My Sonnet and Explanation

Eli Cusick
Mrs. Shigemitsu
Thursday April 17, 2009
English
My Sonnet
My Sonnet is about running a race, it goes through the hardships of pushing yourself to the max, it also relates to the hardships of life. Like when you start off good, then things start to get better, but you hit that wall, the wall that is trying to hold you back from all you could be. And if you can push past that wall and win the race, your rewards will be great. It also relates to my book Refugee Boy because the boy Alem goes through many hardships and gets through them. I chose the book Refugee boy because in England there is a big problem with the number of illegal immigrants and refugee’s coming into Britain from 3rd world countries like Ethiopia, Pakistan and Iraq. Also when I lived in England I knew many people that were persecuted because of their race or religion, so the book really stood out to me. It gave me more information on the subject and what the wars around the world are really like; there are no heroes or saviors. In war there is only killing and pain.
The main character, Alem, symbolizes innocence and good in the book. He has done nothing wrong but is persecuted and hunted like an animal. He’s the best student in the school, can speak five languages and has the best attitude towards everything and everyone. He has lots of friends and everybody likes him. He is one of the many refugees’ in England but is a special case as nobody is really sure if the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia is actually harming any civilians. His lawyers are trying to convince the London council to let him stay as he has already been bullied and shunned because of race; there is also the other factor of his mother and father. Hi father just ditched him in London, he had good intentions of keeping him safe while he went back to Ethiopia to find his missing wife, but the English officials are not happy about his tactics to keep Alem safe and it doesn’t work in their favor.
The Italian spaghetti symbolizes his country because it is the only thing in common that he likes about England and Ethiopia. It reminds him of home and his father, as it was his favorite food in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The new family Alem gets symbolizes a new start; he can live his life over again and make it better, after the loss of his mother he needs someone to comfort him, his father is away and his foster family make the difference. They are there for him and help him through the hardships he is facing.
The new school that Alem goes to may also represent that he has a new chance to get his life together. In Ethiopia, Alem attended a great school and had lots of friends. The new school he goes to symbolize friendship and love, he is very popular with everyone and is kind hearted so he makes friends easily. In this book the mean people are the ones that want him to go back to Ethiopia, the racist and cruel that want him deported. When he starts a friendly protest in the streets of London they are attacked by fascists that want nobody in their country, they symbolize the danger that could send Alem back to Ethiopia or Eritrea and practically sign his death sentence.
Alem’s father dies at the end of the book it shows that even the most horrible things can happen to the most kind hearted people, Alem is the most good natured person I know seeing what he has been through, he is very strong willed and has a great attitude to everything. He goes into a short mental depression after the loss of his father; he is alone in the world with nobody to help him. His mother was violated and tortured to death, and just as he thought he got his father back, he loses him again to angry fascists that think they are losing their jobs.
In the end Alem doesn’t get deported back to Ethiopia, the British authorities accept him after the end of the rally in London and the murder of his father. He realizes that he is not alone in the world that people no matter who they are or how they are related to you, will always help you out. It really inspired me to stop complaining about what I don’t have and why my life sucks compared to the rich spoilt billionaires sons and daughters. People like Alem and his fellow refugee’s are amazing, they can go through so much and still have a smile on their face at the end of the day.