The Translator Themes

The Translator Themes

Community and destiny

For Daoud Hari, the answer to, "What can I do to help my community?" is to use his education and his ability to translate in order to help the rest of the world understand the severity of the situation in Sudan. Because of the violence and tragedy, Hari has to actively save people from real death, but that's not what they remember him for. He is "The Translator," because he is the hero who reports the truth into the English language, even though it is illegal, even though he is captured and persecuted.

Sharing human experience

Hari's heroism comes from his belief that the tragedy and suffering of his community was as valid and important as any human being. Just because Sudan is a little off the beaten path in terms of global politics and economics, that doesn't mean the humans who live in that place are somehow less important. Since a horrific event happened in the broader human family, all people should have the right to reflect on the truth of these tragedies, and the victims should be honored for their sacrifice.

Political instability and tragedy

By the time the news really reached the rest of the world about what was really going on in Darfur, and the political corruption in Sudan, the Sudanese had already begun punishing reporters who told the truth about Darfur. Therefore, Hari's sacrifices are signs that he feels the lives of his fellow citizens all mattered equally (a message he believes truly, apparently, because he voluntarily positions himself in a place of potential harm, over and over again, and he is eventually caught by the government).

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