. They were, after all, true orphans. Victims of the extreme violence of the paramilitary, of gangs, they grew up with only each other as family. That Pascal will enter this world makes his dream of a radio show bittersweet. He will become a “phantom” one day, too.
Most of all, I remember Danticat’s final definition of ghosts and the way her sentence ends: “because they were poor.”
--160 words
After reading the “Ghosts” by Edwidge Danticat I was very angry at the corrupted government not only in Haiti but also in so many other countries all around the world. They are the ones to blame for war, crime, gangs, corruption, and poverty in these countries.
It’s very sad to see that in such countries the kids have no opportunities to go to school and become successful when they grow up. They most likely end up being a criminal, in jail or dead because of the bad circumstances they had to live in when they were younger.”The gang members, who were also called ghosts - were former street children who couldn’t remember ever having lived in a house.”
This story was just a reminder for us who have lived in the similar countries with similar government like Haiti. That it makes me angry to see that these countries are still rolled by the type of government that shouldn’t be in power.
Words 161
Ghosts
Growing up in a middle- class family, in a crowded city(Herat-Afghanistan) where I witnessed poverty, corruption in the government, blood- shad and gang violence, I feel like I have so much in common with Pascal (the main character in the fiction story Ghost, written by Edwidge Danticat ).I can feel Pascal’s pain; it is an awful feeling to doubt that you’ll be able to make it back home in one peace after leaving it in the morning , not being able to sleep comfortably at night in spite of someone may break in to your house ,wish to help your people, but sometime other people such as government, gangs and some rich people don’t allow you to do so. Last but not least, going through life and seeing your dreams falls apart one by one is a disgusting scene.
To conclude, we are very fortunate to be living in Canada and have all the things that we have; however, I feel really sorry for the people who live in Haiti, Afghanistan, and all the other poor countries around the world. 182-words
After reading the Ghost, I feel that poverty, ignorance and backward thinking are deeply depriving the Haitian younger generation of health of their physical and mental well-being. There was a sentence at the story's beginning describing, “Hundreds of middle-school children entering a national art contest drew M-16s and beheaded corpses.”(p.1, para.1) I was very surprised and shocked that many Haitian students were interested in guns and murder. This is not consistent with their age. Last month I visited Golden, British Columbia where I saw ceramic tile paintings by school students painted at a small public garden adjacent to the Kicking Horse River. These paintings showed flowers, green mountains, families, love, etc. All of these Golden students seemed to cherish their bright future. However, at the same age, Haitian students drew M-16s and beheaded corpses. There was another description that Haitian young men usually drank a malt beverage which had been mixed with pigeon’s blood before their first sexual encounter. And that their fathers would even laugh while the pigeon’s headless body was still gyrating on the ground. I felt very sad about such a ritual. I think this is the result of extreme poverty, backward thinking and lack of education. I am not a politician, so I do not know what policies can change Haiti current situation, but I genuinely wish that Haitians are able to rid themselves of poverty and backwardness as soon as possible. And in the near future I would hope to see hundreds of Haitian middle-students entering a national art contest drawing green mountains, flowers, families, friends and love.
Reading this story “ghost” was indeed incredible and especially the writer (Edwidge Danticat) by a very crystal clear description. After reading this story that implies how poor and desperate Haitian is by not having a fair justice system in their country. It must have been really hard for Pascal and his family to live in this corrupts society that had to endure a lot of pains. Arresting Pascal, angered me that he was being falsely accused for something, he hadn’t done. The officers questioned him with torture, and at the end when they realized “That they made a mistake”, and “ he was dumped in front of his parents’ restaurant at ten that night” which that was the worst behavior they could do to him.
The end of the story that Pascal was released delighted me because his innocence was exposed. Despite all the pains and tortures he had suffered, he finally can have peace and return back to his normal life with his parents.
Words: 165
After reading the story "Ghost" by Edwidge Danticat, It made me realize how unfair the world was. When I reached reading the last page of the story, it revealed if what does the "ghost" symboloizes which really surprised me. "In his dreams...because they were poor" (page 9) , when Pascal thought of that, It reveals what really was the meaning of the "ghost" in Edwidge Danticat's work.
