The League of Extra ordinary Gentlemen
Usually I write
about how the book, but this time Im going to talk about the author. Tracy
Kidder is a literary genius..I kid you not…I realize I may have sounded like
one of those people who throw the amazing and fabulous and other such superlatives
around…but Tracy Kidder is truly an incredible genius.
It was after reading
‘Mountains beyond Mountains’ and ‘ Strength in what Remains’ that I realize the
powerful role that a writer plays in a book. Usually the author is the God of
the book- he knows what has happened, what will happen and what twist of plot
awaits for us. The writer is always in full control of the how the book will
unfold and end… I know this makes sense for fiction , but even for non fiction,
the author always has a point to prove and he proves it. Tracy Kidder on the
other hand is always a part of the book, he never makes himself or his interactions
with the subjects larger than life. Infact by making himself insignificant, he
shows his magnanimity. He allows us to feel the awe that he feels, the
vulnerability of not completely understanding his subject , his trepidation
while travelling through an area he knows gives his subjects nightmares. And he
is honest about it. You realize he records and narrates with such honesty, it’s
almost like you are thinking to yourself.
''The world is full of
miserable places,'' Tracy Kidder writes. ''One way of living comfortably is not
to think about them or, when you do, to send money.'' This quote from the book, plunged me
in the heart. Im one of those people. And the thirty seconds that I feel good
about myself don’t mean anything to the people actually suffering. ‘Mountains
Beyond Mountains’
is one man’s quest to alleviate the sufferigns of the people in these places
and make sure that preventable and
curable diseases don’t claim lives of human beings in the 21st
century.
It was during his
reaserch on PIH and Paul Farmer, that Tracy came across Deogratias or popularly
known as Deo, and thus was born the extraordinary tale of ‘Strength in what remains’.
Deo was a medical
student with a bright future, he had parents and grandparents who had hopes and
dreams for him and wanted him to make a difference, ( like any other story
right?) Except this was in Burundi, close to the Rwanda, and this is a story of
one man’s story of survival….from machetes …from genocides and civil wars..
from nightmares and guilt. This is the story of second chances, of how a few
ordinary people shape this extraordinary life and rescue and support Deo from
the life he is condemned to lead as a non-English speaking immigrant to a
medical school at Columbia to a volunteer and part of PIH. This is one man’s
story from being afraid and angry to
finally forgiveness.
There are some great
thoughts in the book. We meet so many people in this melting pot of a nation,
people from all over the world. Its so glance over people like Deo, who look
like ordinary people , but carry so much weight.
Tracy Kidder does a
great job of delving onto Deo’s psyche. In those early days when he didn’t really
know anyone and didn’t speak the language…but had thoughts racing through his
mind …like this…
He knew right away he was the lowliest of employees. He was summoned
to clean up bodily wastes….. He imagined the other staff thought he was dim
witted. That was what so many assumed when you didn’t speak their language as
well. So many people don’t listen to the content of what you say, but only to
the noises you make.
Or how Deo deals with the aftermath of the
hell he has been through. When you survive a civil war and genocide, how do you
not let that define you? How do you rise from the ashes…or more spectacularly
go back and try to solve the problems of your people…Here are a few of Deo’s
thoughts quoted in the book while he copes with the aftermath-
……Since coming to the United States, Deo has already read some of
the history he had endured. But his main interest had not been historical, it was spiritual. How
to reckon with the fact that, unlike some other genocides, the slaughters he
had witnessed had been mostly low tech with machetes, bows and spears and
arrows? It had been possible to kill many hundreds with these tools only
because large minorities had participated…….
….Deo’s stance seemed
remarkable. How many people in his place would have divided up in this world
into bad guys and good guys and left it at that? Not just his philosophy but
all his studies here had helped him find a way around the self- poisoning
hatred. Really I trained my mind to be flexible,” Deo said. “some of the stuff I
learnt was, be willing to know that even when you think you know for sure,
always leave room for uncertainty. And someone who always agrees with you isn’t
necessarily a friend. You can always learn something form a hard time if you
survive it. And there is really no mathematical formula you can follow to
achieve what you want. Just trial and error. He had been able to bring himself back
from a world gone irrational , back from the militiamen to cows…..
or the feelings of trepidation and fear as you
face your demons in a country trying to rise above the violence of its own
people
….and they were fighting with each other’s like desperate pigs. He
felt indignant at the spectacle. He described it indignantly to me, and I
thought this was remarkable, that politics as usual could still surprise and
disappoint him. In spite of all he’d
been through he still hadn’t acquired a reflex of cynicism….
Innocent ( cab driver) to Deo: you know I don’t care about myself.
Right now I can easily go to Bugendena without you, but I’m just thinking how
you survived and now you’re going back here looking for trouble? Do you know
how many people struggled to survive and didn’t? And now you’re going back in
purpose? Its like you are laughing . this is a stupid idea…
…and the immense feeling of relief and
confidence when you realize that you made it…you survived….and..
..After getting his citizenship: when he walked out of the office
in Manhattan, and the feeling he hadn’t had for years until up to a minute ago,
came back to him: “ you walked around with your chin up , but in your mind you
felt like you were hiding, like you were a criminal. He looked up and down the
street, “hey I’m like everyone else right now.”
…That you found
strength in what remained….
Comments
Post a Comment