How to Use this Reader's Guide

Welcome to the BEST Zeitoun reading guide!

To navigate the blog, please click the links above according to your interests.

A Dedication

The BEST students would like to dedicate this reader's guide to Professor Talusan, Travis, Corey, Admissions, and everyone who made this program possible.

Part I

Friday August 26, 2005

• Abdularahman Zeitoun (mostly called Zeitoun) migrated to New Orleans where he met his wife Kathy, a Christian converted to Muslim. Zeitoun runs a construction company called Zeitoun A. Painting Contractor LLC.
• Zeitoun and Kathy have been married for 11 years. Kathy is originally from Baton Rouge. Their children include Nademah 10 years old, Aisha 5 years old, Safiya 7 years old, and Zachary is 15 years old, Kathy’s son form a previous marriage.
• Zeitoun’s mother and father passed away a couple years ago and he also lost his brother Mohammed at a very young age. The rest of his siblings are doing well in other countries such as Spain, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.
• Mahmoud, Zeitoun’s father was was a sailor where he almost lost his life during a storm and tried protecting his children from these events by not allowing them to work on sea. Mohamed opened a hardware store where Zeitoun learned the skills that make him a great construction worker.
• It became even more difficult being a Muslim during this period because of the events of 9/11 and their affiliation with Muslims. Zeitoun, a very devoted Muslim would defend his religion no matter what. Not only did Zeitoun suffer, but his wife Kathy who wore a Jihab suffered discrimination although she was American.
• Throughout the day, a storm called Katrina and its potential in becoming dangerous continued to increase. Even Ahmad, Zeitoun’s brother from Spain, warned him of the strength of this storm; however, Zeitoun’s character did not allow him to be convinced.

Saturday August 27

• Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told all residents of New Orleans to evacuate.
• Kathy decided to go to her brother’s house in Baton Rouge where Kathy’s sisters where staying (Patty and Marry Ann). However, Zeitoun’s stubbornness caused him to stay in New Orleans.
• Kathy had a hard childhood so she found refuge in her friend’s house, Yuko. Kathy also had a difficult first marriage where she was left alone with her son Zachary. Because her friend Yuko converted to Islam, Kathy became intrigued with Islam because of how well it worked out for Yuko.

Sunday August 28

• Katrina become a category 5 hurricane with 150 mph winds. Mayor Nagin ordered the first ever mandatory evacuation. However, Zeitoun refused to leave.
• The storm hit Zeitoun’s house and caused the power to go out, leaks began in multiple places, and windows broke.

Monday August 29

• Zeitoun would use the canoe that he had bought from a client, which brought memories form his childhood. The water level lowered and Zeitoun thought that it was the end of the storm. However, Mayor Nagin told people not to return because the future was uncertain.

Tuesday August 30

• Zeitoun dreamt of Arwad during his childhood along with his brother Ahmad. However, the sound of the ocean was not the same in Zeitoun’s dream which caused him to awake.

Part II

Tuesday, August 30

• The water in Zeitoun's house starts rising. He brings the electronics and valuables to the second floor.
• Zeitoun uses his cell phone to contact Kathy. She is glad that Zeitoun stayed to save their valuables, but she wants him to leave and join her with the rest of the family.
• Zeitoun's brother, Adnan, calls Kathy because he has no place to stay. Adnan's wife is pregnant and they slept in their car the night before. Kathy asks her sister, Mary Ann, if Adnan can stay over with his wife and Mary Ann says no.
• Kathy thinks about relocating to Phoenix, where her best friend Yuko lives.
• During the night, Zeitoun looks through some family photos he found. He think about his brother Mohammed, who was a talented swimmer. Mohammed was killed in a car accident at age 24.
• It is hot inside the house, so Zeitoun decides to sleep on the roof with a mattress and tent.
• He falls asleep hearing the barks of the neighborhood dogs.

