Analyzing The Story 'Running For His Life' By Michael Hall

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"Running for His Life"

In the story "Running for His Life", Michael Hall explains the genocide that Gilbert Tuhabonye experienced when he was in high school in East Africa and how he managed to escape and begin a new life in Austin, Texas. Friends of theirs burned and beat to death the teachers and Tutsi teenagers. However, if students tried to evacuate the building they would be killed. The building was on fire, burning corpses, and burning to death many students. Gilbert tried to commit suicide since he could not bear the situation he was in but he did not succeed. Gilbert expected to be killed when he broke the window and jumped out of it, but no one visually perceived him and took the opportunity to escape. A decade later, Gilbert lived in Austin, Texas. He became known as one of the most popular adept running coach 's in town, and a former national champion. With a mission to win an Olympic medal, and to tell his story, of the heinous crime he experienced. Demonstrating what one man, set on fire and left to die can do (Hall 601-604).

I believe that during the …show more content…

This quotation shows that Gilbert wants to demonstrate to the world that despite what he went through, he overcame his awful life experience and became the man he is today. Gilbert 's terrible life experience helped mold him into the ambitious person he is now. He challenges himself and tries improving himself to reach his goal, because of his past experience. With that, the genocide had a big impact on Gilbert 's life. Also, Hall observes, "In truth, runners don 't race to beat other runners. They race against themselves: to conquer their wills, to transcend their weaknesses, to beat back their nightmares" (603). This quotation shows that running is not always competition, but it helps runners overcome their

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