The Theme of Faith in Zeitoun Essay

The theme I will be focusing on is faith in Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers, is a book that illustrates one mans faith when faced with a disaster.The book is set in New Orleans and the surrounding United States during August, September, and October 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Zeitoun, the main character of the story, is a devout Muslim who strongly believes in a God. He was brought up in Syria, a country with a reputation of stubborn people. He believes that everything happens for a reason, and feels a duty to serve his God and live out his purpose.Throughout the book Dave Eggers social comment shows us how Zeitoun takes

responsibility towards fulfilling whatever he deems to be Gods will, which provides a stark contrast to the way the government took no responsibility or accountability for their actions during the response to Hurricane Katrina.

Zeitoun as a man is very faithful and diligent in everything he does, and he lives his life without any regrets about going the whole nine yards in any situation.Throughout his life, when he was young up until the days of Hurricane Katrina, Zeitoun never used an excuse and never questioned whether or not he should be doing whatever it was he was attempting.For example, when he and Kathy were walking on a beach one day, he saw a rock in the distance and told her he wanted to walk to it and touch it.This would be a good walk for them along the beach.What he did not realize was that this rock was actually miles away, but even after walking for miles he did not give up.He is a very determined man who will always keep working to achieve his goal no matter what obstacles are in his way.By the end of their walk Zeitoun and Kathy reached the rock and touched it, as had been his objective (pg.198-200).Another example of his loyalty and diligence was when he went to work one day on his bike and got a flat tire.He figured that he could not be late, and his boss even mentioned that he could have easily used an excuse, but

Zeitoun still ran down the streets of New Orleans with a bicycle on his back in order to get to work.Even when he realized he would surely be late he continued to run, not wanting to be any later than he had to be (pg.26-28).Zeitoun wanted to meet his fullest potential with every objective he had, and he would make the goal he set for himself every time, regardless of how high the standard.

Zeitouns determination to fulfill his purpose in life is strongly routed in his faith that God is the navigator of the universe and that everything happens for a reason.On page 153

Zeitoun explains to the captain of his ship why he believes in a God even though to others it may seem improbable.Zeitoun proffers, So without a captain, the ship cannot navigateLook above you, at the stars and the moon.How do the stars keep their place in the sky, how does the moon rotate around the earth, the earth around the sun?Whos navigating?here we see how

Zeitoun compares the workings of the universe to the workings of a ship, which is logical considering the life he has always know has been at sea with his brother.He argues that the ship needs a captain and that God is the one who controls all of the inner workings of the universe including what people do, where they go, and who they encounter.His argument states that if nothing was assigned a purpose by God everything would cease to have order, as is demonstrated by his analogy with the stars and moon.These beliefs are exemplified throughout the book.For example, while he is in jail Zeitoun continues to pray, even though others in his cage believe it may be unwise.He is steadfast in his belief that there is a God, no matter what anyone tells him, and this religion helps him through his experiences in the jail because he knew the whole time that there was a reason for his suffering (pg.223-224).Zeitouns belief stem from the fact that the universe has a specific order, as evidenced by the stars and moon, that God has established by giving every individual a purpose.

All of Zeitouns actions in the book are a result of his religion and belief in a God because to him Muslim is more than just rituals, and it is a way to live life.One of the best examples of this was when he fed the dogs in New Orleans and continued to help people get out of their homes (pg. 120-122).He was never skeptical about staying, even though Kathy urged him to go to Baton Rouge with her several times over the phone he used on Claiborne Street.He states to his wife that God has left him in New Orleans for a reason, and that he needs to help people in order to satisfy it.He also believes that it was fate that made him buy the canoe, because it had remained idle in his garage until now when it could be used for navigating the flooded streets (pg. 157-158; 162). He proceeds to help an elderly woman who is trapped in the first floor of her house by the water by going and getting help from a fan boat that is being operated by the National Guard.He also delivers messages for help for an elderly couple that has no way out of their house and are running low on food.Zeitoun picks up friends, such as Todd and the two of them go around the city helping people.This not only benefits the people Zeitoun is trying to rescue but it also helps Todd to deal with the storm.He also checked on properties that Kathy told him about to give peace of mind to their owners (129-138).Throughout his stay in New Orleans after the storm hit Zeitoun did everything he could to maximize his impact on the people of New Orleans and fill the purpose assigned to him by God.

The bookZeitounhas more significance than simply a tale about a man who kept his faith, because it speaks to a greater theme that everyone who participates in a nation or wider community than themselves should act in the best interest of humanity.One of the worst parts of Hurricane Katrina was that the government did not help the people hit was supposed to.For example, in the movieTrouble the Waterrefugees seeking shelter go to an empty naval base but are turned away by the guards as an act of national security.One thing wrong with this is that the system in place makes it impossible for the government to carry out its original purpose of benefiting the people and providing a safe environment for them to live happily and prosperously.This was one of the take home points of Katrina as a whole, that the government needs to act in the best interest of the people, as opposed to themselves, evidenced clearly by the turning away of hundreds of refugees by the naval base. The Federal Emergency Management Agency did not take responsibility as they should have. During the crisis presumed looters, like Zeitoun, were put in prisons near the area of New Orleans. These prisoners were not granted their rights of a phone call, or court hearing. On top of that, FEMA did not keep records of their prisoners, which made it almost impossible to find and free innocent men. This was brought up in the book as Kathy was looking for her husband after she lost contact with him (pg.271). The lack of organization and responsibility taken for how they were supposed to help in the face of the disaster by FEMA and the rest of the federal government were the polar opposite of actions taken by Zeitoun because he attempted to benefit his community at his own expense.

In conclusion the bookZeitounis a story of a man who stays so strong to his religion that nothing else is able to stop him from helping his community. He manages to survive a

horrible disaster, even with the government keeping him in an unorganized prison that had no means for him to get out or clear his name.The purpose of using a character such as Zeitoun in this perspective of Hurricane Katrina is to show the contrast between his way of thinking, and the selfish way the United States government thought. This book not only gives hope to people to keep faith in their religion, but it states that simply being good and doing benevolent deeds for the sake of the world as a whole is a wonderful and fulfilling way to live ones life.