Water as a Natural Source Tied with the Zeitoun, Protagonist, and Conflicts in Narrative - Essay Example

Egger’s research on water policy follows three themes which include issues of social justice, transboundary water conflict, and urban water treatment and supply.
According to Zeitoun, Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive and the most dangerous tropical cyclone that has ever occurred in the Atlantic region. According to Zeitoun, water is a natural and symbolic force because the hurricane caused the worst natural disaster ever recorded in American history. However, according to Eggers, the disaster was not entirely natural. The book gives the finest investigations of qualified journalists who did their research during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. According to the book, New Orleans became vulnerable to the disaster as a result of human error (Eggers 67). This is because the federal and state authorities responded inadequately to the disaster. Many individuals acted alone. This is because most individuals were ignorant and selfish.

The protagonist in the book is Zeitoun. He is a Muslim who was raised in Syria. He worked at the sea of a fisherman for twenty years. While working, he traveled across the universe and finally settled in the US. When Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans in 2005, his wife and children shifted to Baton Rouge. Zeitoun remained in the city to watch over their home, rental properties, and the ongoing job sites. As a result of the storm, most houses in their neighborhood were flooded to the second floor. This made Zeitoun start moving around in a canoe. He distributed the supplies that he had to his neighbors who were in need. He also moved them to higher grounds and saved dogs that had been abandoned (Eggers 109).

The major conflict that arises in the narrative is the arrest of Zeitoun when he had not done any wrong. The National Guardsmen of the US army arrested and took him into custody on his property. They accused him of being a terrorist and treated him brutally. While under the custody of the National Guardsmen, Zeitoun became a victim of physical and verbal abuse. Later, he was charged with looting $500. Contrary to the normal amount of the bail charged for the crime, Zeitoun was charged ten times more (Eggers 115). The officials of the judicial system refused to tell his wife the location of the public hearing of his case. They claimed that the information was private. Read More