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StrengthinWhatRemains:CriticalReviewOne
JasonM.,Bridger
PortlandStateUniversity


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BibliographicInformation
StrengthinWhatRemainsisanarrativewrittenbyTracyKidderandpublishedinthe
NewYork,TheUnitedStatesbyRandomHousein2009.Thepaperbackeditionis284pages
longandcost$12.02.
Introduction
StrengthinWhatRemainsisanarrativesurroundingthelifeofDeogratias,aBurundian
medicalstudentpushedoutofthecountryduetotheBurundiangenocide.Deoscountryhas
beensplitbetweentwogroups,thehutuandthetutsi,onceviolenceeruptsbetweenthemDeois
oneofmanytargeted.Throughthehelpofothersaroundhimandpurebraveryheescapestothe
UnitedStates.Withtwohundreddollarsinhispocketandnotawordofenglishinhis
vocabularyhetriestostartanewlifeinpromisedlandthatisAmerica.Deosoonfindsthatthe
sameinequalityandpovertyisstillpresentinhisnewhome.LuckilyDeomeetsafew
goodnaturedNewYorkerswhohelphimfindshelterandgethimbackintomedicalschool.
FromtherehemeetstheauthorandisabletogobacktoBurunditocreateclinics.
Areyoualive?sheaskedhiminKirundi.Yes,hesaid.Butpleasedontkillme.
No,no,no,no,shesaid.Iwanttohelpyou.Idontwanttokillyou.(Kidder,2009,p.126).
Deohastogetusedtothisideaoflettinghimselfbehelped.Hehaslivedwithsomuchprideand
hasbeenraisedtobeveryclosedofffromeveryoneelse.NomatterwhereDeowenthewasmet
withdiscrimination.Heisabletosurviveduetohisemotionalconditioningasachild.Deohold
backalltheseterriblememoriesandlearnsfromthemandhewasabletoaccomplishallthathe
didduetohisabilitytomoveonwithhopeforabetterlife.MostimportantlyDeoholdsa


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philosophythathemusthelpotherpeopleanditisreinforcedbythepeoplewhohelphimalong
theway.Universalhumankindnessandgenerosityisthekeytosuccessandsurvival.
Background
Deoencountersseveralsituationswhereheisindangerorinneedandthroughthehelp
ofothersaroundhim,sometimesbeingcompletestrangers,canturnhislifearound.WhenDeo
getsofftheplaneatNewYorkCityheishelpedbyMuhammad,anairportbagchecker.
MuhammadhelpsteachDeothecity,startshimoffatajobandgiveshimaplacetostay
(Kidder,2009,p.12).MuhammaddidnotknowDeoandyethetookhimunderhiswing
Muhammadsawtheopportunityandhelped.OnceDeogothisjobasagrocerydeliveryman,he
wasintroducedtoawidespectrumofNewYorkers.OneofwhichisSharon,aretirednunwho
canspeaktohiminFrench.Deowashavingaverydifficultlifenotbeingabletocommunicate
whoheisandwhathehasbeenthrough.Sharontriestogethimdoctorappointmentsandhelps
himfindaplacetolive.Deogotveryoffendedaboutbeingtoldwhatissueshehadbythedoctor
andfelthewastalkingdowntohimwhenhewasjustdoinghisjob.
KiddersArgument
Kidderarguesthatputtingasideyourprideandovercomingthepastalongwithhelping
othersyoucanreachhappinessandfulfillment.Deohasaveryhardtimeacceptingothershelp
andfeelslikeitisanattackonhispride.Deogrewupinasocietythatshunnedthethoughtof
needinghelp.Deowastoughtobecometoughandfindwaystosurvive.WhenDeoisdelivering
grocerieshefounditdifficulttoacceptthetipsthecustomersgavehim,evenwhenheneeded
themsobadly.Whenacouple,CharlieandNancyWolf,cameincontactwithSharonandgave
himaplacetostayandaroundsixthousanddollarstoreturntoschool,hefounditveryhardto


