Writing Assignment 8 Journal Entry

What are the implications of designing a piece which joins the imaginary (characterization) and the real (current event)?

I believe one of the main implications with constructing this kind of story is the personal bias that can accompany the piece. Although it is a piece that is trying to portray the history accurately, it is through the eyes of one person with one perspective. Although it can show the personal and human aspects of the history extremely accurately, in only shows one side, or one perspective.

Have you read any authors who do this regularly in their writing? If so, which authors?

I have not read historical fiction for a very long time. I used to read it when I was much younger, but I do not remember the names of the books or the authors who wrote them.

As a reader, how can one determine how reliable the depictions are in a piece of literature which presents itself as autobiographical?

I believe that there is no real way that you can be sure that a narrator or author is being entirely accurate in their depictions. A reader can research the event that took place that the author is writing about, but even history has different biases, viewpoints, and opinions. One must take the account for what it is, and believe that it is, at the very least, an account that is very real to that person.

Are there more “reliable” forms for depicting/communicating real historical events, especially to future generations, than the personal account? If so, what might they be? If not, why not?

As mentioned before, I believe there is bias in all historical pieces. History is or is based on personal accounts, so, in reality, there is no other form for depicting or communicating historical events.

What impression did the writings on the walls of the Museo Storico della Liberazione di Roma have on you?

The writings on the walls were very disturbing and saddening in some ways, but they were also very inspirational and moving. I was blown away by the valor of what they wrote, of their ability to maintain their pride and honor in a time of such extreme dehumanization. It inspires others to have a passion and to defend it at all times.

Why did you choose to write about the event you did for this piece?

I decided to write about the Rwandan Genocide because it is a subject that I have been extremely interested in during the past few years, and I know a fair amount about its history. With the current happenings in Sudan and Bosnia, the topic also provides a historical event that can be applied to the tragedies of today. I think that, like the Holocaust and other genocides, the Rwandan genocide should be remembered so that we can stop and prevent them from happening again.