Who or what is Peace Child to me continued

Choose a representative passage from this novel that holds particular significance to you. Type it in and comment on its significance.

"We smiled at each other, misty-eyed and weary, yet suddenly overflowing with joy. An audible voice could not have made the message clearer. God had heard our prayer." Pg 213

This passage usually appears in many different phrases in the book. Everything Mr. Don Richardson prays to God comes to an answer. When he was rescuing his family in the crocodile infested river, he prayed to God for his family to be safe and God answered to his prayer and by the time MR. Richardson had rescued his family members, all of them were safe and sound. In this phrase, Don and carol was praying to God and reading the bible to hope for a miracle to Warahai, who suffered almost to death. They prayed for him to rise in feet again and God answered the prayer. The next day Warahai raised from the 'dead' and the miracle that Don Richardson and Carol hoped, happened.
It seems that God answers his servants’ prayer very quickly and the servant needs it hurriedly. Whenever Don prayed for an answer, the answer came so soon. My point is that whenever I pray to God, I hope he answers fast just like he did to Mr. Richardson. Although when I pray, it is not always about the other people, some prayers are mostly about me. Even though it is mostly about me, i still hope that God answers my prayer, only when I am in need of help desperately.

IF you are going to post, focus on one question and comment about it.

Who or what is Peace Child to me?

How different is your modern culture from the Sawi tenants?

The culture of mine or my country is very different from the old Sawi tenants. In the Sawi tenants, there are some rules that are so barbaric. They had such law like practicing cannibalism, using the ‘waness bind’ on people, and gross custom of touching dead family member's corpses called gefam ason. Overall, the Sawi tenants usually include cruel and merciless laws, however in our modern cultures; there are no practices such as cannibalism or touching corpses. There could be something similar to the waness bind like setting traps on one person to order them to do what benefits the user of the waness bind. One of the basic differences of my country's culture or other countries like china, America, Japan, or etc is that there is no polygamy going on. The Sawi had several wives and most of them were from killing their old husbands and winning them over. The polygamy was one of the practice that probably happened in every countries' ancient century, however the world is now so civilized that only monogamy stays in place. The country or tribes which practice polygamy is probably so uncivilized and because they do not know the other world culture outside. The rest of the other civilized world only practice monogamy, which is the unbreakable rule for marriages.
Also the Christian cultures are opposites of the Sawi tenants. Sawi also had a myth about birds and the reptiles which is about mortality vs immortality. Christian believes that God created the world and since the beginning, Adam and Eve had caused Sin to appear so all of us humans became mortal. Sawi at first enjoyed the story of Judas betraying Jesus because the theme about that story included fattening for the friendships, which is a most common way to kill their friends, or precious companions. Because of this theme, Sawis cannot trust fully each other. However, Christians believes betraying is the worst thing one can do especially to Jesus.
The last difference and the major one of the old Sawi tenants and Christian culture is that Sawi used the term peace child which is used to make agreement, deal, or peace treaty with other tribes. Peace child are taken care of real sacred to the other tribes because once the peace child is dead, the treaty will be broken. Peace child is given by his or her father and mother. This is sort of similar to God being father and Jesus being his son and Jesus was the 'peace child' to the people in every world. Jesus was a major enormous peace child which forgave people's sin and counted for all the people not just the Israelites, all the people in the world. Overall, Peace child in Sawi culture is small and Peace Child in Christian culture is huge.

What should we do continued

What do mission organizations do for these people?

Mission organizations basically help the poor or uncivilized cultural tribes. No matter how hard or will take long to understand the tribes' language and speak them, missionaries hang around with the tribes in a small cottage and heal the sick, give advice to the people who had done bad crimes, and gather groups of people to share a gospel.

What should we do continued

What does Jesus want us to do for the Sawi?