Wednesday, August 31

• Zeitoun uses his canoe to travel around the neighborhood and he sees Frank Noland, one of his clients. They travel together in the canoe.
• They encounter an old doctor and his wife. They want to leave and Zeitoun promises that he will find them help.
• On the way to finding help, they find an old woman trapped in her home. They leave to find her some help.
• A fan boat came by. Zeitoun and Frank tried to stop it and ask for help, but it did no stop. The fan boat almost tipped Zeitoun's canoe over. Police officers and soldiers were on the fan boat.
• A fishing boat comes by and they are willing to help. They return to the woman's home and rescue her. They also help the old couple.
• Zeitoun visits one of his properties on Claiborne and sees Todd Gambino, one of his tenants. He finds out from Todd that the telephone is working because the phone box is above the water line. Zeitoun uses it to call Kathy.
• During the night, Zeitoun looks at more pictures. He has a flashback of Mohammed, who won many swim races and took pictures with different political leaders. Mohammed broke swimming records and he swam, even though their father was against it.

Thursday, September 1

• Kathy decides that she will relocate to Phoenix with her kids. She calls Claiborne to tell Zeitoun that they are leaving Baton Rouge, but a mystery man picks up. Kathy suspects that this man was up to no good and is worried about Zeitoun's safety.
• As Kathy is driving, she hears about the crimes and shootings in New Orleans on the radio. The children start to ask her questions and she is frustrated.
• She calls Yuko and they make plans to fly Kathy and the kids to Phoenix. Kathy will drive to Houston, where Yuko's friend Mary lives. She will take the plane the next day to Phoenix.
• When Zeitoun wakes up, he hears the neighborhood dogs and decides to go around and feed them. He comes to the Claiborne house to call Kathy. Zeitoun feels uneasy that someone was in the house, but he saw no signs of theft or crime.
• As Zeitoun was traveling back to his house, he sees a rescue helicopter. He waves at them to tell them he is fine. They drop a case of water and leave.

Friday, September 2

• Zeitoun goes around the neighborhood to feed the dogs.
• He passes by the Shell station and sees a group of people with garbage bags. They were looting the gas station.
• Zeitoun calls Kathy. She tells him that friends and family have been calling her and asking Zeitoun to check up on their homes.
• Zeitoun calls his brother, Ahmad, to let him know that he is safe.
• Zeitoun encounters his friend, Nasser. They row the canoe together. They hear the Williamses asking for help. Zeitoun finds some officials and asks them to rescue the Williamses. The Williamses ended up waiting for more than four hours, while the official said it would take an hour. Zeitoun looks for help and sees a motorboat, which turns out to be Todd's. They use it to aid the Williamses and bring them to the rescue centers.
• During the night, Zeitoun looks at more pictures. They were pictures of Ahmad, who traveled to many places, including Japan, India, and America.
• Zeitoun has a flashback of his first voyage and life as a sailor.
• As for Kathy, she arrives safely to Phoenix.

Saturday, September 3

• Zeitoun feeds the neighborhood dogs in the morning.
• He travels around his the canoe with Nasser. They see their first dead body in the water.
• Ahmad calls the Claiborne house and Zeitoun picks up. He is worried about Zeitoun.
• Zeitoun has a flashback. Once Ahmad told Zeitoun to show up in a certain corner in New Orleans with his family. There was a video camera there and Ahmad was able to see Zeitoun and his family through it. Ahmad lives in Spain, so he does not have the opportunity to see his brother often.
• Zeitoun arrives at one of the offices he owns and see that there is a fire spreading nearby. It is a disaster and he turns back.
• During the night, Zeitoun remembers a time when he was debating with the captain of a ship about God. Zeitoun fell asleep thinking about the power of God.

Sunday, September 4

• Zeitoun goes around and feeds the neighborhood dogs the rest of his meat.
• As he rows to Claiborne, he encounters half a dozen of dead puppies. This upsets Zeitoun and he tells Kathy about it.
• Zeitoun decides to use the day to relax and reads the Qur'an.
• He has a flashback of the time when he and Ahmad decided to grow pigeons on the roof. Mahmoud, Zeitoun's father, at first would not allow them to keep the pigeons, but later changed his mind because the birds charmed him. Mahmoud died a few years after that due to heart disease.

