Yesha Bhojak

Grade 9A
Language and Literature
Reflection

Language and Literature reflection

They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky

The book I chose to read for this unit (The Image of Africa) was called “They Poured
Fire On Us From The Sky”. This book was written by three co authors named
Alephonison Deng, Benson Deng, and Benjamin Ajak. These three authors are all
related and they were also formerly part of the Lost Boys Of Sudan, during the
Sudanese Civil War. The Lost Boys of Sudan is a name that was given to a group of
over 20,000 boys, mainly consisting of boys from the Dinka and Nuer tribe. All of
these boys were displaced or orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War, and
as a result the boys undertook a dangerous journey to refuge camps in Ethiopia or
Kenya. This book is an autobiographical story which was published on June 14th,
2005 and since then it has gained loads of awards for the sentimental and eye
opening story it conveys to the readers. The authors had wanted to share their story
to the whole world and by doing so they had written a book filled with their
experiences.

They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky is a riveting tale set in Sudan, in the midst of the
Second Sudanese Civil War. It is filled with the stories, journeys, and experiences of
the three main characters who had fled the war in search of refuge. These characters
are named Alephonison, Deng, Benson Deng, and Benjamin Ajak who were only
between 5 and 7 years old, when they had fled their homes, escaping from the war
that had killed all of their families. On this journey of theirs to seek refuge, they walk
thousands of miles with little to no water and food, cross crocodile infested waters,
are exposed to hazardous diseases, and face so many other hurdles and obstacles.
They then sought refuge in a Kenyan refugee camp, where they sign up to take part in
the Lost Boys of Sudan program where they got an opportunity to resettle in the
United States of America. Along with the journey and experiences these three boys
undergo, they also reminisce about their family/friends they had left behind as well as
the ancient history about their village and tribe.
Yesha Bhojak
Grade 9A
Language and Literature
Reflection

In my opinion, the book portrays Africa in a quiet stereotypical manner and in a way
no different than the way most global citizens portray Africa. The main characters had
grown up in a rural village with no technology whatsoever and a place with a rich
culture and tribal background. The characters had not gone to school and did not
receive a proper education, but instead had done their chores during the morning
which mainly consisted of taking care of the cattle and other animals. After they were
done with their chores they would play games on farms with their friends such as
ketket and other traditional games. In the start of the book, no mention of technology,
high buildings, or any other advancement is mentioned or brought up. A quote from
the book that supports my opinion is: “We slept in small, mudded huts thatched with
grasses, and when it was cold we kindled a fire inside with wood.” (“Deng, Benson.
They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky pg 4.”) A common African stereotype is that
the people living in Africa only live in small huts and have no technology or any
modern developments whatsoever and this statement seems to prove this stereotype
right. Another quote from the book is “She was very independent, and once she even
fought my father for arguing with his younger wife. (Deng, Benson. They Poured Fire
on Us From the Sky: pg 4) In this quote it clearly shows what the meaning of
“independence” for a woman seems to be in the Dinka culture. According to the
author, the mother was independent and brave as to standing up and fighting with
the father only during one occasion. It shows that the men are clearly the dominant
sex in this culture, and in most instances the women always obey and never disagree.
This is also a very common stereotype regarding Africa and their citizens.

When reading the book, I had a favorite part that I seemed to thoroughly enjoy when I
was reading. This chapter talked about the teeth removal culture the Dinka tribe had.
Every child (boy and girl) had to remove their 2 bottom teeth as a distinguishing
factor against other tribes who bore different marks on their body. This teeth removal
ceremony occurred when a child was between 6 - 12 as it hurt more when the child
was more mature. When Benson was 6, he had to complete this ritual and have his
bottom teeth removed. He had gone to this uncle’s house for this ceremony. At the
uncle’s house, 2 boys and one other girl had been there, and the uncle told
Yesha Bhojak
Grade 9A
Language and Literature
Reflection

the girl to go first because he had thought that if the girl went last she might be
scared. He used a fish spear to severe the teeth apart, and it was considered to be a
very painful ceremony. However the girl had not uttered a single sound during this
ritual and was as “silent as a grave”. When it was Benson’s turn to have his teeth
removed he thought it would be okay as it did with the girl and it wouldn’t hurt as
much. However, when the spear had penetrated his gums he felt a blinding pain and
cried out loud and started sobbing and moving. When doing so, he tore his gum
apart and the ritual took longer than necessary. The other 2 boys that had followed
Benson had also cried as well from the pain. The three boys were ashamed as they
were bested by a girl. I found this a very interesting read, as it clearly proves the
ideology wrong that a man is better than a woman, and a woman cannot tolerate pain
at all. This small chapter that had a touch of feminism in it truly interested me and by
far it was my favorite part in the book. If I could change something in the book I would
like to make it less chauvinistic, as there are several elements where the same
ideology is repeated over and over again that men are greater than women, and
women are an inferior sex. Apart from that, this book was very enjoyable, interesting,
and an eye opener for me to read.