Anisah Mohamed Ms.

Thomas Religion 3

The most frightening thing about this story of faith and survival would be the gruesome details and events that happened during the genocide. Sometimes, it is hard for me to fathom the fact that the Hutus hatred for the Tutsis began because of rumors and lies. The thoughts and anger of the Hutus were horrifying and it blows my mind when I think about the fact that this can happen to any ethnicity. This tragedy couldve been a reoccurring event in Rwanda for decades and it can happen anywhere, even today. The most inspiring aspect of this story is Immaculees courage and will to survive. Her hope and perseverance despite the fact that all odds were against her encourages me to try and have as much faith as she did. There are many situations that I find myself in where I feel like giving up hope or that the results I want are impossible to achieve. For example, a major part of my life and something that will have huge impact on my future career is the SAT. As a student taking tests for years, I know that I tend to struggle when it comes to standardized tests. I panic once I realize how much of an impact the test will have on my life and the opportunities I receive, so I deem my wish to get a 2100 as wishful thinking and unachievable. Immaculee, on the other hand, even when she faces what some might say is impending doom, manages to pursue her studies and keep a brave faade for her family and then later on for herself. Her strength is admirable and something that I wish I had myself. Her visions of Jesus Christ may not seem real to me, but if they gave her hope and strength then they arent a bad thing to rely on. Everyone needs something to live for and a will

to survive. Immaculee said herself that the ladies that she shared the bathroom with were just people that wished to survive as well. They did not converse with each other, especially since they could not make any noise, and they did not have anything in common other than the fact they all wanted to make it out of this genocide alive. I may not be Christian, but even as a Muslim I am at point where I think about what faith truly is. These two faiths have similar origins and sometimes I wonder, what really were the Bible and other religious books, for instance the Torah? I have the belief, my logical side speaking, that these books were just tools to help people understand morals and standards of living. Stories are interesting and useful tools that usually captures peoples focus. They are also much easier to remember and pass down orally. They give you guidelines on how to live a good life and hope that there is something more out there. Hope that there is always something to live and strive for. That hope is what helped Immaculee survive. Near the end of this story, Immaculee is still suffering with grief and anguish. At this point, she despises the Hutus for what they did to her loved ones and she is still grieving over their deaths. However, she dreams that they are in a better place waiting for her and in order for them to enjoy this paradise she needs to forgive, forget, move on and have a happy life. The dreams ends with them going to heaven and Immaculee feeling liberated. It is at this moment that Immaculee finds the fortitude to forgive and the will to move on, which she does successfully.