Monday, September 5

• Zeitoun feeds dog food to the dogs because he ran out of meat.
• Kathy tells Zeitoun that the police officers in New Orleans were killing themselves. Walt and Rob, Zeitoun's friends, wants to know if their cat was still in their house. Zeitoun rowed to the house and found no trace of a cat. He does not go into the house because it will look suspicious.
• Zeitoun falls asleep, wondering if it is time to leave.

Tuesday, September 6

• Zeitoun does his daily routine of feeding the dogs.
• Nasser informs Zeitoun that he wants to leave. Zeitoun rows Nasser to where the rescue helicopters are. To their surprise, the helicopter crashed and none of the rescuers were there.
• Zeitoun calls Kathy and she tries to convince him to leave. The mayor issued a forced evacuation.
• Zeitoun rows around and encounters a reporter. When asked why he stayed, he told them he was trying to help.
• When Zeitoun returns to Claiborne, he sees someone he does not recognize in the house. The man identifies himself as Ronnie, who is there to use the phone. Zeitoun allows him to stay in the house.
• Zeitoun calls Ahmad, who also tries to convince Zeitoun to leave. As they were talking, a group of people are outside the door, asking them if they need water. When Zeitoun opened the door, he saw a group of armed men and they bursted into the house.

Part III

Wednesday September 7: Kathy is beginning to get nervous because of Zeitoun’s delayed phone call.

Thursday September 8: Zeitoun still had not called and his brother, Ahmad, begins to worry as well.

Friday September 9: After another day passes with no word from Zeitoun, Kathy decides she must lie to her children about their father so they do not worry about his disappearance.

Saturday September 10: Along with troubling news reports from New Orleans, the continuous calls from Zeitoun’s family members increase Kathy’s worries. Their oldest daughter, Aisha, feels the strain of worry, as well.

Sunday September 11: After six days without contact from Zeitoun, Kathy begins to fear that Zeitoun might never return.

Monday September 12: Kathy decides that the kids should start school to try to move on with their lives instead of staying focused on their worry.

Wednesday September 14: Kathy begins to think rationally about what her life will be like without Zeitoun. She brainstorms ideas about where the family will live in the future.

Saturday September 17: While reading news reports about the chaos in New Orleans, Kathy discovers that there are Israeli soldiers in New Orleans who most likely hold racial prejudices. She makes the realization that, because her husband was an Arab, the soldiers would be a great threat to him. Then Kathy recalls a memory that demonstrated Zeitoun’s desire for Kathy to never give up and it calms her nerves.

Monday September 19: Kathy finds a new sense of peace and she feels ready to plan her new life without her husband. However, around midday, Kathy receives a phone call from a missionary who saw Zeitoun in Hunt prison in St. Gabriel. Kathy is shocked to hear this news but the man gives her no further information.

Part IV

Tuesday September 6

• Kathy lost contact with Zeitoun
• Zeitoun was held hostage by men in military uniform and was accused of being part of Al-Qaeda
• Without being read his rights or having access to a lawyer or phone call, Zeitoun underwent interrogation and a full body search.
• While imprisoned Zeitoun was living under meager conditions, given pork to eat and since he is Muslim he couldn’t eat it. He was also unable to sleep because of the train engine used to provide the prison with electricity.

Wednesday September 7

• Zeitoun was arrested and confined to a cell along with three other men: Todd, Nasser, and Ronnie.
• Jerry was sent to their cell, apparently arrested for siphoning fuel from his neighbors car
• A prisoner in another cell had mental issues and was pepper sprayed and doused with water for disobeying guard’s orders.
• Zeitoun wanted to help the prisoner but for the sake of his family decides not to.
• During prayers, he asks for his family’s forgiveness and regrets staying back during the storm.

Thursday September 8

• Zeitoun notices that he has a splinter that was now getting infected; using a broken Tabasco bottle he takes out the metal sliver the size of a toothpick from his foot giving him instant relief.
• Jerry started asking Zeitoun and Nasser about their heritage and family, making Zeitoun think Jerry was a spy.

