Refugee Boy Essay

Refugee Boy is a story ab come in a 14-year-old boy named Alem Kelo born in Africa. asa dulcis Zephaniah uses Alem as an example of how badly apportioned refugees ar and how it is possible for us to treat them better if we treat them like normal people. In the beginning of the novel Alems father took him to capital of the United Kingdom for what Alem horizon would be a holiday. Leaving his mother at plaza, his father actually planned to leave Alem in London believing it to be safer.In the beginning of the novel Zephaniah uses two passages, one named Ethiopia and the other named Eritrea. These passages are close exactly the same and this shows use that, because Alems family are a mix of some(prenominal) Ethiopian and Eritrean, they would be hunted wherever they go or move to. This also tells us that most refugees emigrate because of real good reasons in this case, war. Refugees are constantly viewed and treated as outsiders instead of normal people, which they are.Zephaniah sh ows this very rise up when he describes how Alem had to go through the screening process. Alem is thoroughly humiliated throughout the screening cognizeing that both Pamela and Sheila were watching. A nonher example of how Zephaniah shows use really how bad our discrimination of refugees is and how the stereotypical views we read obtained due propaganda such as news television programmes, is when Alems father goes to the Home Office to make his asylum diligence but is ar slackeninged and taken to Campsfield detention centre.Just because he is a foreigner police automatically thought to arrest him. The childrens home that Alem points in, is portrayed as a sort of dumping priming for mis-fit refugees. It is basically a moorage where isolated lonely boys go to when they have nowhere else to go. The whole place is filled with young boys and teenagers with cluttered up emotions. Sweeny is a good example of a young bit in the home who has a lot of excess emotion and obviously se nses abandoned because he receives the deliver hold of to take it out on the other people there.People like Sweeny make the boys at the home want to loose theyre cultural identity in order to fit in and not be a victim Zephaniah portrays Alem as an innocent, stoical character so that we understand that our stereotypical orbit on refugees is wrong and not all refugees are bad people or terrorists. Zephaniah uses Alems terra firma to show that refugees often dont have a choice in emigrating and that refugees dont always immigrate to other countries steal their Jobs and take benefits.They go to escape war or policy-making injustice and for many other reasons. pity is an important character in the story because she seems like a typical teenage girl with an attitude, but when Alem finds out his mother had me brutally murdered in Africa, Ruth shows incredible solace and our views on her suddenly change, as for the root we see a gentle pitying Ruth who has an emotional arseground and problems of her own. She reminds us that everyone deserves compassion and consideration not just refugees this is why she is primarily distant to Alem.After her and Alem have an emotional talk we discover that she reaches out for Alem and gives him the love and compassion that her parents should have shown her when fostering children in the past. Alem feels isolated throughout the novel and whenever he gains hope he is often brought back down with bad news making him feel isolated. Like when he was just fitting in well in England and having a great time, his father wrote to him informing Alem on what had happened to his mother bringing Alem and his satisfaction down into a pool of isolation again.Or like when he manages to get himself back on top again when his father comes to stay in England then theyre asylum application gets glowering down. One of the most isolated times for Alem, is when he is in the childrens home. He doesnt know anyone. And he is constantly taunted and made to feel small and intimidated by Sweeny and his gang pretty more than as soon as he arrives, Get the biscuits, its the easy way out, on of them state as he looked Alem up and down. Youll get me some biscuits or Ill bust you up, said the first kid loudly. Hed not been in the home very hanker and already hes been threatened. It shows how bad the environment hes got no choice to live in is and how alone he must feel during these times. Mariam took Alem to the local social services where he asked the big scruple What choice do I have? Alem feels that he has to accept the Fitzgeralds as his foster family if he is to get out of the home.He askes asks himself and other many questions about himself showing that he isnt very footsure or aware of what his future holds and therefore relies on other to make decisions for him, like when he says, How long depart I be staying here? Alem realises that he cant even decide to stay with the Fitzgeralds or the home. Without his parents the re to decide for him Alem feels lost. Will I still be here when Im sixteen? That is a good question. Alem feels like he has no control or influence on his life, so he constantly asks questions about his future.Chapters 24-27 are in a different style to the rest of the novel. This different style is very powerful in getting its message across because it makes you feel like youre reading a real report in a real report which makes you feel even more for Alem because the strong effect Zephaniah uses, makes you really believe in what hes saying and makes you believe that the novel has really happened. It is very clever how he managed to create realism and in your mind you feel throughout the novel that youve been with him all the way and now you have seen him to the end.Zephaniah makes us feel that all refugees have a story and hes made you want to find out about them and their story and want to know what theyve been through. Reading the book hes defiantly stipulation me a more posit ive attitude and view on refugees. Zephaniah structures the story so it feels like you are right by Alem on the whole of his journey so you feel like whats incident to him is affecting you as the reader. Zephaniah is very successful in getting his message across and now I think people who read this book will have a wider opinion on refugees and the will feel much more strongly on bad they get treated.