God Grew Tired Of Us Analysis

The movie God Grew Tired of Us and the supplemental reading from Michael Schwable have many parallels dealing with humans and the place they maintain within a society. In the move John Dau is interviewed and discusses how much he misses the refugee camp in Kenya. He did not miss the camp itself, but the people he left behind. The society he left emphasized friendship and openness. In the United States, the society he is trying to find his place in, is not open the way the refugee camp was, he feels alienated in the United States. John is not the only one who states that America is not an open friendly society, Daniel also speaks of how you cannot talk to anyone you meet, the way he was used to talking to strangers in the refugee camps. John

Everyone is a result of the interaction between these two influences” (pg 80). The Dinka men as they call themselves have become who they are from the harsh conditions they have endured. They are now trying to maintain their cultural identities while becoming part of the new cultural world they have been placed in. However, not all the refugees are trying to hold onto their past. During the national gathering of lost boys, we see the film focus on a few individuals that have left their Dinka life in the past. John Dau believes this is not right and speaks out against forgetting who they are. John Dau believes that by remembering who they are and where they come from, it will lead the Dinka men to a better place. “Being sociologically mindful, we see that the meanings we give to ourselves aways arise out of social life. We depend on each other, not only to define ourselves, but also to maintain a coherent and stable sense of who we are as persons” (Schwalbe, 2008), is almost directly what John Dau from the movie God Grew Tired of Us is saying. By remembering who he is and where he came from, John Dau wants to bring honor to that heritage, and uses that as motivation to work

“Basic rules of interaction will get us through most situations. But problems can arise when it’s not clear, or not clear to everyone, exactly what the situation is”(Schwable, 2008). This happens time and again to the refugees upon leaving Africa. Everything from using an escalator to general hygiene is different in the United States. Everything needs to be explained to the refugees so they do not get placed in a position that could be dangerous. Basic fruits and bread that we take for granted are an adventure for the newly arrived refugees. The supermarket is a chore in the United States, but for these men who have never seen one, it is like a carnival. It was one of the most entertaining parts of the film, watching the men arrive and learn all the common things we take for granted. The enormous amount of calculations we make subconsciously when interacting with others, these newly arrived refugees have not yet developed. I envy them for their openness, and desire to talk with others. Americans are far to good at small talk, but not at actual conversations. We live in an open society that as pointed out by the film, does not wish to be spoken to. In Africa there was no television for the men to watch, so they began Parliament. It was simply a meeting of friends to talk with each other. We can see how things changed once