Coast to Coast - Portfolio

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his parents go to bed as well. The following day he must go to school. At the break he talks to Kate, the only one he trusts. He tells her about Bashir and the hut. But Kate never breaks a rule and thinks Cooper should call the police or tell his dad. Cooper is stealing food for Bashir when his dad comes in. He wants to talk with Cooper. He thinks family is important, but it is more difficult because of the election. Cooper does not want to talk; he wants to Bashir as fast as possible. His dad lets him go and tells him he loves him, which was unfamiliar to Cooper. Cooper runs to the hut, but he could not find Bashir. He is not in the hut and does not answer him. But then Bashir comes back carrying a fish. Bashir prepares the fish, and both talk to each other. Cooper and Bashir sit down and 4 Headline Casuarina - Where it all began What to do with an illegal immigrant? Conversation with trust Father-son relationship More puzzle pieces 6 7 8 got to the beach Seventeen Chapter: 6-7 Page: 29-33 Line: 11-2 → Same age as me - The Iman who did this, I will never forget them Chapter: 7-8 Page: 33-37 Line: 3-10 → Kate did not ask any more questions after that But do not come crying to me when you find out you do not have a life Chapter: 8-10 Page: 37-44 Line: 11- eat the fish. Cooper asks Bashir why his family lives in Pakistan. Bashir tells everything. He was born in Afghanistan but went to Pakistan and hoped life there would be better. But it was not. His father got killed and his family told him to go in a nice country with democracy. So, after a long trip he reached Australia. Kate is curious, she wants to meet Bashir's Dad Bashir. So, on a Friday, Cooper and Kate go to Bashir's hut. He has prepared fish. Kate asks him many questions. Bashir answers them all and talks about his Dad. He was shoot by a bad man in Pakistan. Bashir wanted to help him, but it was too dangerous. He shoot his father and he was near shooting Bashir. But the bomb which exploded at the moment stopped him. After this visit, Cooper and Kate What to do next? ask themselves what they should do with Bashir. Calling the police was no option so they decide to teach Bashir English. In the following days they wash Bashir's clothes, give them books to read and borrow some English grammar books from the library. They tell Bashir some facts about Australia and show him some rugby games on Cooper's laptop. In addition, they write to different organisations under a false name and ask what to do in such a situation. But they do not get the answers they had hoped to get. One day Graham visits Cooper and ask him why he is not talking to him anymore. But he answers he is just busy. Cooper and Bashir are learning Bashir is found some English grammar when Cooper's Dad enters the hut. He is surprised meeting Cooper and 5 9 10 → Life could have gone on like that forever - I wondered what he made of it all Chapter: 10-13 Page: 44-57 Line: 24- → Mum and Amy were waiting for us when we got home And I liked him because we were similar and yet different in so many ways Chapter: 13-15 Page: 57-67 Line: 10-29 → But when Graham Barton turned up at our front door one day - Dad books his flight and waited for his trip with growing patience someone he had never seen. He asks Bashir about his name and Cooper explains him that Bashir fled from Afghanistan. Cooper's dad is not happy with that situation, but he takes Bashir on the drive back to their home. Bashir is allowed to stay in the Jackson's House. But first everyone meets up to discuss what the consequences for Kate and Cooper would be if anybody finds out about them hiding Bashir. But Cooper's dad has a plan. If another boat will arrive at the beach, Cooper and his dad will pretend finding Bashir like they have not known each other before. Almost everyone agreed. The next day's Bashir stays at their house. First there are many problems because Bashir does not have table manners and he does not leave the bathroom clean. Cooper's mum is very unhappy with it. But then Bashir changes. He helps with cleaning the house, eats very strict and leaves the bathroom tidy. Everyone now likes him. Graham visits Cooper and asks why Cooper does not spend any time with him. Then he wants to come in for a drink. He offers Cooper some drugs, but Cooper does not want them and tell Graham he should never come again. When the finale TV debate is taking place, the members are asked questions and have to answer them. Finally, Mr. Barton enters the studio and shouts at Cooper's dad that he is a liar and cheats on Cooper's mum, Mrs. Jackson. Back home his mum wants to be alone and drives away to her sister for a couple of days. She needs a bit of space. Cooper's 6 Life in the Jackson family Problems with the