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acceptthemoneyCharliegavehimonthecountertopeverymorning(Kidder,2009,p.76).Deo
hadtoovercomehispridetobeabletoaccepthelpandaccomplishwhathehas.Kidders
underlyingphilosophywouldbethatothersmustcareforeachothertoprosper.
Presentation
WhenDeowasattheborderhegothelpfromtheolderHutuwoman,whoputherown
lifeontheline,liedtothemilitiathatDeowasherson(Kidder,2009,p.129).Notonlydidhe
Deosurvive,helivedouthisdreamtocreateclinicsinBurundiandhelpothersout.Thisstoryis
aneffectivewaytoshowthathoweveryonedoesntknoweachothersstoriesandtohelpwhen
youcan.Anyonecanrelatetothisstorybecauseeveryonehasbeeninneedofhelpatsome
point.AlthoughthemainhelpDeogotwasmateriallikemoneyorshelterhealsowashelpedby
thelittlethings.Themicroaggressionsofothersaroundhimlikehisbossgosssayinghecould
handletheheatbecausehewasAfricancanweighonedownevenhowsmalltheymayseem.
Thesmallhelplikethetipsfromthecustomersandthenicepeoplehehasmetkeephopeinhis
heartandenoughencouragementtomoveon.Kiddershowsthatbeingtheretounderstanda
personsstorycanhelpthemmentallyandhelpyouunderstandhowtohelp.Kidderlearnsthe
wholestorythroughDeo,whowasprobablyusedtotellingthestorybythen.Healsotalksto
thosewhohelpedDeoalongthewaytounderstandhowheleftanimpressiononthemandhow
theyfeltabouthelpinghim.
WritingStyleCritique
KidderkeptmakingparallelsbetweenNewYorkandBurundi.Thenonlinearstyleofthe
narrativetriestoshowrelationsbetweenwhatDeolivedinandwhathethoughtwouldbebetter.
ThestylealsobringsattentiontohowDeoreactsanddealswiththeissuesaroundhim.Thebook


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issomewhatconfusingbecausethemaincharacterisnotthenarrator.ThenarratorisTracy
KidderwhocomeslaterinDeoslife.ThebookisverypersonaltoDeoslifeandKidderin
pearingintohislifeandwritinginthethirdpersonsensemadeithardtofollowsometimes.The
switchingbackandforthbetweenNewYorkandBurundiwasprettyeasytofollowandmade
understandingDeoslifemucheasier.
Conclusion
OnemainmessagethatItakefromthetextisbeinggenerousandnicetootherswill
improveeveryone'slife.Alwayslearnsomeonesfullstoryfortheirpointofview.Somepeople
CharliegivingDeomoneyforfoodeachdaysavedBurundianlivesinDeo'sclinicbecause
everyonehelpedhimgetthere.Everyonehasaroleinsocietyanditisanetofpeoplerelyingon
eachother.Deo,likemanyothers,mustovercomehisprideandconditioningtoaccepthelpfrom
others.Thebookwaswrittenin2009andisstillrelevanttoday.Theeconomicdividesare
greaterthanever.Povertyisstillanissuearoundtheworldalongwiththerisingfromthelower
classes.Culturally,countriesallovertheworldarebecomingmoreidenticalwiththefasttransfer
ofinformation.Iwouldarguethatthestruggletoholdontohopeinimpoverishedareasisstilla
hugeissuesandcompletelyrelevanttoday.ThebookisconvincingbecauseKiddertakesa
regulardayinHarlemwithviolenceandpovertyandconnectsittothehorrendousviolencein
Burundi.Takesawfulsituationspeopleseeeverydaylikethehomelessortheimpoverishedand
showsastorybehindthemtohumanizeothersasindividualsratherthanagroup.ShowingDeos
lifetheonlywayanyonecanunderstandit,bytellingthewholestory.Thebookisaccurateto
showthemisunderstandingofothersbutismisleadingwhenittellsastoryaboutsuccess.This


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mightleadtoapromisingviewofhomelessorrefugeeswheninrealitythemajorityofpeoplein
Deossituationdonotendupsuccessful.


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Resources
Kidder,T.(2009).
Strengthinwhatremains
(Paperbacked.).NewYork:RandomHouse.