Journey of Doubt

It's interesting how Eggers weaves this story. Achak has these different encounters with all kinds of people that could be somewhat construed as parables. Like any "epic" quest this story takes on characters that appear just when Achak is destitute or lacking faith. This is not to say that the characters he meets, like say the "round-bellied man" restores or lessens his faith. But, faith, God, religion and humanity all come into question. As when "God was taking the weak from the group" on page 198. And on page 199, Achak "realized" that God still wanted the Sudanese, as a people to survive. Therefore, "Only the smartest and strongest of us can make it there." An acrid desert climate, a battle versus humanity's enemy, (itself) for the sake of survival of humanity, and questions to answers that man must answer as well as a boy who must find the answers for himself.

For instance, in his encounter with the "round-bellied man" who's camouflage was superior: it blended perfectly into the landscape." The man's "admission" of "a ghost from nowhere" has "angelic" implications, page 204. The man "fixes" his leg, feeds him nuts and water, pages 201-203. He instead poses the question back to Achak, (page205) and does not answer the troubling question based on the "What." The man’s appearance takes on mysticism and prolongs the story's riddle of the What. I feel, that the manner in which the man "appeared" and "disappeared" left me puzzled, like an unexplained spirit’s call. And like Achak, left me hoping for an answer to a very cryptic question.

Later, the boys approach the tree a few days away from Ethiopia and meet with soldiers from a unit of the army called The Fist, page 215. Achak see’s how worn these soldiers look and is not comforted by them. “The Fist, which to me sounded very capable. But then the men were starving, dying.” Achak goes on to say how the dead Fist soldier troubled “more than any death of any boy along the way.” Meaning, how can a boy survive if a Fist soldier cannot? Is God really taking the weak and letting the strong survive? Is anyone going to survive?

Achak is surrounded by as many questions as predators. All he has is the group. It seems his faith is losing the grip on him he so desperately needs to survive. Just as William K had re-entered his life, Achak stated: “I felt it was God giving me this gift of William K after taking away Deng.” Achak had decided not speak again after Deng’s death, page 156. Almost accepting his fate because he had no answer to this calamity and that he would be next.

Then, Achak’s childhood friend William K dies and he sits next to the dead body while holding his hand, page 217. “I no longer had any faith in our journey or in our guides.” Achak continues that it seemed logical that the insurmountable “walk up the mountain” would continue. The infinite journey would only end when the boys were all dead.”

The epic journey continues to a promised land of salvation yet with no end in sight. Maybe this land does not exist? And in almost a martyr-like fashion Egger writes from Achak’s lips: “I could not cry; there was not the water in my body to spare.” It sounds so dismal yet with religious connotations. God has not given of his body to save my body yet I venture on to an empty promise of unseen salvation.