Chloe KnuthBroken Memory Elisabeth Combres October 1st, 2009 Fiction Rwanda
Broken Memory takes place in Rwanda, and starts out with Emma hearing her mother being murdered by soldiers. She travels to safety in a kind Hutu woman’s house. A bond develops between the two and she stays there for 9 years. She is still haunted by memories and when the country allows victims to face their tormentors, Emma is still afraid. She meets another boy who was tortured by soldiers and an old man trying to help child victims heal. After this, she finally finds the courage to start to heal.
The book indicates that the Rwandan culture is divided between the Tutsis and the Hutus. This civil war has led to the death millions of people in Rwanda. The Rwandan culture is also centered on militia and its government believes in solving problems with violence. The government is depicted as corrupt and unforgiving in this book. The women in Rwanda are also viewed as unequal to men.
Parallels between American culture and Rwandan culture is the fact that both of our histories have experienced civil war. This is one of the only similarities between my culture and Rwandan culture.
I felt a connection with the tortured boy who Amira meets later in the book. He was held captive by soldiers who beat him until he shared the location of his village. He is filled with so much guilt and anger that it’s frightening. I have felt some degree of these emotions when I feel trapped by my own culture. I am not proud of America’s history and the appalling way we treated black people. This makes me feel guilty for being an American. The tortured boy has endured horrific things, and I know that I will never be able to fully understand his wounded mind, but I do know the feeling of anger and helplessness.
The central conflict was the 1994 war between the Tutsi and the Hutu. These two have clashed time and time again over the years. Amira’s nightmares and tragic story stems from this conflict. Her mother was killed because of the strife between these two clans. The war started because of class warfare, where the Tutsi are perceived to have greater wealth and social status than the Hutu. Rwanda didn’t handle this conflict well. Tutsis massacred Hutus and the government took a decade to put those at fault at trial. Amira’s conflict is her inability to heal from her past experiences, which was caused by this war. The Tutsi and Hutu conflict is culturally based.
3. What perceived ideas or stereotypes were changed after reading the text? When I thought of Rwanda before reading this book, I just saw it as another country in Africa that had tribes and clans with people who were like animals. Rwanda is a country that has seen millions of people killed just because of their clan name. The people of Rwanda have been through unspeakable, painful experiences and should be revered for their strength and will to continue to live. They have seen things that no one should ever have to see. Amira has changed my opinion of Rwanda and Africa in general. I now understand the atrocious events that have taken place and respect the Rwandan people even more for enduring them.