Sam Jiao > Recent Status Updates

The scene that I cannot forget is when Changez was smiling when the others mentioned 911, when Changez was sarcastic about that incident. The act of the Middle East terrorists hijacking a plane and bombing the Twin Towers showed that they had faith in what they were doing, in contrast to the Americans, who only care about the surface of things.

During this part of the book, Changez really found out that he is sometimes really different from others. In the U.S, he was constantly being told to remember that he was a Pakistani; however, in his home country, he was being treated well and fairly. And in Chile, he met Juan-Bautista. This moment also makes Changez question his loyalty to America and realize how far he has drifted from his home country's culture.

Now, in the book, when he traveled to Manila, I saw how focused and competitive his job is, and how proud Changez feels to be chosen in the interview, and he was really devoted to his job. At the same time, his relationship with Erica became closer, but her sadness about her past becomes clearer, making the story more tense emotionally, and I think it might be a foreshadowing for something later on in the book.

Changez reflects on his time at Princeton, his success at Underwood Samson, and getting closer to Erica. He likes Erica and sees her as a symbol of America’s beauty. While others like Mike are all trying to be closer to Erica, he was able to leave the best impression in front of her. While he feels proud and confident, there are moments when he feels different from others, and the tension in the book starts to grow.

Until now, I have been slowly getting to know Changez and his life in America through his university life at Princeton, and later his interview at Underwood Samson. Through the first few pages with the guy next to him in the tea shop, I could see that he is a very observant person, also having a lot of experience living in the U.S. I’m curious to see how he would approach this amazing chance to work in that company.

Uncle Frank dies by suicide in the basement cell, and he cut his wrists with broken glass. I found it very surprising, since I thought that Uncle Frank would reveal the truth that he had rape Marie. I think his death shows how justice can have a price that the person has to pay, and not being able to escape from the consequences.

David hears strange noises from the basement, where Uncle Frank is, and realizes that he is trying to escape. His father's feelings were tense, characterized by checking the locked room frequently. The family didn't talk that much, and David felt scared but curious. I think that there would be something happening to Uncle Frank later on in the book, after all these foreshadowings of the noise in the "cell" he was in.

There was tension when Frank was locked in the basement. David watched his parents struggle, his father didn't know what to do, to choose between doing his job and caring about the family, making it rather harmonious. His mother was scared and angry. I think this part shows how truth changes everything, and I can feel David’s emotions change, and he was able to know the "gray" part of making decisions.

I would be very curious about Julian Hayden's emotions if he found out that Frank is not an honored doctor but a person who rapes Sioux people. He also always favored Frank, seeing him as the charming doctor and symbol of high status and elegance. Wesley, on the other hand, has always been seen as the weaker, less assertive son. Would Julian's point of view be changed if he found out about what Frank is doing?

David notices that his father’s hands are trembling when he wrote the report on Frank, and it is more than just being nervous. Wes is really stressed about doing the things that are right and being loyal to the family. The hands were trembling because he was scared, but also taking that responsibility. I really felt that justice is not easy to make, and it takes a great amount of courage for a person to do that.

David begins to learn the truth about Uncle Frank, who has been raping Marie, and this causes him to understand how intricate society is. This part really shows how painful it can be when someone you looked up to does something wrong. What I found most thought-provoking is how Watson makes me question what justice really means, especially when it goes against my own family, and should I unravel the mystery behind it.

I was very intrigued by the illness of Marie Little Soldier, how she lay in bed, and was suffering. The book also hinted beforehand, foreshadowing the fever. I was very touched by the narrator’s father’s act of caring for Marie. I think that based on the paragraphs before, the book will next talk about the narrator’s dad begging his mom to help him.

There was a change in perspective for the narrator regarding his father, who is not a typical sheriff seen in Montana. I believe that his dad knew what he was thinking and did that intentionally, and let his son have freedom to choose what to be in the future, and not be imprisoned in the mindset of only becoming a sheriff in the future. However, the narrator wanted to be more of a person like his grandfather.

The first few pages in the prologue set the tone of the book as depressing, with the scene of a person sick, the dad begging and pleading for help, and the presence of guns. That really created suspense for what would happen in the future of the book, and I predict that there will definitely be conflicts happening later on in the book. Probably on the relationships of the family and how it impacts the narrator.