As I probably mentioned before, Jesus wants his followers, any Christians, missionaries, or etc to evangelize the word of God because Jesus loves everybody. All humans are equaled therefore even uncivilized Sawi got the chance to be converted. And since all of us were saved from Jesus, we also need to thank him back by evangelizing and manifesting the Christianity to the unfortunate people who does not know Jesus.

What should we do?

What should society do for "uncivilized cultures" like the Sawi?

Since the world is growing and technology is advancing, the uncivilized tribes should also get a new life and meet new ages to survive. Missionaries are there to fix the tribes' belief into Christianity and teach the uncivilized societies how to live in comfort. Therefore people all over the world could support the uncivilized groups by donating money to the organization that supports the native tribes.

What is faith continued

What should we do when we are confronted with other cultures?

First, we should observe the culture of people and respect it. The countries' or tribes culture is very precious and important for those people who respect the culture. Don Richardson first observed the culture of the Sawi and gradually, after the problems and conflict happened , he slowly taught some of the Sawi's culture and traditions were wrong, like giving the Peace Child, and as he introduced the story of Jesus and his sacrifice to save all people from sin. So if i were a missionary, i would first listen and observe if the culture of one's belief is good or bad, and fix some of the traditions by introducing the Christianity.

What is faith continued

How does Faith relate to the world in which we live?

Faith is something that people have on their belief. In this world has many countries and each countries hold different kinds of world views and beliefs. The people have faith in their religion. Even small tribes of cannibals have their belief and traditions or culture. The faith relates to the world we live in because every people have their beliefs about something.

What is faith?

What does God expect us to do for other cultures and faiths?

God sends missionaries all over the world to the uncivilized and cannibalistic people. He wants them to evangelize as many people who does not know the existence of God and convert them. As a Christian, I should also try to get together with God in spirit and with the words, spread God's word to other people. It would be great if I could convert one person into Christianity, just like Mr. Don Richardson converted many Sawi people.

Journal 17

At last, the Germans are out of the camp because the Russians are getting Germans' butt kicked. Alberto left early, but Primo felt like staying more and also Primo was a little sick. SO he stayed with the other people who are not ready to leave the camp and survived for 10 days more. SInce Germans are out of the way, the prisoners could now steal food from the kitchen with ease, and for early days they survived on kitchen food and melted snow water. Even when the concentration camp was over, there were young and old people dying from the sickness or hunger.
During the 10 days Primo and the rest of the refugees fed on food at kitchen, got new clothes from a Tailor.
In the middle of 10 days, one guy from other camp saw potato field from not so far area. Primo and his gangs took many potatoes and had a feast with them. Potatoes, or soup, pancakes, and anything one could do with potatoes were made and for the first time in ages, the prisoners had a feast.
At this time, the prisoners were teamed up, not trying to survive on his own. By helping each other, they gained food and tried to heal the sick or old people. In the later days, the 11 people escaped the camp, leaving only one dead in the camp.
Primo survived and some of his friends also reached their family or made a profession of something. All of them were now back in peaceful life.

Personally, I liked this chapter because it was easiest to read and there were many parts about food. THe food in the book always make me hungry... wait not only that, It was a happy ending for all the prisoners. The last sentence of what primo said also made him sound like he miss the people in the camp. Maybe he doesn't miss the camp's life, but people from the camp is what he missed the most.

journal 16

"To destroy a man is difficult,almost as difficult as to create one: it has not been easy, nor quick, but you Germans have succeeded. Here we are, docile under you gaze; from our side you have nothing more to fear; no acts of violence, no words of defiance, not even a look of judgement."

He said this before a guy who said, "I am the last one!" This may be significance because that man who died WAS the last one who will die in the camp. Primo was disgusted to see another person dying and because the guy had stated I am the last one, Primo and his friend must have been shocked.