Barton's 11 12 13 Chapter: 15-1 Page: 67-75 Line: 29 - 25 → He spent his days wit Bashir - We watched as the two vehicles pulled away Chapter: 1-2 Page: 75-87 Line: 26-5 → We drove home in silence padlocked the door from inside Chapter: 2-5 Page: 87 101 Line: 6-23 → The protest had begun - I was now on my own Dad tells Cooper the real story, that he and Mrs. Barton had been drinking and when he said goodbye the kiss meant for her cheek got a little too close to her mouth. He also books a flight to Mrs. Jackson after asking her for her permission. Cooper's Dad spent the days together with Bashir and is very proud of him given that Bashir learns fast. When everyone order a pizza and they sit down to watch TV the phone rings: Another boat arrived at the beach. They drive there, Bashir goes into the sea and Cooper's dad calls the police. They tell them they had found Bashir a few minutes ago. The police takes their personal data and take Bashir with them. Coming to Australia again Bashir is away. Cooper and his dad wants to visit him in the detention centre, but the guard tells them that Bashir was sent to Nauru. Cooper is angry, he wants to help Bashir. So, he informs himself about the detention centre and the asylum-seekers. Then, Kate and he decide to lock in themselves at the roof of their school and protest. Pour prepare themselves they ask friends if they want to join them: In the end they are 26 people. Secretly, they meet up, plan, and draw banner together. Cooper, Kate, Graham, and the The protest others tied up the banners and started protesting. Mr. Gilbert sees them and calls Mrs. Kim, the principal. Later the police come and send Jody who is a professional hostage negotiator. The Children call for the release of children on Nauru and in particular those of Bashir. Jody tells about their wish on TV and 7 Preparation of the resistance 14 Chapter: 5-6 Page: 101-109 Line: 24-7 1 At home mom kept bursting in tears Darwin Narrator: Bashir Part Chapter, page, line Chapter: 1-5 Page: 11-24 Line: 1-13 → Do you know what hell is? I have left darkness for even more darkness many other social medias start to notice the kid's protest. Next day, Cooper's dad come up to the roof. He tells Cooper that he is proud of what he is doing and wants to help as well. So, Mr. Jackson is telling on TV the truth about Bashir. There are so many families that would adopt a child so why are they send to Nauru. Next morning Kate, Graham and Cooper (the others left) stop the protest in the next morning. Mrs. Kim view, they are responsible for this action, so she expels them. Cooper is making breakfast when Bashir is free suddenly the phone rings and Bashir calls. He tells Cooper about Stuart Thompson and that Cooper must find him. He tells his dad the story immediately and his dad makes a few calls. He get the address of Mr. Thompson who was transferred back to the mainland because he gave Bashir his phone to take photos of his dad's murder. He send the photos to Cooper's dad who send them to the Department of Immigration and the Border Protection. They let Bashir free because he had helped to find a criminal in their country. Bashir decide to fly back to Darwin. What happens in this part? Bashir describes his definition of hell and tells us that the place he must stay fits in his definition. Bashir also tells us about living on Nauru is. He describes the danger of sleeping and staying in a tent with other men without any privacy. He wonders what the people here have done to earn 8 Headline Nauru - The definition of hell 2 3 Chapter: 6-8 Page: 26-34 Line: 1-6 →Hope came back into my life today - I think my father was wrong Chapter: 9-10 Page: 39-42 Line: 1-29 → Saba came running into my tent today - If he this terrible life. In addition, the Camp is full of animals. They are everywhere. Bashir tells us one bad experience with them. He is on the toilet when a snake comes out of the wall and goes over his foot. He does not move and waits till the snake is gone. Bashir often thinks the animals should scare them. There, people get sick and even babies must stay there. Nobody can shower well, the place gets dirtier, and nothing is waterproof. In addition, the people are separated in different RPC. Bashir lives in RPC 2 where men on their own live, but actually he would belong to RPC 3 where families and children live. And every day the rules change. Bashir can change from RPC 2 to RPC 3. There he has more privacy and a small room for himself. He meets a little girl named Saba. She cares about Bashir and tells him not be sad. She is always happy and believes in what her father says: We survived the sea, so we can survive anything. But soon Saba gets sick. When Bashir takes her to the doctor, he just says, she should drink more water. They do not give them any medicine. And in his first weeks in the Camp, Bashir had to wait nine days of a dentist to stop his toothache. This place is terrible, people change, they lose their will to live. Also, Saba is losing her hope and her happiness, the light in her eyes is gone and she doubts her father theory about surviving anything. Saba's father is hurt. He hurts himself. He had sewn his mouth up. Nobody could help him, even the doctor just can disinfect the wounds. Other men joined the protest Saba's father had begun. 