Now Is THE TIME FOR RUNNINg
Olivia D’Souza
Now Is The Time For Running
Michael Williams
2009
Zimbabwe, South Africa
The book begins in the village of Gutu, Zimbabwe. Deo and his brother Innocent are playing soccer with their friends. However, when the soldiers arrive they flee from their lives, their village destroyed and everyone inside dead. During their journey they meet various people who help them to eventually reach a tomato farm in South Africa. Tired of being forced to work as slaves, Deo and his brother Innocent escape to Johannesburg (or Jozi) as they call it. Unfortunately, Innocent is killed by men in a hate crime. Deo then finds himself in the world of drugs, but is picked up by a street soccer coach. With training and his team, Deo leaves the street behind and fights his way to the World Cup Championship.
Now Is The Time For Running highlights the fact that politics dominate most of the culture in many parts of Africa. Deo’s village is destroyed because the villagers did not vote for the current president. Corrupt politics threaten the proper leadership that could help take care of the country. Similarly, once reaching South Africa, Johannesburg to be specific, Deo and Innocent are victims of hate crimes against “foreigners.” Parallels between culture here in the United States and that of South Africa include sports. Deo finds himself immersed in the world of soccer and together with his team develops new ideas about others. Here, sports are a defining part of someone’s life. The importance of sports in both cultures brings together those who feel that they do not get along. I cannot connect with any of the characters in the book due to the fact that I live in a first world country. The characters in the book struggle to live and find proper housing, they must flee their own villages due to voting wrong. The struggles I face in my daily life are luxuries compared to the characters in the book and those who live in those countries today. The first conflict presented in the book was the run for Deo and Innocent’s lives. This was solved as they are taken in by a kind family in Johannesburg. The situation was handled very well, realistically they would not have found proper housing but they family they met created a home under the bridge. This shows that while Deo and his brother found people to trust they still faced the true hardships. The second conflict is seen when Deo joins the training camp for the street soccer team. He is faced with criticism because he is a “foreigner,” another form of racism. The situation is solved when the members of his team realize that differences are important, each one’s talents will bring them one step closer to the championship. I do wish the situation had been solved in another way, as many times racial prejudice cannot be dissolved with one lecture. The conflicts and solutions are universally based as racial prejudice and war engulf many countries around the world. Reading Now Is The Time For Running changed my world view by teaching me that there is more to just fleeing from danger. You have to able to fight the prejudice and avoid dangers found in new countries such as drugs and inner city threats. You must be able to escape alive but not lose your humanity.
Before reading Now Is The Time For Running, I believed that racial prejudice meant discrimination between black and white, Asian or American. Now I have learned that racial prejudice can form not only from the color of someone’s skin but lines drawn marking borders. For example, the discrimination in South Africa against foreigners, those from Zimbabwe and Botswana, simply neighboring countries. While my view on racism was not necessarily a common stereotype it was one that I had believed, but also one that has changed.
Now Is The Time For Running
Michael Williams
2009
Zimbabwe, South Africa
The book begins in the village of Gutu, Zimbabwe. Deo and his brother Innocent are playing soccer with their friends. However, when the soldiers arrive they flee from their lives, their village destroyed and everyone inside dead. During their journey they meet various people who help them to eventually reach a tomato farm in South Africa. Tired of being forced to work as slaves, Deo and his brother Innocent escape to Johannesburg (or Jozi) as they call it. Unfortunately, Innocent is killed by men in a hate crime. Deo then finds himself in the world of drugs, but is picked up by a street soccer coach. With training and his team, Deo leaves the street behind and fights his way to the World Cup Championship.
Now Is The Time For Running highlights the fact that politics dominate most of the culture in many parts of Africa. Deo’s village is destroyed because the villagers did not vote for the current president. Corrupt politics threaten the proper leadership that could help take care of the country. Similarly, once reaching South Africa, Johannesburg to be specific, Deo and Innocent are victims of hate crimes against “foreigners.” Parallels between culture here in the United States and that of South Africa include sports. Deo finds himself immersed in the world of soccer and together with his team develops new ideas about others. Here, sports are a defining part of someone’s life. The importance of sports in both cultures brings together those who feel that they do not get along. I cannot connect with any of the characters in the book due to the fact that I live in a first world country. The characters in the book struggle to live and find proper housing, they must flee their own villages due to voting wrong. The struggles I face in my daily life are luxuries compared to the characters in the book and those who live in those countries today. The first conflict presented in the book was the run for Deo and Innocent’s lives. This was solved as they are taken in by a kind family in Johannesburg. The situation was handled very well, realistically they would not have found proper housing but they family they met created a home under the bridge. This shows that while Deo and his brother found people to trust they still faced the true hardships. The second conflict is seen when Deo joins the training camp for the street soccer team. He is faced with criticism because he is a “foreigner,” another form of racism. The situation is solved when the members of his team realize that differences are important, each one’s talents will bring them one step closer to the championship. I do wish the situation had been solved in another way, as many times racial prejudice cannot be dissolved with one lecture. The conflicts and solutions are universally based as racial prejudice and war engulf many countries around the world. Reading Now Is The Time For Running changed my world view by teaching me that there is more to just fleeing from danger. You have to able to fight the prejudice and avoid dangers found in new countries such as drugs and inner city threats. You must be able to escape alive but not lose your humanity.
Before reading Now Is The Time For Running, I believed that racial prejudice meant discrimination between black and white, Asian or American. Now I have learned that racial prejudice can form not only from the color of someone’s skin but lines drawn marking borders. For example, the discrimination in South Africa against foreigners, those from Zimbabwe and Botswana, simply neighboring countries. While my view on racism was not necessarily a common stereotype it was one that I had believed, but also one that has changed.