Friday September 9

• On this day, Zeitoun is moved out of Camp Greyhound and is transported to Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel in the maximum security sector of the prison.
• Although he was treated better than the previous prison, Zeitoun not only had no access to a phone, but was also isolated to a cell with Nasser because they were both Syrian
• While in the cell Zeitoun kept thinking about Kathy and how he hasn’t been able to contact her and how worried she and his children may be for not knowing about him.

Saturday September 10

• Zeitoun asked for a phone call but the guards ignored him.
• One of the guards thought that Zeitoun and Nasser were a couple which infuriated Zeitoun, but he preferred to control his anger to avoid more trouble.

Sunday September 11

• Four African Americans were introduced into Zeitoun’s cell and like him they were also innocent men falsely accused on charges brought on them.
• Zeitoun started having pain on his side near his kidney and no matter what he did the pain persisted so he had no other choice but to fill out a form to see the doctor.

Monday September 12

• The four African Americans in the cell were removed and being alone with Nasser Zeitoun limited the communication between them in fear of being spied on and thought of as conspiring.
• As Zeitoun sat against the bed he started to remember past time when he was in the airport, where he faced racism for being Muslim

Tuesday September 13

• Ever since he was arrested, Zeitoun had no contact with the outside world and the only itme he got out of the cell was to take a shower and even that had bars.
• He also started to think about why he was arrested and if he was going to end up like other Muslims where they spent months and even years in prison before being released.

Wednesday September 14

• Zeitoun’s side pain was increasing and he started to lose too much weight.
• He thought that the pain was caused by sorrow or it was a manifestation of anger, helplessness and sadness.

Thursday September 15

• Zeitoun was confined to a cell all by himself; he thought about how he should’ve bought a higher life insurance to keep his family protected and how Ronnie could be the reason he was arrested.
• He was also thinking about how him and his family would have to live with the fact that he had been to prison and his how his reputation and dignity have been ruined.

Friday September 16

• For the first time since he was arrested Zeitoun had the chance to go outside his cell and see the sun.
• At one point the guards were making rounds and telling prisoners to get out of their cells and strip to make sure they didn’t have any prohibited objects.

Saturday September 17

• Zeitoun starts to regret staying behind to look after the properties. He’s also disappointed in the U.S. police force and the military because they failed to protect people like him, instead they “devoured anyone who got close”
• Sees his situation as a lesson from God for being too proud and wanting to be like his brother Mohammed and wanting to make himself known.

Sunday September 18

• A black man in his sixties was passing with a cart full of Bibles distributing them to the prisoner. Zeitoun took advantage of this opportunity and asked the man to please call his wife and tell her he’s alive.

Monday September 19

• Zeitoun was asked to leave his cell and he was taken to a white van that would take him to an office where Todd, Ronnie and Nasser were waiting.
• At the office, Zeitoun was interviewed and asked why he had stayed and how he knew the others and why he didn’t have any money with him whereas Nasser carried his life savings.
• The interviewers, which were from Homeland security, asked im if they can do him a favor and he said yes, to call his wife Kathy.

-------------

• Kathy, after receiving the call from the man with the bibles, received a call from Homeland Security assuring her that Zeitoun was fine and the charges were dropped.
• She later called Hunt, the prison where Zeitoun was, and they told her that he wasn't in their records but in FEMA's records. She then called Raleigh their lawyer to help them with the case but he didn't guarantee a certain time.

Tuesday September 20

• Ahmad, Zeitoun's brother, called Kathy to tell her to tell the rest of the family that Zeitoun wasn't in prison so that they wouldn't worry. He also wanted to know Zeitoun's info so he could contact someone to help get Zeitoun out since the charges of being a terrorist put him at great risk

Thursday September 22

• Kathy was told by Raleigh that Zeitoun was indeed in Hunt. She later called Ahmad to tell him the news but he was still worried since no one had yet seen him they couldn't be sure about anything.

Friday September 23

• Raleigh told Kathy about the possibility of seeing Zeitoun. She then booked a flight to New Orleans, called Adnan, Zeitoun's cousin and planned to sleep over at his apartment.

Sunday September 25

• Kathy arrived at New Orleans. During the flight, the plane flew low so they could see the damage from the hurricane. Once she arrived, Adnan picked her up took her to his apartment and Kathy instantly fell asleep the minute she went to bed.

