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Running the Rift

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Submitted By jennastertzbach
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Community defines a person and their beliefs. Jean Patrick is a prime example. Naomi Benaron picks apart the society Jean Patrick is faced with but through it all he stays true to his Tutsi name. In Running the Rift, Jean Patrick faces a lot of difficult decisions but will pick the one that helps benefit others of his heritage and not just himself. It started out early in the book when Jean Patrick stood up to his Tutsi name. “Jean Patrick said to his father, ‘Dadi, I am Tutsi.’”(Benaron 13). Jean Patrick grew up being aware of his ethnicity, but didn’t let it slow him down. When his coach wanted to give him a Hutu card, he felt guilty even after Uncle Emmanuel said he should get it. As they were talking he said “How can I? I’d be betraying my ethnie. Turning my back on you.”(Benaron 89). He had wanted his uncle to forbid him from getting the card, even if that meant he couldn’t win the Olympics. He couldn’t deal with the burden of lying about his heritage. “‘How can I suddenly be Hutu when every part of my face says Tutsi?’”(Benaron 90). Jean Patrick doesn’t understand why he should have it since it’s not his heritage. As things start to get bad for the Tutsi heritage again, Jean Patrick still embraces the race he was given. All he could think about was how his name somehow wasn’t on the Tutsi list, even after he got attacked he felt as if he should still be on the list. “He must apologize to Uncle because his own name was not on the list.”(Benaron 99). He felt as if he should have been on there with his family and the rest of his heritage. After Jean Patrick got his Hutu card he came across his brother. He could hardly bare to tell him. Out of everyone, his brother was the one he was the most scared of telling. “He tripped over his tongue to get the words out. ‘I’m sorry.’”(Benaron 110). Even though Roger did not care, Jean Patrick still “felt shamed.”(Benaron 110) He was relieved when his coach told him to put it away, but yet a bit sad. After he weighed both sides, there were better outcomes with his Tutsi card and he sees the bright side of being a Tutsi. “He would truly lift up all Tutsi with each victory.”(Benaron 123). It was hard for Jean Patrick to stick up for others Tutsi’s when he knew if he did, he too would get himself hurt or killed. “Shame burned inside him.”(Benaron 144). He couldn’t stand to see people of his heritage hurting and even worse that he couldn’t do anything about it. Jean Patrick often thinks back to his family and it hurts him even more knowing he wasn’t there to help protect them. He would often think back to his family and special memories he has had. He would also carry around his father’s book long after his father was gone. The biggest shift in Jean Patrick happens towards the end. With all the fighting going on it is hard for Jean Patrick not to focus on his heritage, to see the population dying out quite fast. He had to make a choice of going along with the government due to his career or doing what his heritage had taught him, and he decided to stay with those he loved no matter what the government thought. Against what coach would have said or wanted, he also went with Bea to a protest. He had to stick up for his people. With all of the fighting going on, when Jean Patrick would dream it would be about his family. He wouldn’t dream of running or the Olympics. It showed what was truly important to him. After the fighting was over and he returned back to Rwanda, Jean Patrick never returned to the track. He went to all of the places he used to know, which reminded him of his heritage. Jean Patrick was a Tutsi. He cared about his heritage and was shaped by his community and his love for not only his family, but his people.

Work Cited
Benaron, Naomi. Running the Rift. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 2012. Print

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