The quote from the pg 150, up in the first paragraph is from Primo who said to the Germans in thought that German was successful controlling the men of jews. He means that making life or killing life is hard when he said man is difficult to create one or kill. Life is most important thing about people, but German didn't think so. German thought Jews were inferior and they thought Jewish does not need life, so that is why they can easily kill off life of men at the camp. And because German can kill life so easily, Jewish are afraid so they are docile to Germans. Germans are the trainers and Jews became their pet-animals.

journal 15

Time passed, and many italian jews or other jews that came with Primo is now long gone. The experienced prisoners like Primo is now a kommando who works under shelter. What they basically do is work with chemical ingredients. Primo Levi was chosen for one of the three scientist to work in laboratory. His friend Alberto congratulated him and Primo mentioned that his friendship with Alberto has grown like an "Alliance." There is no envy or jealousy from Alberto. He is the best friend of primo and having friend in the camp is not very usual thing. As I said in before journals, everybody is enemy and bargain life to each other secretly. However, Primo was a very good friend of Alberto as he was also a friend of primo.

The life in the camp turned very easy for Primo because now he is promoted to a specialist and he can get new clothes every wednesday. I figured out that having a major of something useful would also get a man to get his life easier than those who suffers. Primo can also steal without getting in danger and what he always does is now writing notes and do chemistry. Nobody beats him and he had better shelter. The life in Buna became a heaven for Primo now. (Not entirely, but probably better off than the life when he was working severously)

journal 14

Rainy day is a melancholic day for everyone. It is same for everybody in the camp. Rainy day means muddy ground and place to evade rain to the prisoners. They would not want muddy and wet clothes so they would hide under shelter in a shed. And in chapter 14, the rain had been raining for 10 days and ground is so wet that it is difficult to work and all sacks are wet. Primo once mentioned in pg 131,
"Between one movement of the shovel and another I think about it, and I really believe that to have a dry rag would be positive happiness."
This phrase is saying that even primo is in the dreaded camp, he would also think about working in better conditions like having a dry bag instead of the weat ones. It seems that the prisoners cannot stand massive mother nature disaster than the slavery in the camp. Primo was also glad that it was not windy while raining because windy weather would make prisoners in despair. Even though the prisoners does not like rainy weather, they don't like something (like wind) that makes the rainy weather even worse.

journal 13

At winter of the Auschwitz camp, there is a process called 'Selekja' which means selection. Those who get selected by the German officers does not get any reward, but instead one gets to die earlier. In winter, German officers once set a big tent for the prisoners of lager. however as population of prisoners were increasing, they had to lessen the population of the prisoners by selecting them and then kill.

Even in selection process, there is still idea of survival of fittest. Some people who learned about the selection, won't let others know and sneak to Ka-be for just to escape the selection. Once again, as i mentioned before in other journals, these sneaky people does not let other people know because they want advantage from those who doesn't know. But because of the people who did not let others know, people will revenge against the people who did not teach them about the selection. Than whole revenging will start just like Peace child's Sawi did to the other tribes.

journal 12

In chapter 12, The Buna is bombarded and the prisoners faced new challenge in the life of camp. The bombardment was led to the flee of prisoners. Prisoners had to wrok all day and now that the camp was getting bombed, they had to evade from the danger. The prisoners run wild and some steal food from the kitchen and some might get killed or starved in hunger. The laws in the camp doesn't exist during the bombardment. Though it is risky to steal food from the kitchen (cuz it led to death)the prisoners are too starved to care about the result.