9 Life in RPC 3 with Saba Saba's father and his protest 4 5 6 7 was a good man then he They sewed up their mouth as well would not be here and are hoping this would change anything. But nobody is going to hear them, there is no connection to Australia and the guards or doctors cannot help the people on Nauru as well. Chapter: 11-12 Page: 46-51 Line: 4-25 → Saba went to school for the first time today all we can do is fall to our knees Chapter: 13 Page: 54-55 Line: 22-22 → The camp burned last night - Life will only become more difficult Chapter: 14-15 Page: 59-65 Line: 24 - 29 → Saba's asylum application was accepted today - falling lifelessly to the ground Chapter: 1-5 Page: 73100 Line: 1-19 Saba is one of ten kids that is Hope disappears allowed to go to school again. She is so excited and happy. Bashir waits all day for her to come back with a smile. But when Saba returns, she does not want to go there anymore. The teachers and the other students were mean and insulted her. A politician from the Department of Immigrations comes this day. All the people try to be nice and hope this man could help them. But he just gives a short speech and tells that the people on Nauru will never come Australia. Hope disappears. The Camp burns. The men from Protest continues RPC2 continue their protest, they set their tents under fire and try to escape. But things only get worse and more difficult, Bashir thinks. These men does not have any place to sleep from now on. Saba's asylum application gets Saba is leaving accepted, and she and her family are going to live in Papua New Guinea. Saba does not know anything about this place, she is scared and asks Bashir many questions, but he cannot answer them either. Bashir is told that he must wait because it is more difficult for someone without a family. A few days later, Saba and her family are leaving. Saba gives Bashir a gift and tells him not to open it until she is gone. It is a butterfly made of cans. One day Bashir discovers the Taliban who shot his father. He is scared. Will this man recognise 10 The Taliban - an old acquaintance → I wish I could say that I am dreaming, but I am not - I hope it is not my last birthday Chapter: 6 Page: 104-106 Line: 19-22 I took a long time to pack my things this morning - I hurried out of the tent before he changed his mind him, will he kill him? Bashir does not sleep anymore, he does not eat, the Taliban could see him in the canteen. Bashir decides to ask Mr. Thompson, a nice guard, for help. He needs his mobile phone so he can send a photo of the Taliban to his mother. Bashir is sure that his mother will find a proof that the Taliban is a murder. But Mr. Thompson does not agree this plan. Bashir asks the Somali who has a phone if he could take a few photos with it. But the Somali does not agree either, he wants something in return, but Bashir does not have anything. One morning when Bashir wakes up, he finds a phone and a note from Mr. Thompson under the sheet of his bed. He burns the note, takes a photo of the Taliban, and hides the phone under the trash cans as Mr. Thompson had told him. The next days Mr. Thompson is not in the camp and Bashir gets told that he was sent back to the mainland. Two days ago, Bashir turned RPC 2 eighteen. Now he has to move to RPC 2. There he gets a small bed and no privacy. Bashir lies on his bed when the Taliban comes to him. He speaks to Bashir, asks him where he comes from and how long he has already been there. Bashir answers all questions very short. The Taliban asks Bashir if he could forget the past. Bashir agreed, but he had already betrayed the Taliban. 