A Character Analysis: Abdulrahman Zeitoun, Not Clark Kent
Marcellus Lopez
Mr. Buckley
Honors American Literature
September 20, 2011
Abdulrahman Zeitoun, Not Clark Kent Zeitoun, a fantastic novel by author Dave Eggers is a heroic tale of faith and courage set during Hurricane Katrina of August 2005, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The hardy protagonist of the chronicle is Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian man, living in Louisiana with his wife, Kathy, and his three daughters and stepson. Zeitoun, a former sailor, used to storms and seas, at the time of the hurricane owned a contracting business, building, repairing, and painting. Zeitoun's heroism and bravery have made very clear to me that being a hero is … well, really damned stupid. If not that, then at the very least, being a hero is …show more content…
His time in prison shows him reflecting on the good he'd done, as well as praying for a better situation, but I do not recall one time at which he says to himself that he definitely should have left New Orleans. Did he not expect at all that in all the paranoia of a critical hurricane in a post-9/11 society that a Middle Eastern Muslim man would be a target for bigotry and used as a scapegoat? Although, his imprisonment was completely unwarranted, along with the charges brought against him and accusations made against him, nothing should have been a surprise to Zeitoun. Zeitoun was either unequipped with the knowledge that this country's ideals of justice are far from perfect and that the executive branch of our government is very prone to quick, harsh decisions and quick, definitive judgments… or just not very thoughtful. The results of Zeitoun's poor decision to stay in New Orleans stuck to Kathy for the rest of what we read of her life in Zeitoun. Kathy's mental healthy was sacrificed all because Zeitoun foolishly remained in the city, with knowledge that a particularly dangerous storm was
Mr. Buckley
Honors American Literature
September 20, 2011
Abdulrahman Zeitoun, Not Clark Kent Zeitoun, a fantastic novel by author Dave Eggers is a heroic tale of faith and courage set during Hurricane Katrina of August 2005, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The hardy protagonist of the chronicle is Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian man, living in Louisiana with his wife, Kathy, and his three daughters and stepson. Zeitoun, a former sailor, used to storms and seas, at the time of the hurricane owned a contracting business, building, repairing, and painting. Zeitoun's heroism and bravery have made very clear to me that being a hero is … well, really damned stupid. If not that, then at the very least, being a hero is …show more content…
His time in prison shows him reflecting on the good he'd done, as well as praying for a better situation, but I do not recall one time at which he says to himself that he definitely should have left New Orleans. Did he not expect at all that in all the paranoia of a critical hurricane in a post-9/11 society that a Middle Eastern Muslim man would be a target for bigotry and used as a scapegoat? Although, his imprisonment was completely unwarranted, along with the charges brought against him and accusations made against him, nothing should have been a surprise to Zeitoun. Zeitoun was either unequipped with the knowledge that this country's ideals of justice are far from perfect and that the executive branch of our government is very prone to quick, harsh decisions and quick, definitive judgments… or just not very thoughtful. The results of Zeitoun's poor decision to stay in New Orleans stuck to Kathy for the rest of what we read of her life in Zeitoun. Kathy's mental healthy was sacrificed all because Zeitoun foolishly remained in the city, with knowledge that a particularly dangerous storm was