1.       Quote 1: “God who protects my people I call upon you to send away the murahaleen. Oh God of the sky, keep me safe tonight. Keep me hidden, keep me quiet.”
Page 97

Deng says this quote when he is hiding from the Arab group called the murahaleen, he is on the brink of being caught, and asks God to keep him safe. This quote reveals to the audience that the main character is a religious person, and that God is extremely close to him.
During this passage, he breaks his strict following of religion by questioning the existence of God. By saying “Why are you doing this? I have done nothing to ask for this. I’m a boy. I’m a boy. Would you send this to a lamb? You have no right.” This is the first time in the novel that he shows hesitance in the belief of God. This passage provides a theme to the novel, as the novel aims to question the existence of God and his/her inaction towards vile acts committed in Sudan. This passage also portrays the defeated attitudes that the citizens of Sudan have towards their lives, and that their lives have turned so ugly, that they question why their mighty God has not come and helped them in their time of need.

Quote 2:

“These are Arabs who have fallen to the level of the animal. They are like the lion, with its appetite for raw meat. These are not humans. These lion-creatures love war and blood. They enslave people, which is against the laws of God. They have been transformed into animals. Page 99

This quote occurs when he runs away from an Arab tribe that were close to catching him. This quotes details the character development that has progressed with Deng. He has matured from a quiet boy from a rich family in Sudan, to an angry, outspoken, and strong minded individual. This quote shows just how much hate Deng has for Arabs as he likens Arabs to vicious bloodthirsty animals. This quote adds great meaning to the overall novel, as it shows how quickly people can change their lives to adapt themselves to a new catastrophic event, such like a new era of civil war. In this case, Deng demonstrates how quickly we as human beings can turn on each other with relative ease.

2.       IH8ARAB

I believe this would a license plate that would be apt for Deng, because so far through the novel, he has acted extremely vocal towards Arabs and he isn't afraid to use foul language to describe them. This offensive license plate shows that Deng wouldn't mind giving opinion to people around him and to people he may not even know.

His blunt opinion is expressed in Quote 2 as well as other quotes in the novel which show Deng’s hate towards Arabs.

1.       “My mother is my father’s first wife, and she lives in the family compound with other five wives, with whom she is friendly, even sisterly. Page 34

This quote occurs, when Deng, the protagonist begins to describe his perfect day, and how he goes home after a short day of school to one of his many mothers. Through this quote it is evident that the society in Sudan is open towards Polygamy, this social attitude towards women is further progressed throughout the novel as there are many cases of the abuse of woman littered throughout the novel. The society in this community is so comfortable with Polygamy, that even the children are happy to have multiple mothers living together with them. By this quote, we can determine that Deng is also a boy that wishes to have multiple wives in the future. This one of a few quotes, that is supposed to show the social norms in Sudan and to display the large gap in society between the richer, advanced, western countries, to the poorer, African country of Sudan.

2.       “ – He was caught stealing. He was punished.

   – It’s an outrage! This is not Sudanese justice.

   – It is now. That’s the point. This is sharia.  ”

This quote occurs as the civil war is about to start, as Sharia law is spreading throughout Sudan, when a man has his hand cut off for the reason that he has stolen a brick from his employer.

Sharia law is very much a set of rules set on people; these laws dictate how people live their lives. To this day, Sharia law exists throughout the Middle East and is especially existent in the poorer countries throughout Africa. Sharia law heavily favours men’s rights and infringe women’s rights. It is a primitive set of laws that is criticized throughout the world. Despite, the fact that the Sudanese justice system was already skewed before Sharia Law; people in Sudan are still terrified by the idea of Sharia law in Sudan. After this part in novel, the fear in Sudan of the upcoming Civil war is set in motion, where people in the village start escaping and fear the Islamists attacking their village. The fear of the civil war is also clearly evident in the eyes of Deng, as he develops a demonized view of Sharia law, and Islam in general. He shares these opinions when he talks to his friends about how the Arabs leach on the Dinka society for supplies.

Object 1: Television

The television is a fairly new object in the life of Deng, and it symbolizes the vast difference in cultures between Sudan and United States. Deng describes himself as ‘exhilarated, disheartened, and thoroughly confused.” by the vast entertainment given to him. Despite the activity watching TV being a social norm for people in western society, Deng has had little to no experience with such entertainment. Underlying the difference in the social practices of the West from the practices in Sudan.

Object 2: Bicycle

The bicycle relates to the story when someone in Deng’s village buys a new bicycle. The village and Deng are extremely impressed by this bicycle and Deng describes the bike with “Pedals that are the silver of stars, its handlebars exquisitely shaped.” This bicycle represents the aspirations that Deng has to own such a bicycle in the future. He describes how when he grows rich to own multiple stores, he will buy a brand new bike. The value of a bicycle is profound in a landscape like Sudan, and due to its expensive nature, it is seen as a luxury item in this part of the world.


Object 3: The horse

When an Arab fellow by the name of Sadiq visits Deng’s village, he brings with him a horse, a common animal owned by Arabs in the region. Deng gets onto the horse, but his hastily removed from it by his father. Despite the Arab man letting Deng sit on the horse for pleasure, the father dislikes this act. This object is seen as an enemy by the father as it shows the conflicts that the Dinga tribe have with Arabs in Sudan.

Object 4: Bag of sugar

This object is brought up in the story, when government troops ask to take bags of sugar from Deng's father free of charge.

The bag of sugar sets off fear of civil war in Deng’s village. This bag of sugar is significant in that it alerts people in the village of tensions occurring in the capital of Khartoum. With food scarce, this bag of sugar gives us clues that show people in the village, use food diligently and efficiently, and how it is frowned upon to steal food.

 

What aspects or general themes from Cinthio’s Hecatommithi would make an interesting adaptation into Othello on stage?

I think it would have been interesting to watch Ensign’s deceit as Othello progresses. In particular, the scene that would have been great to watch is the scene where the Captain discusses Disdemona with Ensign, while the Moor is conveniently placed in location where he is able view their conversation taking place. If this scene was to be adapted into Othello on stage, I imagine Shakespeare utilizing an aside, so the Moor is able to share his thoughts to the audience. This would be the perfect time for the Moor to display his hatred toward the Captain and his wife. It would also be noteworthy if the audience is able to get an overview of Ensign’s jealously towards the Moor

Predict what ending do you think Shakespeare chose -  Othello kills self or is killed by torture after banishment

I think Shakespeare chose the ending where Othello commits suicide

What are Hugo’s motives? Why does he manipulate the other characters?

Hugo is a complex character, and it is evident that he has lived a life under Odin’s shadow. The shadow is so far reaching, that Hugo’s own father enjoys the company of Odin over Hugo. This point is especially seen in the part of the movie where Hugo tells his father about the English grade, and the father neglects Hugo, choosing to talk about Odin instead. It is for this neglect, that Hugo is incredibly jealous of Odin and chooses to manipulate a handful of characters to bring Odin’s status down.

Why is Odin vulnerable to Hugo’s manipulations?

                Odin is also an incredibly interesting character; he is revered for his basketball talent. Although, just like Hugo’s final speech at the very end of the movie, Odin is a ‘Hawk’ a special species that stands out among the other birds, finding it especially hard to fit in. For his overwhelming talent, his is forced to fit in. He does this by listening and following along Hugo's manipulations.