In his book Zeitoun, human rights activist Dave Eggers illustrates the hardships of a Abdulrahman Zeitoun during a time of chaos and disorder. Eggers offers a new perspective of Muslim-Americans during Hurricane Katrina to highlight their human injustices and discrimination, and in addition to reveal the great flaws within our national government. He creates an attachment between Zeitoun and the reader by building Zeitoun’s character, invoking upon sympathies, and maintaining a critical tone towards the government.
Eggers builds up Zeitoun’s reputation to ensure readers’ trust for him. For example, Eggers details personal anecdotes such as how Kathy and Zeitoun met and their love for their children. This emphasizes Zeitoun’s family oriented attitude and deep love for his family. Another example is Zeitoun’s passion for his business, indicating that he is responsible and a reliable man. It can also be interpreted as one of Zeitoun’s greatest flaws, exemplifying his stubbornness and tenacious obsession for his business. In addition, Eggers mentions Zeitoun’s diverse work crew, reflecting on his open
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In the days following Katrina, the government's incompetence emerges when attempting to rescue those trapped by the floods. We see how the they are unable to get sufficient food and health care to the majority of the people because of the focus on the rioters and looters. Throughout the novel, Eggers also explains how government officials arrested people after racially profiling them as Muslim-American terrorists. Eggers purposely describe these events to reveal the significant flaws within our own government. Eggers attempts to change the mind of his readers in his novel is seen through his use of a pathos, ethos and a critical tone. His use of these rhetorical strategies exhibits his passion for human rights, and his effort to stop another story like Zeitoun’s from happening