To be honest, I did not find this memoir to be as interesting or as easy to read as Butler's Parable of the Sower. Iverson's memoir, however, did leave me with a rather grandiose thought along with an optimistic outlook. I think that it is entirely impossible to go through life without facing a great deal of pain and hardships. These hardships, whatever they may be, are unavoidable, but they allow us to appreciate the good times. I believe that it takes tremendous strength and bravery to admit that you are going through problems. It also takes courage to let the people close to you help with your troubling times.
Certain people try to avoid the issue and act as though nothing is wrong. This avoidance can temporarily make you feel better but will eventually lead to the problem's growth. We can see this happen in Rocky Flats when the court revokes the case. Even with the knowledge of the devastation that has already occurred in Rocky Flats, they will do nothing to truly turn the situation around. In addition to be drawn into the fact that the case was revoked, I was intrigued by the last two paragraphs of Iversen's memoir.
In these two paragraphs, Iversen uses a great deal of imagery and sensory detail, "The air is suddenly acrid with the scent of raindrops and soil, a clean sharp smell, and it's time for me to go" (340). She paints a vivid image of her last moments in Rocky Flats, and to me I found them to be sad. I pictured her standing there, staring up at the sky feeling defeated. Remembering all the horrible things she had to endure in that place. I believe the smells of the land, even though they are different now, somewhat remind her of the smells she remembered as a young girl. I could be wrong but this is what was going on in my head as I read Iversen's final words.
No comments:
Post a Comment