11 2) Summarise the different ways Cooper helps Bashir Cooper and Bashir have an unusual bond to each other and in this novel Cooper helps Bashir a lot. But I have divided his aid into direct aid, into aid he did not provide alone, into aid where he has helped more indirectly and where he has tried, but it has not worked. First, we start with the direct aid. Cooper finds Bashir lying half-dead at the beach. He shakes his legs because the brain needs oxygen. When Bashir wakes up, he tells in a few words where he had come from. Cooper buys him some spare ribs and chips with ketchup given that Bashir probably had not eaten for days. Both boys go to Cooper's house and he takes some fresh clothes, a sleeping bag, a bit of food and other useful things for Bashir. Then he takes Bashir to his father's hut and decides to hide him there (cf p.13 - p.16). He tells Kate about Bashir and even though she is against Cooper's plan, he keeps hiding Bashir in the hut and does not betray him. He goes to the hut every day after school bringing Bashir new clothes, some food and as well batteries for the torch (cf p.18/p.30). Let us come to the aid Cooper does not provide alone: Cooper helps Bashir with Kate by teaching him English and telling him more about Australia and its culture, so that Bashir can face the difficulties in Australia if necessary. In addition, they bring him bottles of water and a bowl to wash his dishes (cf p.34 - 35). Another situation is when Cooper tells his dad about Mr. Thompson after Bashir had called him from the camp. His father does a few phone calls and then gets the address of Mr. Thompson and is able to talk to him. Mr. Thompson send the photos that Bashir and Bashir's mother had taken to Cooper's dad who send them to the Department of Immigration. The Department is thankful because it does not want a criminal in the country, so they let Bashir free. Here, Cooper helped Bashir in collaboration with his dad (cf p.107 - p.109). When Cooper's dad finds Bashir, Cooper helped him more indirectly. He tried to convince his dad that betraying Bashir is wrong and not fair. But the main decision of taking Bashir to their house was made by Cooper's dad (cf p. 41- p.44). Then there is the protest, an event that was meant to liberate Bashir, but it has not worked. Cooper, Kate, Graham, and other kids made a protest on their school roof. They locked themselves on that roof and protested against locking kids on Nauru and against treating immigrants bad. They hoped that Bashir could be free (cf p.100-p.101). 12 (8:0 (:) Characterisation )● Characterisation of Bashir The boy Bashir is the second protagonist in David Fermer's novel "Coast to coast". He is seventeen years old but near the end of this book he turns eighteen (cf p.104, II. 21 - 22). In his outward appearance other characters see a small child and an old homeless man at the same time (cf p.14, II. 23 - 24). Bashir has dark hair, dark skin, slender eyes (p.12 II. 18 – 25), and a couple of missing front teeth (cf p.14, I. 23). He has got high cheekbones (p.45, 1. 8) and bad experiences in his past. His father was shot by a Taliban and Bashir must left the country Pakistan because it is too dangerous (cf pp. 32-33; cf pp. 28-29). In this story, Bashir is an illegal immigrant who is found by Cooper when lying half-dead at the beach. Cooper decides to hide Bashir in his father's hut. But after a few weeks, Cooper's dad finds Bashir and takes him to the family's house. But he cannot stay there forever. That is why the family makes him come another time to Australia, the police is called, and they bring Bashir in a Department where he gets sent on Nauru. Cooper and his dad try everything to get Bashir back to Australia. It is very difficult but, in the end, they reached their goal. Bashir has a strong connection to Cooper and Kate. Cooper's dad helps him a lot and also Amy, Cooper's little sister and his mother love Bashir. Another important person for Bashir is Saba, he meets her on Nauru, and she gives him new hope. In the end also Mr. Thompson and Bashir's mother played an important role for him given that they helped to arrest the Taliban. Bashir is a shy and insecure boy, every time when he meets someone new, he is nervous and makes himself smaller than he really is (cf p.31, II.7-9). Bashir is often scared, he had to go trough so much hate and pain, he do not want to feel these terrible experiences again (cf p. 43, II.11 - 18). But there is a whole other side to him that you only see when Bashir trust you. He is extremely friendly and helpful (cf p.53, 1.20). He likes to help whenever it is possible for him. In addition, he is funny and active. He loves playing with Amy in the garden or stroking Toohey (cf p.52, II. 1-3). He likes playing with Lego, his dream is to become an engineer someday (cf p.56, 11.29 -30). When he discovers Cooper's old Lego, he starts to build huge and famous buildings and he constructs new ones (cf p.56, II.21-27). Cooper describes his ability to build with the sentence: It seemed there was nothing he could not build (p.56, II. 27 - 28). Bashir is also understanding and empathetic. These properties can be seen in two situations. First, when Cooper's dad tells the family his plan about Bashir coming to Australia for a second time, Cooper is shocked. He does not want to let it happen, but Bashir just lays his hand on Cooper's arm and tells him that it is alright (cf p.50, II.14-17). He knows that this is the only way for the family to not get in trouble because of hiding him for