Monday September 26

• Zeitoun was assured by Homeland Security and the missionary, the man with the bibles, that they'd call Kathy but he still wasn't assured that they had indeed called her.
• He was later led to a “court room” where he was represented by a public defender and received a bail of $75,000 but still had no possibility of a phone call.

Tuesday September 27

• Raleigh called Kathy so that she could get character witnesses in favor of Zeitoun, she managed to get seven people, even their children's school principal.
• When Kathy tried to find out where the hearing would take place, the people in the district attorney's office told her that it was private information.
• Raleigh managed to see Zeitoun and talked to him if they should hand over the $75k and be free right there or fight the bail money and pay $10k later. Zeitoun preferred to pay later since his family knew how he was and that the money used for the bail could be put to better use in his children's education.

Wednesday September 28

• Kathy arrived at Hunt with the character witnesses confident that after testifying Zeitoun would be released. Unfortunately the hearing was canceled.
• Adnan and Kathy went to the office building Zeitoun owned to get the ownership papers to pay for the bail. Raleigh faxed the papers and the payment was confirmed but since the office closed early Zeitoun would have to spen another night in prison.

Thursday September 29

• Adnan and Kathy arrived at the prison at 8am and were told to wait. Zeitoun was praying when the guard came over to him and told him to hurry up because he was being released.
• When Zeitoun was finally free, Kathy noticed that he was broken and had lost lots of weight. He also asked to leave immediately and as they were driving away Ahmad called wanting to know about Zeitoun and once he was able to talk Ahmad was relieved to know his brother was back with his family.

Part V

Fall 2008
After the ordeal, Kathy now suffers from memory loss. At times she cannot function normally.

After Zeitoun was taken away, there was no one to care for their house, so the family is in the process of rebuilding a new and improved home on their old location on Dart Street.

Zeitoun is too ashamed to tell his family about what happened to him in prison. He and Kathy wait two weeks to bring the kids back to New Orleans. Even though Zeitoun is unsure if he wants his children to see him in an almost unrecognizable state, they know they must reunite the family.

The Zeitouns receive a free trailer as compensation from FEMA; however, it is not installed safely and they are not given a key to open it, so they are never able to use it. It sits in their yard as an eyesore and a constant reminder of the troubles that FEMA caused the family after the storm.

Kathy is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, though she has yet to find a solution to it.

Kathy and Zeitoun take steps to locate the police who arrested him. However, once they find them, their stories and reasoning are not enough to satisfy the Zeitouns and the memories of the arrest still haunt him.

Four days after his release, Zeitoun and Kathy find it necessary to return to Camp Greyhound to retrieve Zeitoun’s wallet so he can have a form of identification to prove that he belongs in this country. Kathy hates the thought that her husband has been falsely accused and that he will hold a criminal record. This whole event has scarred Kathy because of her disappointment in the failure of her government. The fact that her husband was given no outside contact and no trial by jury caused Kathy to lose faith in the government she once trusted. She is left with so many questions and so much disbelief from the whole event.

Zeitoun A. Painting Contractor is doing well after the storm. The company has restored 114 houses. Zeitoun strives to maintain the old character of the houses and buildings so the city does not suffer more loss than necessary.

The family was blessed with a baby boy on November 10, 2006, who they named Ahmad. The family is doing well and they are slowly recovering from the traumatic experience while staying in their home town of New Orleans.

Character Analysis: Zeitoun

Abdulrahman Zeitoun, known to most by his surname Zeitoun, is the protagonist of the story. Zeitoun is originally from Syria but moved to the United States after living a fulfilling life on the sea. He met his wife, Kathy through a mutual friend and eventually became a father of four. In addition to his family responsibilities, he is the owner of a very successful contracting business. He owns and tends to properties through New Orleans. Throughout much of the story he maintains a very strong, hardworking, and humble personality. This holds true up until his entering the prison. He was wrongly convicted and is forced to enter a cruel jail environment. Eventually they wear him down to the point of humiliation, they break him down completely. Over time, with the help of his friends, family, and his lifestyle, he is able to slowly recover.

