What I want

in the last few seconds of my life, i had a sudden, incredible idea

I decided to write a list of things i had wanted to complete in my life

it was simple,

nothing complicated

just a list of regret and indignant memoirs,

Things i’d rather forget

memories i never had but wanted to obtain

thoughts that I wanted to allow to envelop my brain

before death

and - i guess it’s not a huge deal

i scribbled and scrambled as I scratched a preamble

“i died on this day”

and in the simplest of worlds my dreams would be fulfilled

the world would flock to me and my happiness would build

i would live the sweetest life before death

but regretfully, the world is not aware of a simple, quiet passing such as mine

i don’t really know how to expand on that, it’s too hasty

Breaky

You see,

that’s all that really is left

until my death, in a few seconds

I want to be remembered

I want to be loved

I want to be known

I want stories to be passed on

I’m worthy
I’m important

I’m not ready to-

Sohrab and Amir's Relationship

This image represents Sohrab and Amir's relationship in the novel due to the relationship that the photographed hand has with the tap. The hand, which represents Amir, is unable to control the flow of water coming from the tap, which is Sohrab's emotions. This proves that Sohrab does not want to open himself up to anybody, because he is afraid of being hurt again. The soap dispenser represents the fact that Sohrab views himself as dirty. Amir has the opportunity to make Sohrab feel clean again, but it is a constant battle between the sink and the hand, and allowing Amir's access to his emotions. Once the water is released, it becomes an unstoppable flow of Sohrab's emotions that Amir cannot control.

Making the Magic Bullet

Making the Magic Bullet

Dr. Thomas Churcher, from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College, London stated, "Vaccine development has come a long way… However, in the end, it is unlikely that one magic bullet will eradicate malaria, and we should continue to seek and apply combinations of strategies for reducing the burden of this disease” (Xuequan). What is behind this malignant disease? Mosquitoes and the parasites that infect their mouth give a name to the horrible disease called “malaria”. Although widespread in Africa, Chad has spearheaded the funding process since 2000, allowing for there to be more focus on the development of a solution. What causes the spread of this disease, and what steps can be taken as a solution?

The disease, although infective and detrimental to the health of society, only affects Africa as negatively as it does due to the perfect climate and environment for the malarial parasite. The hot weather and lack of finances only fuel the infectivity of the virus, allowing it to decimate the country (Fact). Recently, the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College in London has discovered that the spread and infectability of malaria is influenced by the number of parasites that exist in a mosquito's mouth. This information, although may seem unimportant, has been hailed as one of the major steps towards finding a potential cure. However, there is another problem. It is often asked why, if it has been around for so long, has a cure not already been found? The answer is clear. Malaria, as a parasite, has to constantly adjust its chemical “shell” in order to adapt to differing hosts. Due to this constant shifting in structure, one single vaccine cannot be developed in order to completely cure the disease (Frequently). Earlier this year, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine had discovered that the Artemether-lumefantrine drug that they had been given in order to cure patients of malaria had not been working on their patients in England (Hayden).

Over the past few years, Chad has been spearheading the path towards the eradication of malaria (AFRICAN). "Thanks to strong African leadership and innovative new partnerships, we are making unprecedented progress in the fight against malaria. The success of these countries shows the powerful impact that dedication and sufficient funding can have,” said H.E Idriss Déby Itno, President of Chad and African Union Chairperson. It has already been eliminated in many developing countries, however, that elimination must be maintained yearly (Frequently). This can be done through better housing, bed nets, and house spraying (Tusting).  A study led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of Oxford showed that more modern housing dropped the percentage of probability of obtaining malaria by more than 9% (Tusting). Similarly, both international and domestic funding, as attempted to gain by Chad, could allow for a larger number of mosquito nets and sprays, which also reduces the percentage of infectability.

As stated by Churcher, “it is unlikely that one magic bullet will eradicate malaria, and we should continue to seek and apply combinations of strategies”. I believe that all of the solutions presented above, with the aid of both domestic and international funding, could lead Africa down the right path towards the complete eradication of malaria.

Works Cited

"AFRICAN LEADERS HAILED AS COUNTRIES MAKE GAINS AGAINST MALARIA." Malaria No More. N.p., 30 Jan. 2017. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

"Fact Sheet about Malaria." WHO. World Health Organization, Dec. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

"Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Feb. 2017. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.

Hayden, Sally. "Failure of Malaria Drug 'early Warning' for Africa, Researchers Say." News.trust.org.

"No Magic Bullet to Rid the World of Malaria, Say London Research Team." Xinhua News Agency. Ed. Mu Xuequan. Xinhua, 13 Jan. 2017. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

Tusting, Lucy S., Christian Bottomley, Harry Gibson, Immo Kleinschimdt, Andrew Tatem, Steve W. Lindsay, and Peter W. Gething. "Modern Housing Associated with Reduced Malaria Risk in Sub-Saharan Africa Children." London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. N.p., 22 Feb. 2017. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

Unlocking your Inner Knowledge

"I rubbed the nail against a rock until it became too hot to handle, after which I wiped it on my mud-encrusted trousers, and polished it vigorously until the metal shone like new. When I held it up for inspection it sparkled so brightly I thought I could see my eyes and the late summer sky reflected in it" (91).

"Luo took the rusty nail now transformed into a master-key and moistened it between his lips. The key slid noiselessly into place, turned to the left, then the right, left again and a fraction the other way... there was a dry metallic click, and the copper padlock yielded at last" (98).

KEY ANALYSIS: This quote represents the “key” to the boy’s intellectual liberty, because Luo and the Narrator are creating this key as path to getting their desired books. Their key, which unlocks the padlock, represents the nation’s close mindedness and restrictions of foreign literature, and so by unlocking Four Eye’s door (the symbol of forbidden literature), they are opening themselves up to gain unlimited access to all of these Western classics. In the boy's eyes, when the key “sparkled so brightly,” it corresponds to how they view these Western books; a beacon of light for freedom.

____________________________________________________________________________

"'What is it with you two, always going for stuff that's forbidden?'

'Don't exaggerate,' Luo said.

'You think I'm exaggerating? You want me to show this to the commune authorities? Your old miller would be accused of spreading erotic material. He might even go to prison. I'm serious'" (77).

“‘How could you waste all that precious time writing down this drivel? I can’t believe it. Do you seriously think an official journal would even consider publishing this shit? That they’d give me a job on the strength of this? You must be out of your minds’” (77).

FOLK SONG ANALYSIS: These two quotes summarize Four Eye’s lack of intellectual liberty, as he feels that the Old man’s folk song is essentially garbage, and forbidden. His fear of publishing this song reveals the little range of freedom he believes he has. This lack of intellectual freedom is a response to the Old man’s authentic, playful mountain song, which is a symbol of freedom of expression. The “forbidden” aspect that Four Eyes is talking about correlates to China at the time, and how they felt about songs in general. Songs symbolize expression and emotion, and aren’t always used for propaganda purposes, like Four Eyes hoped. This song in particular, expressed humor, innocence, and the open  essence of country life, and Four Eye’s backlash to the old man’s song shows the intolerance of intellectual freedom present in China at the time.

To be

I am not

A simple book

To be read, no

Take me in

Embellish my pages

Scrawl murmurs into the deepest recesses of my covers

Fold my pages

And tear them out

Burn them

And watch my words escape into the air

Soak them in water

And watch my words dissolve into nothingness

And in

Drinking my knowledge

You take it in

To be sought

And loved

I am

A simple book

To be read