Etgar Keret Assignment
“One Good Deed a Day,” in Etgar Keret’s book The Nimrod Flip-Out, describes the simple acts of kindness performed by two Israelis traveling cross-country in America. The story is centered around an experience in Philadelphia that was meaningful for the narrator. The traveling friends struggle with how they should give, and in what capacity, in order to fill their goal of doing one good deed every day of their trip. During their day in Philadelphia, the friends encounter an old man who offers them advice, and then asks for money. The men try to offer him food, but the man becomes extremely upset, because he understands that they don’t believe he was offering them actual advice.
The narrator, and especially his friend, try hard to do the right thing and give people food, instead of money they might spend on drugs. I connected with this story, because I too am strongly affected by personal interactions with those who are much less fortunate than myself. I very much want to help, but I don’t want to do anything wrong. In addition, the setting of the story is comfortingly mundane and familiar. I think, because I have been far from home for so long, that the normality of the United States is a huge draw for me in this story.
The story ends with the narrator giving to another person in need, this time to someone who you would not expect him to give. He retains judgement and simply gives. I believe that Keret is making a commentary about a society in which we are quick to judge, and are conditioned to give only with extreme constraint. I believe this can be viewed as true Jewish/Israeli literature because it involves a struggle to do the right thing, a struggle in which the Jewish people are eternally involved.
It can be very hard sometimes to give when you dont know the person you are giving towards. Before I left on EIE, I was leaving the mall with my friend as a guy asked if we could buy him food, my friend had to leave so I said "sure just let me walk her to her car". I saw the disappointment on this mans face because of course he thought I was not coming back, but I also saw the excitement on his face when I returned with a smile on my face. As we walked so I could get him a meal, he shared his story on how he was going to go to college but then his parents lost their jobs and his house also burnt down, so now his family had nothing and spent the day looking for work. He also began to tell me how important it is to set goals and work hard which was nice to hear the week before EIE. This moment really meant a lot to me, because something so simple for me is simple for others, and I also carry snacks in my car to give out to the homeless. I really like this story and the connections I made from my personal life.
ReplyDeleteI also really connect with this story, because I make sure when I am helping one who is in need on the street, that I give them food. In my town, there are several people that pretend to be in need but are really looking for money for drugs as it was found out, so I began and was taught to give them food. One time, it was a really hot summer day (and the summers in DC get gross) and there was a homeless man that lived under a bridge near my house. My mother and I gave him a cold bottle of water along with a meal, and he was extremely grateful. Deeds like this one are so easy to do and can really help someone in need.
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