weeks. The second situation is when Saba asks him for how long he had been in the camp. First, he thought about lying so she will feel better. Bashir has noticed that her lights in the eyes is gone, and he do not want to make her loose any hope. But then he decided that it is better to tell the truth and do not let false hope come up (cf p.33, II.23-26). False hope is worse than no hope given that you will be more destroyed and sadder in the end. Bashir is also intelligent and smart. When Cooper first met him, he said that there was something intelligent in his eyes (cf p.14, 1.20). Even when Bashir is allowed to stay with 14 the key Cooper's family, you can see that he is smart. He understand that Cooper's mother to the family, the one who is the most convincing to others, the one he must have on his side (cf p.55, II.24f). Bashir tries to behave well. His table manners become strict, and he cleans the bathroom every time after he had used it. Bashir even started helping in the house, he emptied the dishwasher and met the dishes back in their cupboards. He washed and folded the t-shirts and started ironing them for Mr. Jackson. Cooper's dad is participating at the mayor's elections, so he does not have much time to do it (cf p.55, 1.24 - p.56, 1.11). But Bashir has even more properties. He is very talented. He learned English fast and even reached an Australian accent which must be quite difficult for one who actually speak Persian (cf p.38, II.13f). Bashir understands Pashto as well. The Taliban who shot his father speaks Pashto with him, and Bashir understands every single word (cf p.105, II.1f). Bashir knows how to cook, and he can beat Cooper's dad in playing chess even if he just learned it for one week (cf p.67 1.29 - p.68 1.11). Bashir is also hard-working and eager. He does everything Cooper and Kate wanted him to do. He learns English grammar every day (cf p.51, 1.28) and additionally helps in the house and plays with Amy and Toohey, as mentioned above. You can also say that Bashir I thankful. Every time when he gets something for example from Cooper, he smiled any you can see how happy he was about it (cf p.30, II.19f). When Saba leaves the camp and gives him a butterfly made of cans, Bashir was so excited and carefully with this gift (cf p.65, II.22-25). Bashir has many positive properties. That is one of the reasons why everyone in Cooper's family and Kate like him. He is always nice and appreciates their help. Even when he meets a stranger, they are all curious and interested in him, like Graham was when he first saw Bashir playing in the garden (cf p.58, II.12ff). But these were all qualities with which Bashir meets others. Now I want to see how Bashir feels inside himself and how these feelings develop in the course of the book. Bashir often feels alone. Before he had met Cooper, he had no one to talk to. He had left his family to start a better life in a country with democracy (cf p.28, II.22 – 25) but the journey to Australia was hard. He often thinks about his father and how he had died in his arms. But when Cooper finds him on the beach everything changed. He can hide himself in a hut (cf p.16 1.1) and he gets food from Cooper and later also from Kate (cf p.35 1.9). The two cares about Bashir and help him. His life started getting better. When Cooper's dad finds Bashir in his hut (cf p.37 1.15), he first think he has to go now. But Cooper's dad decides to take him home (cf p.43, 1.26). There Bashir fast feels recovered. He has a warm place to sleep, he can eat as much as he want to, and he can make new friends like Amy and Toohey. Then there is another change. This time it is negative. Bashir gets send on Nauru (cf p.79, 1.19). Everyday is worse and every new is even worse. His hope slowly dies, and he cannot feel happiness anymore. He is sad and alone when also Saba, his only good friend, left him as well (cf p.65, 1.1). Then Bashir discovers the Taliban (cf p.73, 1.19). He is scared, afraid, he do not know if he will leave this camp alive. Only when the Taliban is captured with his help, Bashir is allowed to leave the camp. He gets his own visa and is free from now on (cf p.109, 1.5f). 