a p world history summer home work

David Li (Yangxiong Li)

AP World History Summer Home work BOOK TITLE: When a Crocodile Eats the Sun

A Memoir of Africa

AUTHER: Peter Godwin

1. Identity is central to this book.

Is Peter an African?

Yes, he was born in Rhodesia where locates in Zimbabwe.

Are his parents?

Peter found out that his dad George Godwin was born in 1924 in England from

his passport. Later Peter found out that his dad and dad’s family were from

Poland not England. His mom was from England.

What does it mean to be “of” a place?

It’s the place where you live for a long time and love with your heart.

2. Zimbabwe is a country in transition during the decade covered by this book.

What are the causes of the country’s troubles?

White farmer controlled more than half of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe’s farming land.

This land disparity is one of the main causes of the country’s civil war.

Black people think that diseases like AIDS and HIV are from white people

because white people don’t get them. HIV and AID infects many Zimbabweans

and no treatment is available. That causes a lot of orphans and the average of

their life is about 33.

What is the most serious challenge it faces?

The most serious challenge it faces is Zimbabwe War of Liberation. It was the

civil war that Black leader Robert Mugabe against white-minority rule. The war

ended the white from ruling the Zimbabwe.


Who suffers most as a result of the country’s problems: its black or white citizens?

I think that white citizens suffer the most. A lot of them got killed and beaten by

black people because of the hatreds. The worst thing for human being is killing

each other.

2. Do you feel sympathy with the white farmers of Zimbabwe? Why or why not?

I feel sympathy with the white farmers of Zimbabwe for several reasons. First,

the white farmers worked hard and didn’t do anything bad but they were still

under siege by black people. Second, a lot of them lost their homes, livelihoods

and even their lives. Everybody has the right to live on Earth. Last, a lot of them

moved away because of the war and fears. We are brothers and sisters and we

are supposed to have peace not war. We should take care of each other when

someone needs help.

3. During the course of the story, Peter discovers something unexpected about his father’s past.

How does this affect his understanding of who his father is, and who he is?

Peter’s mom told him that his Dad’s family wasn’t from England. They were

from Poland and they were Polish Jews. Peter also knew that his dad’s real

name is Kazimierz Jerzy Goldfarb not Goldwin. Peter thinks that he is not really

a Jew, just Jewish. Peter’s wife told him that doesn’t matter and everyone’s

mishmash in the world.

Why do you think his father kept his secret for so long?

I think the one reason that his father kept his secret for so long is because it’s a

tragedy. He may want to efface this tragedy in his mind because it makes him

feel sad. The other reason is to keep him safe from the Holocaust.


4. How do the people Peter encounters interact with their environment?

Peter didn’t run away because of the war. He tried not to get any trouble like

having struggle with black people. He remained silent when black people yelling

and bulling him. Peter also has a good heart because he helped homeless who

loosed their job by donating cloth for them.

How is the environment of Zimbabwe affect by the choices made by the government

and by citizen?

Peter said that the Government is bad because they can’t do anything good for

people. The Government seemed don’t really care about citizens who suffering

death because of the famine, diseases (AIDS and HIV), and war. Some of the

citizens started to hijack and some started to strike which made the city more

crowed.

What does the land mean to the people?

The land is people’s life and country’s wealth. People spent most of their life

working hard on their land. Because of the hard work, the country’s export

earnings increase and Zimbabwe became the fastest-growing economy in Africa.

5. Zimbabwe is a very young state, only becoming independent in 1980.

How does the Godwin’s idea of what Zimbabwe should be compare with President

Mugabe’s idea?

Mugabe wants to kick every white people out of South Africa because he wants

to create a racial unity. He also wants all the black people to hate and fear white

people away. Godwin realized that the society became colorblind but her mom

is not alone. All her black friends are still love and accept her.


What sorts of things do a people have to decide when they try to establish a new state

(country)?

Because of the civil war, the country became poorer. The war vets had

destroyed a lot of farm-land and that affected famine and workers loosed their

job and became homeless. People have to reestablish the farm-land. That’s way

to prevent the famine and increase work spots. That would also bring back on

the country’s export economy. AIDs and HIV spread wisely during the civil war.

That caused a lot of orphan and the average of their life is about 33. Therefore,

people should create a law to prevent it.

6. How do the events of September 11, 2001 affect Peter?

Peter feels that he is back in Africa and see fire and smoke and all the violence.

How do they change his view of the world and his place in it?

On page 124: (wrenched from its muddling mundanity, life here too, as in Africa,

is suddenly rendered exquisitely perishable and precious.) I don’t really know

the theme of his sentence but in my point of view, I think the theme is that the

world can’t be peace because of the war.

7. The Jewish experience in Europe is discussed at some length.

How does it compare (if at all) with the experience of white people in Zimbabwe?

German leader Hitler started to against Jewish people because Jewish people

were still rich which German economy dropped. Most of Jewish people were

sent to the concentration camp by German during the WWII. They traded like

slave in the camp. They suffered death because of the laborious work. The

worst thing is that the most of them loosed faith and family relationships.

President Mugabe started to against white farmers because they own more

than half of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe’s farming land and they earn a lot of export


income. White farmers were murdered and beaten by black people. Black

people also burned their house and destroyed their farmland. They were even

against black who support for white. These caused white farmers started to

move out of the country.

Can the two experiences even be compared or are they too different?

Some of the experiences can be compared and some of the experiences are too

different to compare. Let’s talk about some which can be comparing. (1) Both

country’s leader motivated the war and struggle because they all have a

jealously heart (This is my opinion). (2) Victims had to suffer death and beating.

Right now, let’s talk about some which are too different to compare. (1)Jewish

people were sent to the concentration camp and white farmers didn’t. (2)Jewish

people were forced to do the laborious work and white farmers didn’t. (3)Most

of Jew loosed faith and family relationships but white farmers didn’t. (4) Jewish

people couldn’t escape from the killing and threatening and white farmers could

unless they leave the Zimbabwe.

8. Peter’s mother shares with him portions of Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “The Roman Centurion’s

Song.”

Why do you think this poem is meaningful to her?

This poem tells me that Zimbabwe became her lovely homeland. Zimbabwe is

her heart, her soul, and her mind. She would stay there in the rest of her life.

9. Why do Peter’s parents stay in Zimbabwe?

There are several reasons. (1) They are been love with this country because they

had lived in Zimbabwe for many years. (2) People would feel uncomfortable if

they suddenly move to another place because they loosed their friends and

their lovely old home or area. It would take a lot of time to let them fit in with


their new surroundings. (3) Peter’s parents can’t walk very well because of the

age. Therefore, it’s not easy for them to move far away.

Should they?

I think they should leave the country because they make Peter always worry

about them. Peter‘s dad had hijacked and beaten by some black guys. It’s not

safe for them to live in that dangerous area.

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