Primo also described this crazy experience as "world shaken every day more deeply by the omens of its nearing end, amidst new terrors and hopes, with intervals of exasperated slavery," at pg 119. The camp was already bad enough with dying people from cursed German people. Though the prisoners gain hope sometimes, the hope is shriveled up agian by the the camp's new experience, bombing, which led Primo to add it as one of their new torture in the camp.

journal 11

The poem about Ulysses (the greek epic poem also called Odysseus where it explains the Ithacan king returning from Trojan war)that Primo explains to Pikolo is basically a poem that invigorates hopes to the hopeless people. The poem, in a different way, talks about Ulysses' dangerous adventure through the ocean and troubles. This sort of reminds the prisoners in Auschwitz. Odysseus (or Ulysses whatever) was forced to go to trojan war because of Menelaus, king of sparta, and it took long time to come back to his home, just like jewish people in the camp. Jewish were forced to come to the camp because of German nazis. They were labored and until the German Nazis were defeated, the prisoners lived a animal-like life. Many jewish died, as well as Ody's men. Ody's poem might have gave the prisoners feel hopeful because Ody was successful at last getting to his home. They probably believed that, just like Ody, they will also live throughout the camp (although that is not sure because anybody can die anytime) and return home.

Journal 10

What ill-luck, I cannot even talk to the others to hear what questions they are asking. pg 105

It must be very uncomfortable not able to communicate or even understand the germans. However, the non-german people had to suck it up and try to do what the German officers say to them. In the earlier chapter the prisoners learned that they shouldn't ask question to the German officers or ask to repeat. Primo had little knowledge on German language however he was still an amateur at it. Chemical examination seems to have been important event for Primo because he was expert at chemistry. But because he couldn't understand what 'Alex' was saying, he had to guess by Alex's look at follow the action. If he makes one wrong move, he will be flunked in Chemical examination.

journal 9

In chapter 9, Primo talks about how to be a good survivor. There was this one guy in camp, who is a loner (actually everybody are loners because nobody help each other to survive), but cunning. In order to survive this harsh camp, one must think about how to get off from the hard jobs. He can sacrifice his hunger for one meal and trade a bread for something and avoid from work. Then he will keep his plan for himself to use it again. If too much people use his plans, then the plan the original man created will be useless next time when he uses it. Therefore in order to survive this horrid camp, one must be cunning and sneaky.

journal 8

As the food were used for money or trading, the shirt also became one of them. The shirt was issued for prisoners whenever they lost it or can't be worn. So the prisoners decided to trade shirts for food and the same things that they traded for with bread. Although losing clothes will lead to harsh punishment for the prisoners, in order to survive and get what prisoners want, they'll do anything to get it. They are going to die anyway, so why not do what they want?

Then primo talks about ration of bread, cigarettes, shirts, buna factories and rest of the materials that exist in Auschwitz camp.

Although, this place is a camp, it does seem more like a prison (probably it is) because prisoners work and get small amount of food that everybody complain about. The SS men has no mercy for the thief as well as the victim. SSmen does not care or rather encourage the theft to happen, so that SS men can punish them both for their mischeives.

Journal 7

From this chapter, prisoners start talking about food. First a boy named Sigi would talk about his mother in Vienna and the third dishes of bean soup he couldn't finish. Then other person would talk about his country and the food and so and on. Every international prisoners miss their food fron their country. Then Primo would think about how weak their flesh is. He figured that they are all in fantasies of food because of their hunger.
Hunger also leads to pilfering food and survival of fittest. One who is smart to get food can obtain quite more rations than he could and those who does not watch for their food would see their food stolen in a second. Bread loses its taste and nutrition if time passes. Therefore, it is smart to chop it in ones mouth before it gets stolen or rotten.
Also, the soup comes in the meal which satisfies the prisoners. Sometimes the soup comes in mass amount therefore one can get 6 pints of hot soup.

Journal 6

PG 70. "Oh, If one could only cry! Oh, if one could only affront the wind as we once used to, one equal terms, and not as we do here, like a cringing dogs. We are outside and everyone picks up his lever"

Primo is desperate for freedom. In my opinion, the wind in this phrase means freedom or "better treatment." In the camp, only German are the superior beings and rest of the prisoners had unequal rights. The harsh treatment made the workers discouraged and sad. The only thing that can invigorate these workers are the smell of freedom or care from somebody. Dogs also like to get treated with care. Dogs symbolizes to workers in this phrase.