discussion

After discussing Exodus as a class, I really feel that I understand all the big ideas of the book and how they connect to other motifs and and symbolism's. WE all agreed that moving to the Congo resulted in totally messing up their lives. They are no longer a family. Each child is on their own and separated from each other, except for Adah. It was interesting to see how Leah is kind of living the life of Orleanna. Anatole went to jail, and Nathan went away to war. Orleanna had four girls, and Leah had four boys plus a new born at the end. In the beginning of the book, it was clear that Leah wanted to be just like her dad. But in the end, even though she doesn't purposely try to be like Orleanna, its a big coincidence. It was difficult to get the flow of our conversation at a consistent pace, but I feel that it was productive. Kayne made an interesting point. He shared how he was surprised about what happens to Nathan at the end of the book. Kayne thought that Nathan would go on living his life. Personally, I thought that his punishment for breaking up his family would be living a life of painful regrets. Instead, his misery ends fairly quickly. I honestly don't think that he learned his lesson and got what he really deserved. However, perhaps is was a good thing that Nathan passed away because now, they can live their lives without such a big burden on their shoulders.