TOW #7 - Ten Borders

Ten Borders by activist Nicholas Schmide is perhaps one of the most profoundly impacting articles I have ever read. It is a narrative describing how a man named Ghaith was able to travel from Syria to Sweden, and is perhaps the most well written and powerful accounts of his trek. His harrowing accounts of escape, pain, and joy creates an emotional piece and leaves the reader wanting to help the struggling refugees. Schmide wrote Ten Borders with powerful anecdotes in order to cause the reader to emphasize with embattled Syrian Refugees. This text was composed for readers who do not already sympathize with Syrian Refugees, and his aim is to convert these people. With his profound text, he succeeds. Gaith's story seems unreal, but it is experienced by many daily. He travels to places that abuse him, to places that welcome him, and everywhere in between. He made friends along the way, and helped other refugees to get to their desired destination, as well. The story of his reunification with his brother brings great feelings of joy, and his stories of dread along the way feel quite similar to a dystopian novel. The joyful ending leaves the reader feeling happy, but also reminds them that many refugees are not nearly as lucky as he is. Many die along the way, or are forced to live in refugee camps in anti-foreigner Hungary. It inspires the reader to pitch in and help in such a dire situation. The authors use of anecdote greatly impacts the effectiveness of the essay. When describing the horrors of a Lebanese prison, the example of a pregnant woman being surrounded by a pool of blood made the reader empathize with the pain experienced in the situation (para 17). An example of joy could be found in paragraph 36, where Ghaith reunited with his brother, a high of emotion. These anecdotes make the story, an more importantly make the reader empathize with the refugees, and in turn support them.