I, Rigoberta Menchu (Cuatro)

1.) Ayn Rand once articulated, "Ask yourself whether the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves- of whether it should be ours here and now and on this earth." After reading Chapter 9, how do you think Menchu would respond to Rand's words?

After reading everything that Rigoberta Menchu talks about in this book, I think she would say that the dream of heaven and greatness would be waiting for us at our graves. Life in general is a huge struggle, especially for third-world countries like Guatemala. In Guatemala, a person begins to see and experience the hardships for survival at a very young age. In Chapter 9, Menchu talks about certain traditions and fiesta's that revolve around working the land. There whole like is about working and supporting a community.

2.) Menchu uses the following quotation from Popol Vuh to start Chapter 10, "Tojil, in his own natural darkness, struck the leather of the sandal with a stone, and from it, at the very moment, came a spark, then a flash, followed by a flame, and the new fire burned in all its splendor." After reading Chpater 10, does this idea from the Popol Vuh take new meaning?

After reading this quotation twenty times, I still found it difficult to understand what the meaning was of this quotation. In Chapter 10, Menchu talks about the sun and how important it means to her people. My best guess is that the flame in the quotation is refering to the sun. Without the sun there would be nothing. The sun has given this world life. It has provided the natives "..all its splendor."

3.) In Chapter 11, Menchu speaks about the age at which people get married in Guatemala. What are your thoughts about her writing?

It shows true commitment when a couple decides to get married. Going through that long process of getting married shows that both the man and woman are truly ready and commited for the rest of their lives to what they will have to face together in the future. Our traditons in marriage is much different than theirs. They would be aghasted with what they'd see in American marriages. Marriage to them is a very sacred matter that is taken seriously, and I greatly respect the things they believe in.