"The police had arrested Tiye and he had named Pascal as the mastermind". That part raised anger in me. Pascal was accused even though he was not even doing anything. Yet accusing Pascal for a wrong thing made me mad, it made me felt delighted because It gave him the opportunity to saw if what the criminals have experienced in the hands of the officers in every interrogation. That made him realized that the gang members were the real prey.
Many thoughts, ideas and feelings were left to me by this story. It made me realize how cruel the life was to other people. If only everyone are treated properly and just, everyone will never think that life's unfair.
-195 words
The “Ghosts” touches upon corruption, inequality and poverty in Haiti. Children are being born in very poor conditions. And they literally have to join gangs to survive. Haitian politicians tend to use gangs for their needs: “Ambitious businessman politicians used them [gangs] to swell the ranks of political demonstrations, giving them guns to shoot when a crisis was needed… ”.
Pascal’s arrest reminded me of an article, which I read not so long ago about young Chechen man, that was being framed by the police. He was accused of a terrorist act, which he never committed. For four days he was beaten, tortured, electrocuted. Unfortunately for police, he never confessed and managed to stay alive. He spent 6 month in hospital and lost hearing in one ear after that. The punishment of those, responsible, to say to the least, was minor. The reason I brought this example, was to show that, although, “Ghosts” by Edwidge Danticat is a fiction, it, unfortunately, describes real life situations.
165
I am delighted by the young heart that Pascal still motivated at enhancing the concern of people in his radio program with the topics on social, psychological, and urban planning in Bel Air. The hopelessness caused by the gang bully around, the inept police, and the aftermath of a dictatorship also evoked my sympathy on those miserable people. It is Pascal’s though that the country fellow “ cannot remain chimes to us forever” lights up the future. At the end his view point of “from limbs to souls” offer a hot air channel to inspire people thinking why get lost from tangible to invisible.
The men of Baz Benin angered me. The gang bothered their fellow with annoying trade and tricks. I can tell people live in the desolate and trees vanished area; their least desire are leading decent and self-sufficient life. But the gang deteriorated the country in a way. The police should also be blamed for their conspiracy system. They should be punished and jailed as well.
The mother’s stern darker than the burned pot face furrowed eyebrows with a disdain for those she served. This remain in my mind how people disdain the Ghost!
---197 words
The story "Ghost" by Edwidge Danticat reminded me of how people can be so cruel with each other. I know that cruelty doesn't only happen in Haiti, but in so many more countries, because of other peoples wrong doing so many innocent people are suffering. Why can't people just be fair with their own kind? Some say that hurting a human being will make "one" stronger, but who are they fooling? Only cowards will fell satisfaction, when maltreating each and everyone. I remember when Pascal was taken involuntary into his parents house "blindfolded him, and dragged him out of bed". The "special forces" did not give Pascal any chance to explain himself, that their accusations is not at all true. He was tortured "repeatedly punched on the The story "Ghost" by Edwidge Danticat reminded me of how people can be so cruel with each other. I know that cruelty doesn't only happen in Haiti, but in so many more countries, because of other peoples wrong doing so many innocent people are suffering. Why can't people just be fair with their own kind? Some say that hurting a human being will make "one" stronger, but who are they fooling? Only cowards will fell satisfaction, when maltreating each and everyone.
I remember when Pascal was taken involuntary into his parents house "blindfolded him, and dragged him out of bed". The "special forces" did not give Pascal any chance to explain himself, that their accusations is not at all true. He was tortured "repeatedly punched on the back of the neck" in what he described "The box of a room". At the end people shouldn't judge each other base on their background, or who are they connected to, cause you might get the wrong impression. As some people may say you are innocent until proven guilty, which in his case, he is an innocent man.
