Is it Worth the Risk? Meli’s life has changed immensely throughout the first four chapters. In chapter one, she lived in an apartment with everything she needed. By chapter three, she was crammed in a tent with little food out in the middle of nowhere. What happened? Meli and her family took many risks to keep eachother safe and do what they thought was best. The Lleshi family took a risk by staying put, and then took a risk by deciding to leave. Baba also put his own life in danger when asking the Serbian Police where they were keeping Mehmet. And yet, risk was what kept the Lleshis alive. First of all, the Lleshi family put their lives at risk by staying where they were for so long. Uncle Fadil had offered that they join him on the family farm, not long before Mehmet was captured. However, they refused. In the book, Baba states, “ ‘On the farm, we would only be a burden. Here we are among friends. Here we are needed’ ” (Paterson 8). He knows the danger of staying put, however, it is hard to leave a place he calls home. Baba argues that they are fine right where they are. Upon this decision, Mehmet was captured and tortured by the Serbs. The Lleshis were aware of the danger. They …show more content…
The Serbians forced their hand. The Lleshis had no choice but to leave, but that didn’t make the decision any less dangerous. In the text, Mehmet states, “ ‘We can’t stay here. We have to leave as soon as possible’ ” (Paterson 19). Now that the Lleshis find themselves in danger, they take a risk by deciding to flee. They leave the comfort of their home, to stay in a tent without the safety of a firm roof over their heads. This changes the course of the story. The Lleshis originally planned to stay only for a little while, however, the war does not seem to be ending anytime soon. Though staying could possibly be just as dangerous, leaving the safety of home is a major risk the Lleshis had to