Evaluation
I was extremely impressed by the factual representation in this novel. Although the novel didn’t explicitly include facts, it discussed in detail what individuals in the African communities used to think about the HIV virus and how it spread from person to person. Many of Binti’s relatives believed that if the AIDS orphans touched or kissed another individual they would contract the disease. In one part of the story Binti mentions that her cousin was raped by a man who believed that if he slept with someone else he would be cured of the disease. It also mentioned multiple times that there were newer drugs invented in the United States but the countries in Africa were too poor to receive these fancy vaccines. As an adult, this part of the story moved me. At twenty years old I knew what AIDS was and I was familiar with the HIV virus, but I was unaware that these underdeveloped countries were refused medication.
A lot of individuals argue that it is more important for our youth to be educated in the modern-day practices that their cohort is familiar with. I disagree with this statement. I believe that what we thought in the past is just as important as what we now know in the future. It is important for teachers to discuss literature that sheds a somewhat negative light on our society. The United States is certainly not a perfect nation as I learned in my history classes in elementary school. It is also important for our students to remember that there is still a huge economic gap between the developed and underdeveloped countries. One idea for the classroom is to talk about current events. You may create an assignment where the students are to pick an article from the international news and write a brief reaction paper to share in groups at the beginning of class. The teacher could also begin every Monday by starting a small discussion on an important event that happened over the weekend. I wish I would have read books like this one when I was younger. Sometimes I still feel as if I live in the Pittsburgh bubble.
Lastly, I appreciated the theme of selflessness that was weaved throughout this story. Binti is a girl who focuses mostly on herself and her radio show until her father dies and she is forced to help everyone else. This is a powerful message for students of all ages but especially for adolescents. While I was reading this book I thought about Erickson’s crisis of identity vs. role confusion. Like Binti, we can sometimes feel like the whole world is crashing down on us but it is important to remember that eventually we will discover our purpose for living. As teachers it is important to recognize the students who need some extra guidance in finding the right path. A teacher is a counselor and a facilitator of dreams.