15 To sum everything up, you can say that Bashir is a nice, talented, thankful, and helpful boy that just needs time to trust people because he got hurt in his past badly. He has a lot of emotions, but most of them change quickly. In the course of the book, it can be said that they always oscillate between sad and happy, but they end up with happy. This could be a possible diagram of Bashir's emotion in the book: negative figures = sad positive figures = happy 1,5 He is alone and has no one to talk to. He left his family in hope of a better life. Bashir's emotions His emotions in the course of the book BEFORE COOPER FOUND WHEN HE IS HIDING IN WHEN HE LIVES IN THEIR HE IS ON NAURU HIM THE HUT HOUSE -2 He is happy, somebody helps him, but I think he is also a little bit insecure if this is actually going to help. He is happy. He lives in a warm house with a family that cares about him. 16 -4,5 The conditions there are worse, and his hope slowly dies. 5 HE IS FINALLY FREE I think here he is very, very happy. He is finally free and able to move in Australia like he want to. Research 1) Write an email to a member of the Australian government about living conditions for asylum seekers on Nauru. Dear Kevin Rudd, I live in Australia, in Darwin. There has been some unrest here lately. Among them was a protest from Cooper Jackson, the son of Matthew Jackson who is a candidate for the mayor of Darwin. A protest against the detention of immigrants on Nauru. I followed this protest on the Internet and then found out more about it. While researching the conditions on Nauru, I came across unsightly and inhumane details. In the following I would like to present my results and then share my suggestions and expectations for the future. When there arrive illegal immigrants at the coast of Australia, they are sent to a detention centre. There they get waked up in the middle of the night and get indirectly forced to sign an agreement. An agreement that says that they are leaving Australia of their own free will. Of course, they do not really want to sign it, but they are too scared to disagree. Then the immigrants get sent on Nauru. The flight takes about five hours. Five hours alone with the fear and uncertainty. When you arrive on Nauru, you get divided into the three different RPCs ("Regional Processing Centres"). RPC1 is for the guards, RPC2 is for men on their own and RPC3 is for family and children. Journalists are not allowed on Nauru and doctors who have been there are not allowed to talk about their experiences. These facts alone suggest that things are not going right there. Even human rights organisations have spoken out against the camps, as there are suspicions of sexual abuse of children and women and violence. Bashir was one of the immigrants got sent to Naur He was the boy that was found by Cooper Jackson at Casuarina. After he got a full visa and is now allowed to live in Australia, I talked to him. He is a very friendly boy, and he has done nothing wrong. When I asked about Nauru and the conditions there, he told me many terrible things that I still cannot believe. On Nauru, the immigrants do not have much space. The island has a size of 21 square kilometres. There are 10 thousand habitants and thousand immigrants living on there. So many people in such a small space! They have almost no water. No drinking water and no water for showers. They get 1 minute to wash themselves, then it is the next one's turn. But the water only trickles out of the shower, so you can never wash yourself completely. The whole place is dirty, the toilets smell and the tents they live in are not waterproof. The worst thing for Bashir was the privacy. He had to go in RPC2. There he has no privacy at all. When he is allowed to change to RPC3, he is so happy. There everyone at least got his own small room. It is not big, but it has thin walls, so you can only hear your neighbour, but not see. Terrible was also the "Pacific Solution". Guards come to the Camp every day. They always bring new rules, everything keeps changing like the pacific. In my opinion, this is an evil and oppressive method. Change makes everyone angry, but it is not in their power to change anything. So, they are suffocating in their anger. In addition, there are many animals. Bashir describes it with the sentence: "They live off us like parasites". He told about one time when he wanted to go to the toilet and then a snake came out of a hole and moved over his feet. 18 But Bashir has got other terrible experiences on Nauru. He saw the people change. They got unhappier with every new day. Life is not worth it anymore. Every hope disappears. He watched people losing their hope and sense of life and he was not able to help them because he felt the same way. It feels like shouting for help during a storm in the middle of the ocean. It is hopeless! In addition, the immigrants have had their belongings taken away, they have nothing left. Another bad aspect is diseases. Bashir told us about the time when he had a terrible toothache and he had to wait nine days for the doctor. They do not get any kind of medicine because Australia does not send them anything or even replied to their supplies. People do not have enough to eat; they do not have enough to drink. They are weak. They do not offer much resistance to a disease. In addition, they live closely together, and it is always very warm, diseases can spread well. But the immigrants did not just get sick in their bodies, they