1. Menchu begins Ch. 19 with a quote from her father, "You are independent, you must do what you want to, as long as you do it for our people." What do you make of this statement? Why do you think he included "as long as you do it for the people"?
Menchu's father is recognizing that she is a grown women and that she can make her own decisions and walk her own path. I think he also sees in his daughter a great light and potential to bring about good. Menchu has mentioned earlier in the book that she and her father share a close bond and I think that bond is reflected in this statement. I think he included "as long as you do it for our people" because he wanted to let her know that he was putting his trust in her that she would continue his fight for their people. I think he is also saying that as long as she continues this fight that she will be doing something good and righteous. He knew that Rigoberta would be able to do great things and her wanted her to put her talents to the best possible use.
2. Take some time to re-read the last paragraph of Ch. 19. Breath those words in. Why are they monumental?
What stood out to me the most in this paragraph was these few sentences" My dream was to go on fighting and getting to know my peoples struggle more closely. At the same time I was very concerned that everything handed down from our ancestors should be practised. And even though the tortures and kidnappings had done our people a lot of harm, we shouldn't lose faith in change."
What a dream. What if more people had dreams like this? To keep fighting, to keep traditions, to keep persisting in faith. I think our world would be a much better place with more people like this. It is so easy to give up to just be "over it" that I don't think people even see the good they could do if they just held on a little bit longer. I believe every single person has the potential to do good, its just that somewhere in the chaos of this world that this truth has gotten lost. It will probably never be easy to always do the right thing but I do know that it will never be in vain.
3. Ch. 20 describes a horrifying scene about the woman in the house. What is your reaction to this? Does there seem to be any humanity? Why do you think that is?
This chapter makes my heart sad. The young women was only trying to stay faithful to her husband and her values and she lost her life for it. Not only did she lose her life but she was murdered along with her child. Not only was she murdered but she was hacked to pieces with a machete in her home. The whole story is simply sick. It belongs in a horror movie not as something very real that will stick in the memory of those involved forever. The thought that anybody would conceive of doing such a thing is comprehensible to me, but I am learning more and more that this type of things have happened often and probably still are happening. The fact that the mayor showed little concern is maddening and the fact that the murderer paid little price for his crimes is disturbing. Stories like this make you ask yourself if there is any humanity left in the world because it seems like for something like this to happen that there isn't any more room for good, but I don't believe this is true. There is opposition in all things, so if there is evil in this world there must be some good also.
4. Ch. 21 focuses on Rigoberta learning Spanish. Why is this important both culturally and socially?
It is very significant for Rigoberta to learn Spanish. Spanish is characteristically a ladino thing and by Rigoberta learning it she is in a way, breaking tradition. I think though that it was a very essential part of her being able to help her people and be a voice for them. Rigoberta makes a statement in the next chapter that makes a good point, she says "Since Spanish was a language which united us, why learn all twenty-two languages in Guatemala?" By learning Spanish she would be able to help more then just her own people but ALL of the people of Guatemala.
5. Ch. 22 spends some time talking about General Kjell’s policies and land divisions. What was the general reaction to these policies? Why were they good or bad?
Kjell's policies were deceiving. They looked like they were for the benefit of the people but in reality they were not. True, he did give the peasants their own plots of land but they were not even big enough for them to grow their own food. they did not want their land divided up.
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