Character Analysis: Kathy

Zeitoun's wife, Kathy, is a witty and strong willed woman. Kathy was raised as a respectable white Southern Baptist woman who converted to Islam. She met Zeitoun with her son, Zachary. It was not an instant connection. It was until a few years later tat she decided to give Zeitoun a chance. Eventually they built a life together and had three more kids. Kathy and her family live in the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans, where she helps manage Zeitoun's ever-growing business. She has lived a busy, but steady life up until Zeitoun is taken into prison. She is devastated and a nervous wreck not knowing his whereabouts. After a battle, with the help of a lawyer, she is able to release him from the prison. However, because of the overwhelming mix of emotions she suffered during his absence, Kathy slowly begins to feel the effects of Zeitoun's imprisonment. She begins to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and although she has the love and support from family and friends, she may never fully recover.

Muslim Culture

Kathy’s hijab has been the subject of childish pranks and motherly discontent. The Arabic word “hijab” literally means curtain; it is a means for Muslim women to maintain their modesty. The Qur’an requires women to cover up their “beauty” from anyone except their husbands, children and a list of other family members. A more metaphysical definition of the word reveals that it is a veil that separates man from Allah. One of the more vivid instances of Kathy’s unfortunate situations purported by her hijab finds her in a DMV to get her license renewed. At this point of the novel, we know that Kathy’s mother is discontent with her conversion of religion. When the photographer tells Kathy to remove her hijab for the photo, something in Kathy’s mother told her to protect her daughter’s right to wear whatever she pleased, whenever she pleased.
Prayer in Muslim culture follows strict procedures. For instance, before one begins to pray, they must be cleansed of all impurities, namely, they must be washed with clean water. When Zeitoun was in jail, however, he had no access to clean water; he had to clean himself by dusting himself off. Another thing worth noting is how Zeitoun refused to eat the pork in the jail even though he hadn’t eaten in days. Pork is a prohibited food item for Muslims; the Qur’an states:

“He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Swine are considered filthy and therefore not consumable by those who practice the Muslim faith.

9/11

Zeitoun takes place 4 years after 9/11 and the start of war on terrorism in America. Preventing terrorism became a top priority by the American government after 9/11. The United States Department of Homeland Security was created in response to the September 11 attacks to protect the United States from terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Hurricane Katrina revealed that the US government was unprepared for (natural) disasters. The government believed that terrorists would use Hurricane Katrina to attack when America was at its weak point. Zeitoun’s story exhibits the idea that during and after Hurricane Katrina, the US government, in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was more focused on preventing terrorism and stopping suspected terrorists than rescuing people and helping with the clean-up effort. After the ordeal Zeitoun went through, he remarks, “The authoring committee had been asked to 'speculate on possible terrorist exploitation of a high category hurricane'”…”These terrorists “might even hope that National Guard and other units are less able and well-equipped to respond… because of deployment overseas.”” (308) In the book it states, “New Orleans Police Department had put out a nationwide request for law enforcement help.” (302) Some of the officers from this deployment were responsible for Zeitoun’s arrest on suspicions of criminal activity. Zeitoun was targeted because of his ethnicity for possible terrorism collaborations. Because of his race Zeitoun sometime thinks about the effect 9/11 has on him. “Zeitoun had long feared this day would come. Each of the few times he had been pulled over for a traffic violation, he knew the possibility existed that he would be harassed, misunderstood, suspected of shadowy dealings that might bloom in the imagination of any given police officer. After 9/11, he and Kathy knew that many imaginations had run amok … groups of would-be terrorists living in the U.S. and waiting, for years or decades, to strike.” (212) Zeitoun was consequently arrested by the police because of this same fear by the government and because 9/11 attacks were so engraved in the minds of Americans, it was hard for him to convince them that his race and ethnicity does not link him to terrorism.

Sources:
http://www.allgov.com/Agency/Department_of_Homeland_Security

Katrina and Aftermath

This section serves to encourage and facilitate accurate discussion regarding the events before, during, and directly after Hurricane Katrina. Links to sources and further reading are included, as this section does not seek to report said events in thorough detail, nor does it seek to replace comprehensive articles available on other websites.

