Zeitoun Character Analysis

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Abdulrahman Zeitoun has two identities, one as a Katrina hero, and the other as an abusive husband and father. The first identity is preserved in the book Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, while the other is revealed shortly after in the real world. After this information was released, one can only reevaluate the Zeitoun presented in Zeitoun. Although this new information does not change the actions of Zeitoun during hurricane Katrina, it is impossible to not view Zeitoun differently. The Zeitoun preserved in Zeitoun is described as loving, heroic, and credits his wife with much of his success. After learning the truth, one cannot help but wonder if the Zeitoun described in Zeitoun is a lie. The mind grapples with thoughts that suggest that the abuse began prior to Katrina, and that the man displayed as a hero and loving husband has always been a villain. As how can a man who credits his wife with his success attempt to kill her later? …show more content…

The actions of Zeitoun throughout Katrina feel irrelevant; as what good is a man that saves others when he abuses the ones closest to him? Even though logically one understands that what Zeitoun underwent during Katrina was inequitable, it begins to feel deserved. The lessons that the novel teach remain, but they have taken a major blow. The profiling feels less harsh and more deserved, because after all, Abdulrahman Zeitoun is a threat to society. The novel begins to feel ironic, as the point of the novel is that not a whole people is corrupt, by using one of the few that actually is corrupt. In the novel, Zeitoun is placed on a pedestal and is used to represent all of the innocent victims of prejudice. Perhaps the information would feel less shocking had Eggers described Zeitoun with more flaws and a more dynamic

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