The Strength In What Memoirs Chapter Analysis

The second half of The Strength in What Remains, constitutes a returning of what has previously been mentioned in the book. The author, Tracy Kidder, uses material from his own experience to add to what has previously been mentioned in the beginning of the book. The second part of the story feels more personal; it is filled with unguarded moments that exemplify Deo’s strength, but also his trauma. Chapter thirteen consists of numerous statistics and facts (Kidder, 189-204). I liked the way Kidder placed these important facts intermittently to avoid making the story read like a history textbook. The following chapter goes into detail of Deo’s time working at a PIH clinic in Burundi. On one particular day, a patient arrived showing symptoms of malaria, but oddly had burn marks on his abdomen. Deo recognizes this from his own family traditions. A family member of this patient had burned him to distract him from his suffering. Deo referred to this as “distracting pain with pain.” This idea can be extended beyond just physical pain. In Burundi and Rwanda, the people focused heavily on the worst parts of the war in order to distract themselves from their daily struggles (Kidder, 208-209).

Although I do believe that there are some honorable qualities about the notion of gusimbura, mourning is a crucial step in the healing process. Re-journeying through his previous escape route and visiting the war memorials forced Deo to remember, while simultaneously allowed him to heal. Gusimbura suppresses emotions that are natural, and even healthy, for people when they experience death. Interestingly, Rwanda, which has memorials and commits itself to remembering the war, is significantly more stable than Burundi, where gusimbura is still the