Financially, Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States, but its infamy also stems from its human toll. Katrina was the deadliest hurricane since the Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, and the sixth strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. Katrina claimed 1,836 confirmed casualties, $81 billion dollars in property damage, and possessed maximum winds of 175 mph (280 km/h). The greater part of this tragedy can be attributed to the catastrophic failure of the New Orleans levee system, which, as described in Zeitoun, resulted in the flooding of 80% of the city. Weeks passed before the floodwaters receded.

See also: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL122005_Katrina.pdf, http://www.nola.com/katrina/graphics/credits.swf

Katrina’s wrath was extensive. The Gulf Coast’s economy was severely damaged, as oil supply was interrupted, oil platforms were destroyed, and exportation of local commodities slowed to a snail’s pace. The forestry industry of Mississippi also suffered, and unemployment skyrocketed. The above were not accounted for in the Bush Administration’s $105 billion budget for reconstruction. Also, Katrina displaced hundreds of thousands of residents, leaving Louisiana with a 4.87% decrease in population (a loss of 219,563 people).

See also: http://www.marshall.edu/cber/research/katrina/Katrina-Estimates.pdf, http://money.cnn.com/2006/12/22/real_estate/fastest_growing_states/index.htm?postversion=2006122209

Rumors of looting and violence are directly referenced in Zeitoun. As seen in the book, the media spun outrageous reports of robbery, rape, and murder. The inaccuracy of the news coverage is attributed to the confusion and disarray following the disaster. While lootings did occur, they were mostly committed by locals who had no other means to obtain food, water, and other necessities. Regardless, a total of 46,838 National Guard and federal troops were mobilized to restore order.

See also: http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/902682211.html?dids=902682211:902682211&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+27%2C+2005&author=Susannah+Rosenblatt+and+James+Rainey&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=A.16&desc=RITA%27S+AFTERMATH%3B+Katrina+Takes+a+Toll+on+Truth%2C+News+Accuracy%3B+Rumors+supplanted+accurate+information+and+media+magnified+the+problem.+Rapes%2C+violence+and+estimates+of+the+dead+were+wrong.,
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9208195/#.Tkx5dagdySp

This and other measures taken in the government response are of great importance to Zeitoun. The following section will focus on those measures under criticism. For information on the response as a whole: . Criticism is primarily directed to the general lack of leadership and mismanagement of the disaster and aftermath. Government response was slow and highly contested, as the issue of the responsibility of state and local government versus federal government was not entirely clear. Ultimately, FEMA was appointed as the chief coordinator of the disaster response. However, conflict between the levels of government, such as a noncompliant Governor Blanco, persisted throughout the relief effort. This delayed response was declared by some to be fueled by the race or class of the effected residents of New Orleans. An ABC News Poll displayed national public assignment of blame for the poor response, with state and local governments receiving the most blame (75%), followed by the Federal government (67%), and finally President Bush's leadership (44%).

See also: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002520986_katmyth26.html, http://www.dhh.state.la.us/news.asp?Detail=758, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/15/national/nationalspecial/15brown.html?pagewanted=all, http://abcnews.go.com/US/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1094262&page=1