also get sick in their head. Many of the immigrants also tried to kill themselves. They cannot stand life there anymore. Every third person there has tried to commit suicide, including many young children. In my opinion your action with the immigrants is wrong. Foreign people are also humans, and we should start treating them as humans. On Nauru, the immigrants get treated like trash, like rubbish. But actually, there are many solutions where everyone could be happy. On the one hand, New Zealand has offered to take in some immigrants from Nauru. I think this offer should be followed up. Immigrants would feel better there, here in Australia there would be fewer protests and unrest, and none would see the country as weak. Everybody would see the opposite, those who engage in such a deal show strength, responsibility, and wisdom. In addition, there would also be the option that Cooper Jackson has already mentioned in his protest. Especially children from Nauru could get adopted from families in Australia. I think that there are many families who cannot get children together and would be happy when they get the chance to adopt one. But as well families that have to stay on Nauru should be able to come to Australia. Every immigrant can work as well. They can serve our country like we do. They would pay taxes and live a normal life like every other inhabitant do. As you can see there are many possible options how we could solve the immigrant problem and their bad treating on Nauru. I have already mentioned good suggestions above. If you have any other approaches, I agree with them, as long as they really help the immigrants. But I expect you to look closely at the conditions on Nauru and possible solutions. You play such an important role in politics; you should use it to help others... Greetings Mia 19 QO Analysis ma 1) Explain and analyse the bird analogy (p. 106, I. 24 - p. 107, I. 12) In this scene Cooper tells us about the birds and about the humans living on earth. There are one hundred billion birds out there and seven billion people (cf p. 107, II. 1-2). If you compare both of the figures, you will easily see that there are way more birds than humans. These two figures give rise to a question. A question that is strongly connected to the theme of the book and as well the reason why Cooper has told us his bird analogy. How can one hundred billion birds have their own places in the world, but not seven billion people? Even if birds do not need that much space to live and they do not eat that much meat as humans do, the difference between those two figures is still gigantic (cf p. 106 l. 26-p. 107 I. 1). Maybe every bird has its resting place because they live different than we do: Birds do not have any borders; they can fly wherever they want to, and they can stay wherever they want to (cf p.107, I. 7). They have enough food (if it is not destroyed by humans) and enough places to stay. Every bird has its own house and can change its resting places (cf p. 107, II. 3-5). Birds are flying in the south when it is getting colder (cf p. 107, II. 5-6). There they have their homes and resting places as well and even when they come back to their real country given that the weather is getting warmer, they still have their resting places. In addition, birds do not fight with each other or kill each other (cf p. 107, I. 10). Of course, there are exceptions, eagles eat smaller birds, for example. But this behaviour was created by nature and is part of a big cycle without this nature could not exist. With humans it is different. Humans have borders (cf p. 107, I. 7) and humans cannot stay wherever they want to. They are supposed to live in their own country. Moving to another country is not welcome or forbidden. Even escaping from a dangerous country (when there is a war for example) to a safe country is forbidden. Bashir who had lived in Pakistan where every day bombs explode was not allowed to come to Australia. He is an immigrant and must stay on Nauru, a camp where all immigrants that tried to escape from their country must stay. There, they are not treated well, and the guards are allowed to hurt them. Even if there would be enough place for Bashir to stay in Australia, he was locked on a small island with other people. Another big problem of the humans is fighting. There were and still are many wars between different countries. Humans kill each other because they have different opinions on topics. In the past there were so many wars because of different cultures, religions, and different appearances of humans. For example, the second world war had been taken place because the Nazis wanted to kill every Jew given that he did not correspond to their ideology. In my view, Cooper's example is right. Why can every bird have its place to stay but humans fight each