PsTL 1908W Urban Literacy

These two articles helped me realize what some people have to go through to not only get an education, but to function in the world today. I felt that the first reading, "Escape From the Congo" by Josh Drobnyk, was a very sad reading. A person has to be extremely motivated and brave to do what Kabuika did. Not only was there hostility and a war going on in her hometown, but her mother was shot and killed as a result of her fathers opposition. Even though she knew of these events, she stood strong and worked hard in Chicago to help her family flee. It takes alot for someone to function the way she did at the time she did it.

In the next article, "For the Time Being," by Diana Abu-Jaber, there is another story about how different events can affect one's life, Rabia in this case. When the teacher is informed by the two daughters that their mother wants to learn English he makes home visits to go teach her. However, because of the fact that their family had to flee and their father/husband was still overseas, and they didn't know if he was still alive, the mother struggled to learn. This story made more of a connection with me than the first one. It made me realize just how much someone's ability AND motivation to learn can be affected by different events in their life. When the family, the mother especially, finds out that their father/husband is still alive, Rabia becomes her normal spunky self again. It's amazing how someone can go from not wanting to get out, or even live for that matter, to become someone who is full of joy and love life the way she did.