Words Vs. War

A huge theme I'm noticing in this book is the significance of education as the key to a better tomorrow. The fact that we live in a 1st world country and we are all basically required to get an education of some sort makes it hard to relate to Jacob's situation. If we step back and look at things we realize that there are many places on this earth who don't know how to resolve problems with words, instead they turn to conflict and conflict turns to war. The more we read the more we see Jacobs thirst for knowledge grow; he wants to grow and learn and he starts to see the point to getting an education. On page 215 and 216 the boys receive shipment of real soccer balls, this makes Oscar especially happy because then he can truly become a "star soccer player." Later they receive a shipment of notebooks and pencils from a school in America and Jacob is way more interested in writing than playing soccer. He fills book after book up of words and stories. I kept reading and I thought to myself, there has to be some point of foreshadowing? That point of foreshadowing came on page 218 when Jacob told Willie and Oscar " someday I would like to write down some of our stories, things that happened since we left home I mean." This is the point where he decides he wants to write stories, and this book is a story of his stories. I think it's very fitting that Jacob wants to write his stories down because his grandma was a storyteller in his village and he's using his new found education to write down her stories. In a sense I think this helps Jacob remember her and his family. The further we get into the book, the more Jacob becomes interested in going to school instead of being a soldier.

An important relationship in the book is the one that's developing between Jacob and Majok. Slowly they start to become friends and forget about fighting; instead they help each other out with school. They are now more friendly competitors in school and Majok no longer bullies Jacob. This is an important relationship because it once again relates back to the bigger theme of Words Vs. War. This relationship shows us how two educated people can work out their problems by talking. The relationship between Adam and Matthew showed us what happens when someone who's educated tries to work something out with someone who isn't. It just doesn't work, it takes simply takes two people with an education to work something out non violently. Majok eventually leaves for boarding school in Nairobi but Jacob can’t go because it costs a lot of money, money that Jacob does not have. Though I think this little hare is a little too smart to give up quite yet. Im sure Jacob will find a way as he is always looking looking to tomorrow and now he is starting to see, tomorrow will be better.