preview

Of Beetles And Air Quotes

Decent Essays

Did you know that it’s estimated that about 50% of refugees are under the age of 18? In the autobiography, Of Beetles & Angels by Mawi Asgedom, Mawi and his siblings came to America when they were under the age of 18 fitting the statistic. The book, Of Beetles & Angels is about a young boy’s journey from a refugee camp in Sudan who then comes to America, and then finally goes to Harvard. Mawi overcomes his obstacles and builds a successful life for himself. Growing up as a refugee in America Mawi encountered the obstacles of poverty, bullying and death. All these inspired him to work hard so he could get the best education he could. The first obstacle Mawi had to overcome was poverty. Mawi and his siblings couldn’t have what a lot of kids …show more content…

Even though people said very hurtful comments to him he would still try to have an open mind. This quote is an example of what those bullies were saying to him, “ ‘Hey, Salami! You look so skinny. Let me know if you need more food. You want another sandwich? How about some extra milk? I don’t want you to starve’ “ (37). Still no matter how hurtful the comments, he handled them calmly and didn’t fight back physically or verbally. When Mawi got older and matured from the fights that he used to get into at recess, he encountered more hurtful verbal bullying. This quote is an example of the hurtful verbal bullying, “ ‘By then, though some of my classmates had discovered the best way to hurt me-not with their fists, but with their words: Your father doesn’t even work does he? How come you wore that shirt again? Nerd! Why are you so poor?’ “ (110) By keeping an open mind, I think made Mawi stronger as a person. Growing up from a young child to a mature adult, Mawi learned how to contain his anger and not lash out at the bullies. With the bullying challenges that Mawi encountered as he grew up, he didn’t let them get to him. He continued to not give up, but to work hard so he could get the best

Get Access