[2015] Noah Rogozynski: Among the Betrayed

“What kind of country thinks it is betrayal just to be born, was I supposed to kill myself out of loyalty? How is it my fault that my parents had two babies before me?” (Peterson, 6)

“People say that death is the worst thing that can happen to you, but it is not. Betryal is a hundred times worse”(Peterson, 10)."We don't just live in the shadows, we are shadows. Besides our families, no one knows we exsist" (Peterson 2).

Reflection of My Mind's Eye Visualization helped me to better understand the texts on a variety of occasions. This strategy allowed me to take a step into the book and experience everything the characters are going through as if I were them. In one part of the story, the author is describing the prison cell the main character Elodie is in. The author tells us: “The bathroom was just a corner in the cave that they all avoided as much as they could. It stank mightily. And when they were thirsty, they had to go to the wettest part of the cave and lick the wall because the guards never brought them water” (Peterson 55).I could see the image of this in my head and better understand how gross it must have been to be locked in her jail cell and have to lick water from the fetid wall in order to quench her thirst and not die of dehydration. I can feel Elodie’s disgust and misery in this dank cell, helping me experience what she is going through and her desperation to do anything to escape, even betray her fellow shadow children cellmates. Furthermore, by visualizing the story, I am able to see how the scenes play out thus allowing the messages of the story more easily conveyed to me. When Elodie looked out of the window in the prison’s interrogation room, the author describes to us the setting. The author says: the dark, dungeon like prison was surrounded by green on all sides with grasslands leading into forests. I immediately could visualize this scene as having an old, dungeon like prison with big doors and high concrete walls surrounded by endless grassland leading into lush forest. through seeing this scene, i noticed contrast that i would not have noticed otherwise. this scene shows contrast as the prisoners are held in a gross dungeon like prison rurrounded by beautiful nature. Seeing this in my mind made the story more relatable and conveyed to me a message that the beauty surrounding the prison Elodie is held in represents the freedom that is always out of reach for her as she is a shadow child.

The ConnectionA lonely string of thought runs through your mind as you readStumpedIt swirls around, confused,Looking for meaningIt twirls endlessly in your head, between your eyes"Why would that character do that?I’m not this is true. Is it?And then…….One lonely string meets anotherTheother long forgottenThey twirl around each otherThe idea becomes clearer As they dance closer and closerLike two snakes, they bind and unravel in their mystifying danceAs more strings join inLike a twirling tornado they spin, looking for where they fit inAnd then…They tie togetherForming a web of ideas Forming a connectionYou recall a similar experience You’ve been there tbeforeAnd you better understand…..The character’s motifs, ideas, feelings, strugglesOr the settingThe story is more relatable to you All becauseOf the connection

Among the Betrayedby Margret Peterson

In a country where third children are outlawed to conserve reascources, extra children like Elodie live in the shadows, hiding in constant fear of being found and killed by the population police.Elodie has been betrayed and handed over to the governemnt by her true love but, has been offered a choice by the governemnt. Get her cell mates to admit they are shadows (extra illegal children) and live or sacrifice herself to keep them safe.

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