Zeitoun Character Analysis

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Recommended: Natural disasters and their effects

Zeitoun Essay Hurricane Katrina, the third strongest hurricane to touch the United States, caused the displacement of thousands and wreaked havoc in New Orleans. In the nonfiction memoir Zeitoun, Dave Eggers reveals the story of a muslim couple that struggled through the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in 2005. The book comes four years after the disaster and reflects on how one of the main character’s stubbornness to leave led to many issues. The book is geared towards muslim americans and people involved in natural disasters. It points out the severity of the situation in New Orleans and the inefficiency of the government’s response. The characters represent a well known muslim family, the Zeitouns, with the main character being a Syrian. The family owned several properties affected by the storm and were well liked by the customers of their painting business. The author demonstrates a reflective tone through the language strategy of reflecting on prior events and exposes the characters throughout the story by reflecting on their childhoods. The allusions to prior times are directly connected with the actions of the characters and the plot. There are several references in the book to Zeitoun’s childhood and his family history. For example, After Abdulrahman's brother, a ship engineer and global sailor, told him that the storm was bad and that, “You should …show more content…

They allow the audience to feel more familiar and connect with the characters throughout the book. The book references the childhood of Kathy, “Growing up in Baton Rouge, it was a crowded house, full of clamor and extremes…Kathy’s house backed up against Sherwood Middle School… She was one of a handful of white students...She grew to be quick to fight, quick to argue(p58-p59).” This reflection as well as others allow the audience to understand and bond with the

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