Dignity After Hurricane Katrina By Zeitoun: An Analysis
Dignity
Eggers emphasizes that the chief cost of disaster--be it natural or man-made--is the way it robs individuals of their dignity. Both victims and those who abused their power lose a sense of humanity. After Hurricane Katrina, Zeitoun observes that although the old woman he rescues will survive the storm, she has lost her dignity. When he himself is imprisoned, he objects the most to procedures which dehumanize him and efface his dignity, such as the strip searches and being served pork, which is forbidden in Islam. Independently of the hurricane, Kathy appreciates Islam because she believes its principles of purity and chastity endow women with dignity. Indeed, her worst encounters with prejudice are ones where her dignity is affronted--for
Eggers emphasizes that the chief cost of disaster--be it natural or man-made--is the way it robs individuals of their dignity. Both victims and those who abused their power lose a sense of humanity. After Hurricane Katrina, Zeitoun observes that although the old woman he rescues will survive the storm, she has lost her dignity. When he himself is imprisoned, he objects the most to procedures which dehumanize him and efface his dignity, such as the strip searches and being served pork, which is forbidden in Islam. Independently of the hurricane, Kathy appreciates Islam because she believes its principles of purity and chastity endow women with dignity. Indeed, her worst encounters with prejudice are ones where her dignity is affronted--for