What stuck out to me the most was the immense power dynamics between the refugees and the officers. It is unbelievable that the officers are so power-hungry that they go out of their way to show their power - even in times of extreme sorrow and mourning - and then cower behind anonymity at the possibility of facing consequences for their actions. They are dehumanizing the people they are there to protect.

This is an example of how important passing down culture is to Aboriginal people, and how important it is for the children to understand their history and traditions. Their history is rich and beautiful, and in order to preserve it they must use oral history and immerse the children in it at a young age.

This text highlights the irony of religious people using their beliefs to judge others. Religion is meant to guide people towards virtue, but sometimes people use it to compare themselves to others/belittle others in the name of religion.

This quote is a testament to the weight Ka has been holding up because of and for her father. After his confession, she feels betrayed. It is as if the idea of her father she had been sculpting her whole life was just demolished by her own father, and now she has to create a new image of him. Throughout the text, Ka has been overextending/taking the blame for her father when she did not necessarily need to, and now that she knows his secret, it is as if her father gave her a scar of her own, and she must live with it now.

At face value, one may think the Mill Reef Club missing the old Antigua might be a good thing, but it does not help native Antiguans at all. While the natives miss the culture and appreciate the aspects of daily life, the Mill Reef Club misses the amenities and sense of escapism Antigua provided for them. Like tourists, they glorify the dirt roads and other "raw" aspects of Antigua, but they do not appreciate it enough to bring about improvement. They do not see Antigua as a home, but as a place that serves to benefit themselves.

I don't agree with Julius on this matter, but I can understand how he came to this assumption. Whenever Julius is faced with an issue, he doesn't actively work to change the issue; merely waits for the issue to fade away on its own (ex: the children asking him about gang signs). While the kids did eventually walk away and people pass by, bedbugs are insistent, and they must be actively dealt with. This text highlights how passive Julius is.

I think one of the reasons why the text doesn't use quotations is to show how many of the characters can relate to what each person is saying. I think Julius understands these struggles as well as M. Julius previously made the statement about surgeons versus psychiatrists and how he can only hope he is helping his patients - he most likely struggles with not having a clear-cut resolution with his patients' dilemmas, and feels it is his personal responsibility to resolve their problems.

I think this is pertinent to why so many people idolize cities such as New York. A city this large allows for anonymity and paints itself as a fresh start, but as time goes on the reality of isolation creeps through and leaves people more alone than they imagined. I think large cities can be a good place to find one's identity, but maintaining an identity in a sea of people proves to be more difficult.

I think the author is referring to how even though it may seem there is movement towards equality, the damage and trauma done under apartheid and colonialism cannot be forgotten among South Africans, which is seen in South African literature. The author's discussion about power dynamics reminded me of a previous reading we discussed about minor literatures. One of the struggles they may be dealing with is being a minor literature in their own country - even though they are technically the majority, they are fighting for their rights and freedoms.

Throughout the play, Gloria is seen showering Dr. Kerry with backhanded compliments, talking about his many achievements as a Black man, but she also ridicules Kerry and spews blatantly racist remarks. She seems to think his life events relate solely to his race, and constantly brings up how is is seen differently. I found it interesting how she doesn't associate herself with white people in this discussion, but acts in this manner when she doesn't get what she wants.

This reminded me of when Margaret first started teaching and the children made fun of her for being a Masarwa. She stated she thought she snapped one of the children's necks like sticks (out of anger, and was relieved that she didn't), and now she is on the other side. After this occasion, Moleka came to her aid by eating from the same fork as a Masarwa, but now Moleka is on the other side.

Maru and Moleka are once again similar in this sense. When they feel affection towards someone, they are overpowering; for Maru, the objects of his affection become "slaves"to Maru's love and Moleka becomes too invested in love to the point where he acts irrationally.

I also found the line about wearing his heart on his sleeve interesting. I think it alludes to how his heart will be damaged by Maru's actions or he will be hurt in the future

Maru and Moleka are once again similar in this sense. When they feel affection towards someone, they are overpowering; for Maru, the objects of his affection become "slaves"to Maru's love and Moleka becomes too invested in love to the point where he acts irrationally.

Additionally, I think the next line about wearing his heart on his sleeve is interesting. I think it foreshadows to how his heart will be damaged or he will be hurt in some way.

What struck me was the way they describe Margaret now that the news of her social standing came out. They talk about her as if she is a product, objectifying her in a literal sense, and have to make sure she lives up to their standards.

I found it interesting how the author uses a passive voice to describe her peers spitting on her. Stating the spit merely falls onto her arm reduces the impact of her bullies' actions - she would rather believe this rather than their true intentions.

While the Constituent Assembly is speaking about the violence committed against women, they are not discussing its impact on thousands of women or ways in which to stop it. They are not empathizing with a group that makes up half of their population, and are treating it as a situation that cannot be prevented, or stating they can protect their women from other groups themselves. The way in which they are speaking does not allow for the extent of the issue to be recognized, so the issue is not resolved and women are subjected to violence and trauma.

I found this interesting. Despite the story bringing immense pain to Kapil's mother, she still recalls upon these memories to tell the son of the tragedies she went through. This shows how important it is for them to keep their stories and memories alive.

I found it interesting how the author uses quotes for this line. The quotes make it seem as if she is not directly experiencing this, (separating herself from the event as a coping mechanism), and is a mere fact that it happened. Then I thought it was due to generational trauma passed down her family. This led me to think that this was unfortunately a common sight/feeling among people during this time.

Initially, this sounds like the soldiers will find Sakina and bring her to safety, but after reading the end, it is clear that this is not true. The soldiers did bring Sakina back, but not without taking advantage and traumatizing her. The unspecific phrasing of the soldiers' promise reveals their morals - while they technically did not lie, they still committed an atrocity. This also leads the reader to think that they intended to do this from the start, and never cared for Sirajuddin or Sakina.