Racism

Dave Eggers’ Zeitoun is a call to stop racism towards those of Middle Eastern descent or anything connected to the Middle East, such as the Muslim religion. Eggers proposes that America stop associating everyone of Middle Eastern descent to terrorists. Zeitoun compares and contrasts the minds of a normal American-Middle Eastern family, who are also Muslim, to the corrupted minds of the ‘racist’ United States. Unlike what the majority of the United States would think about Zeitoun, a person from Syria, Zeitoun is hard-working, amiable, and unselfish. On various occasions in the book, such as on page 13, Zeitoun is described as “working harder than anyone [he] knew”. Zeitoun is also an “honest man, honest to the core” (pg. 17). He had no racist ideals, as he “employed a number of… men from everywhere” (pg. 19). Eggers shows the mind of an American Middle Eastern, or Muslim isn’t full of thoughts of destroying Americans. After hurricane Katrina, Zeitoun did not have to stay back and look after people. He shared what he had in his fridge, and helped not only people, but animals such as dogs too. He stayed because “he could help when needed” (pg 108). In all, it shows that not all Muslims or Middle Easterners are bad people. Zeitoun had a good heart. Zeitoun didn’t have to stay back and leave his family. But he did, and saved human lives.
Eggers creates irony as to demonstrate the wrongful, unjust, and racist mind of the average American. Instead of Zeitoun being compensated for his good actions, he is prejudged, and receives consequences because of suspicions of his actions, and not really because of his actions, but because of his race. Eggers shows the degradation the U.S. government has had, as well as America’s degradation in moral. On page 37, a would-be client doesn’t hire Zeitoun just because he is Syrian. Zeitoun is imprisoned in the first place because the soldiers think he is part of al Qaeda (pg. 212). “[Zeitoun] and Kathy worried about the reach of the Department of Homeland security, its willingness to contact anyone born in or with a connection to the Middle East” (pg. 213), just because of suspicions of terrorism. But not only did Zeitoun have to have battle and fight against racism from the ‘outside world’, Kathy, his wife, also had to fight against the racism to the Muslim culture from within her family. On page 106, Kathy’s mother asks “Why don’t you take off that thing and relax? He’s not here. Be yourself” (referring to the hijab) as if to state that the Muslim religion was just a farce or mask, and not a real religion at all.
Zeitoun shows a similarity of the minds of the ‘white Americans’ during the period of segregation, as America now instead of segregating blacks, now segregate Muslims and those from the Middle East. Eggers tries to break that connection of Muslim-to-terrorist similarity that so many Americans have adopted nowadays. Eggers’ Zeitoun shows how closely related all Americans are to Muslims and those of Middle Eastern descent and that the only thing that matters is whether we are morally humans or not.

Family Theme

As in most books with a catastrophic event, family emerges as an important theme in David Eggers' Zeitoun. The protagonist, Abdulrahman Zeitoun, was born to a large family in Jableh, Syria. At a young age, Zeitoun was forced to cope with the tragic deaths of his father, mother, and treasured brother, Mohammed. Determined to start a new life and family of his own in America, Zeitoun married a converted Muslim named Kathy Delphine in New Orleans, Louisiana. Once Hurricane Katrina struck and Abdulrahman was arrested and taken to prison, the Zeitoun's family was anxious and devasted. The anxiety was due to the fact that he could not be contacted for almost two weeks. The devastation derived from the absurd allegations that allowed the local authorities to incarcerate Zeitoun.

The real damage during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was not material damage, but rather emotional affliction. Ahmad, Zeitoun's older brother from Spain, sent out a fleet emails to Katrina Relief in search of his missing brother who mysteriously hung up during their daily phone call on the 6th of September. Kathy made countless phone calls to friends and relatives in a desperate attempt to find her missing husband. Once she found out Zeitoun was in prison, she was forced to lie to Zeitoun's family in Syria in order to save the family name from embarrassment, misunderstanding, and worrying.

In times of hardship, friends can sometimes be viewed as family. Yuko, Kathy's childhood friend, became a vital part of helping the Zeitoun family, especially Kathy, endure the anxiety that lingered with the each phone call that she received. She allowed Kathy and her kids to stay with her family in Phoenix, Arizona until the entire ordeal was taken care of. Kathy needed Yuko's support to endure the entire aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She stayed with her family in Baton Rouge before she migrated to Yuko's house for refuge. Her family in Baton Rouge was not as supportive as Yuko and the crowded house made her feel uneasy and anxious.

After the entire ordeal, Kathy was not the same. Due to the stress from the post-hurricane situation, she suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. Her memory was not nearly as sharp as it once was. Zeitoun also suffered from this condition. He sometimes had flashbacks of the horrific conditions of the jails he was kept in. Both Kathy and Zeitoun suffer from this disorder because of the stress that came from the helpless situation they were in. They both greatly feared for their family's future and well-being till their stress breaking point. The inability to cope with tragic family events was also seen in Mahmoud's death,Zeitoun's father, who died of a heartache due to the sudden death of his prized son, Mohammed.