Dara
What would you do if you had to move somewhere else because you were attacked by an army? Well that’s what Dara and her family did, in “The Clay Marble”, by Minfong Ho, when they were attacked by Khmer Rouge soldiers. After they were attacked by the soldiers they had to move to a refugee camp called Nong Chan where they could get free food and tools would be handed out so they could work with them. These are just some of the struggles that they face throughout their journey. Through out the journey Dara becomes strong but not only on the outside but in the inside. This is because her dad had died since he knew how to read and write and taught the village children their alphabet. Dara at age 12 meets a person at the refugee camp and her name is Jantu she was also forced out of their village by the soldiers and went to this refugee camp. When they are at the camp they become best friends but suddenly they become separated when they have to flee. Now she and Jantu have to find their families so they can reunite. Before Dara was separated, Jantu had made a magical marble that helps Dara get to family so she could meet with her family again and come back to Jantu and her brother in the hospital. To do this she has to become mentally strong so she can get to her friend and her family. Once that happened, she was able to find everyone that she was looking for. The clay marble that was given to Dara symbolized the courage for her to get through all of the challenges that she faces during this story. Those challenges that she faces make her strong and able to help her family survive in the world. All of the people that she meets help her get through her journey. Now that she has reunited with her family, she never wants to leave her family again. Once she gets her life back to normal she says “When we get back can we start farming”, this is probably because she can’t wait to farm again. I think that the change is better for Dara because it make her realize what’s really going on in the real world. In the future I can see Dara being a good parent when she has a child because, she pushed her way through the problems that she had faced. When I grow up I think that I’m going to do what she does because she had success in her life.
