In the second part of the book Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder, what was most fascinating to read about was the part where Deo and the author visit the University of Columbia where Deo used to go to college. As Deo walks into the University, he reacts with such enthusiasm and excitement as if he were a child looking at a bunch of presents under a Christmas tree. This place I think for Deo was like a home to him, a place where he could learn and make something of himself. He had suffered so much but with a lot of support and financial help from his friends Nancy and Charlie, he could finally pursue his dream for a medical profession and be able to help people in Burundi who seriously needed medical attention.
When Deo talks about his studies in philosophy at the University of Colombia, it seemed that he was desperate to find answers to his questions about the “nature of good and evil, humanity and God” (page 183). Out of all the questions he asked, I found his question about God the most fascinating. He says “who is left to trust, really? God? God the most powerful, who let everything happen?” (page 183). This question is interesting to me because while he was seeking the answer to this question he was still struggling with his vivid horrific memories of the genocide in his country. He knew he couldn’t trust anyone there and so questioned whom to trust in this world even to the point of questioning if God was trustworthy and seemed to blame him for what happened. Now since then he had learned to accept God into his life as a way to cope with what he had gone through instead of blaming God for what happened in his country. In doing so he had found peace in his life.
It was really fascinating to read about Deo going through so much in his life and still having such perseverance to survive, learn, and hold on to his dignity no matter what obstacles came his way. It really made me think about if I went through what he had gone through would I still have the will to survive and live or would I give up and die? I don’t know, all I know is that Deo’s story was very inspirational to me and made me think that anything is possible if you keep hold onto your will to live, have a dream of a better future for yourself and the desire to help other people out of pure selflessness.
What stuck out to me the most in this part of the book was the sudden shift from Deo being excited about learning and getting his education to suddenly being hunted and desperately trekking the land hoping to get away from all the killings and chaos. Sometimes I felt like Deo looked at his soul from time to time and began noticing changes that did not fit with his original personality. The war brought upon this painful metamorphasis of hope and glee for the future to a dismal and numb will to survive, as if he had lost his soul.
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