-185 words
It was not easy to read this fiction for me because it had lots of descriptions that I can’t ignore to taste the story, so I looked up a dictionary for some words. Shameless Tiye must be punished, and in my opinion, he’ll be killed as Piye was, the previous boss. However, an astonishing fact was rotten policemen who turned an innocent young man into a scapegoat. I felt anger and injustice which Pascal’s dad yelled to the masked police people. Ironically, strange connections between politics and gangs seemed right for them; they cooperated in solving their problems. Yesterday, I heard from someone that young men in Haiti don’t have right places to go. The author addressed me into Pascal’s dream on the page nine, “he would go from limbs to souls … There were the real ghosts … phantom loves that haunt us, because they were used… desolate.” They joined the gang “because they were out of choices,” and “because they were poor.” 164 words
BOGDAN NICOLAE RAPCEA 56882
5 10 2011
GHOSTS
What impressed me the most about this bitter story was, the tenacious’ fight between good and bad, for survival, in a corrupted and dangerous world more or less controlled by “popular organizations”-gangs. In one side are the Dorians, with Pascal the central character of the story, the “shop owners and restaurateurs,” and in the other side, the relentless Tiye “a one armed, bald headed gang leader” eager to control. The brave struggle Pascal’s parents brings with the horrible domination of the gangs, in order to save him and his brother from the world of drug addiction and crimes, makes me sympathize with them. Danticat manages to show us not only the cruelties of the Haitian’s world but also the romantic side of her people, Pascal’s parents sacrificing themselves releasing the last two pigeons being sick and disgusted by the in inhuman treatment applied to their pigeons by other people. The writer presents us a world of “ghost” in which the characters are complex and confused, but even so they never stop aspiring, and they never stop of dreaming.
After reading Edwidge Danticat's fiction story (Ghosts), it evoked me about the Sethi Town. It's a small town located in north west Pakistan where orphans and poor children are taken from their guardians by a group of people called " Jummat al Islam". They provide them all the facilities like food, clothes, education, and a place to live. They teach religious lesson (Islamic) in improper way and brain wash those kids; transform them into a highly religious sensitive persons. When they become an adult they carry guns and do suicide attacks for defending their religion. There are some other people like "Tiye" living there which they have connection with the government "from the lowest street cop to Supreme Court Judges". As Gandhi said, "poverty is the worst form of violence". I personally feel heartbroken about those people and children who live there in poverty which increase hatred and violence.
150 words-
Ghosts
Li Chen
Today, if there is a piece of news related with Haiti, in most of cases, it is negative. As just I guess, the author of “Ghost” (The New Yorker, November 24, 2008), Edwidge Danticat, was born in Haiti, and is a strong advocate for issues affecting Haitians abroad and at home. Obvious, Danticat is familiar with his native country and described a miserable and almost hopeless situation in Haiti. For example, in her “Ghost”, even the children in Haiti, just chose to “draw M-16s and behead corpses, and write such things as ‘It’s not polite to shoot at funeral processions’ and ‘I’m happy to have turned in my weapons, what about you?’” as the main ideas of a national art contest. In this story, Pascal and his family had to make all-out efforts to help him to get rid of his nightmare of jail, which just because he knew Tiye, who was a gang leader but also was Pascal’s customer and neighborhood. For saving Pascal, his family had to pay more than twenty thousand US dollars to bribe each chain of judicature of this country and even “Pascal’s parents were preparing to sell their business to buy Pascal’s release.”(p7) Finally, Pascal was released because money of power. Pascal was lucky because his family afforded to pay his free. But if they could not afford to these, what should it happen? Just like the most of Haiti’s people… What does it result in these? Is it poor? Unwisdom or regime? Or all of these? Of course, bribery is a dirty and illegal, which always relates with corruption. I abhor it. But if the people live in those societies, something like Haiti in “Ghosts”, do they have any other choices? Here, I tumble to why Edwidge chose “Ghosts” as the title of this fiction. “Ghosts”, are poor, unwisdom and corruption, are not single and haunt as a gang, and are not shaken off easily.
Sometimes, we should realize that we are lucky because we are far from torture, corruption, bribe and miserable slum. But what could we do for those people who live in those cases, such as in “Ghost”?
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