other and does not let foreign people stay in their country. In addition, the countries have many borders to the other ones. They do not want immigrants in their country, the habitants are scared of them and borders should protect the country from them. In my opinion this is not true. The immigrants should be scared of us, not us of them. Immigrants have been through so much bad; they just want to live in peace. In addition, there is a lot of free office space that could be converted into living space for the immigrants. They will be so thankful. I think they will be even more thankful than people without terrible experiences would be 21 because they know how life with little property is. They know that having a home is not self- evident. But there is another point that we should get away from the birds: Equality!! It should not matter if you are black or white, thick, or thin, immigrant or not. All humans are valuable the same. We are all different, but that is a good thing and makes us no less valuable than others. The birds share the world, all species have their place in the world and there is no one who is judged for his appearance (cf p. 107 II. 7-8). To sum everything up, you can say that Cooper told us this analogy because he does not understand why Bashir is locked on this small island. When the world has space for one hundred billion birds, then there must be space for seven billion people as well. 2) Choose one of the quotations and explain them by analysing the meaning in detail 1. "I am here to tell you that we will try our best to keep you out of our country, because you are the people who came here by the window. You did not use the door, you came by window, and you do not deserve to stay here." (p. 51 II. 15-19) This sentence was spoken by a politician from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. His listeners were the immigrants who must stay on Nauru. In the lines before, Bashir describes how all immigrants tried to be friendly. They met the man with respect, but at the same time they were very happy about his visit, because he is an important person who has a lot to say. He could change their terrible situation and help them (cf p. 50, I. 19 - p.51, l. 9). But the politician have had other plans. He wanted to come to Nauru just to tell the immigrants that there will never be a chance of coming to Australia. He said that the inhabitants of Australia will try their best to keep the immigrants out of their country (cf p. 51 II. 15 – 16). In order to justify this statement, the man tried to describe it pictorially: The immigrants are the people who came there by window and did not use the door (cf p.51 II. 16-19)! This statement has two different meanings. First, it means that the immigrants came here on a false and illegal way. They did not use the right way which would be door in this case. If you enter a house, you will use the door, not the windows. Everybody who came there on an illegal way does not deserve to stay in Australia that is what the politician wants to express with his speech. But his statement could also have another meaning. In this whole book, Bashir often tells us that many people and especially the guards on Nauru see them as criminals. If you are a criminal and you want to break into a house, you usually use the windows given that it is easier to open the windows with no keys than opening the door. So, in the politician mind the immigrants are criminals and nobody wants to have a criminal in his country or even in his house. Criminals deserve to be locked in a small place because they break the law and hurt other people. 22 But it does not matter which of the two meanings the man had in mind, because he had only one intention: He wanted to scare the immigrants and to make them loose every hope they had had. I personally think that the action of the politician is very cruel. The immigrants must stay on Nauru for weeks, months or sometimes even years. They become unhappier with every new day. They are not treated good and the conditions on Nauru are terrible and inhuman. Then an important person is coming to the camp. The politician makes them feel hope again. Hope of a better life. But he just comes to eat their food and tell them, they would never be able to live in Australia. Every small hope is destroyed within a few sentences. 23 Comment 1) Discuss the following statement about the topic of asylum: "People should be able to go and live in a different country if they are not safe in their home country." Pro- they should be able ● They work and serve the country The government gets more taxes Better feeling Help to make the world a better place Weaker figure of death people Responsibility Better economy Con- They should not be able ● ● ● Habit animal¹ - Gewohnheitstier · Should people be able to live in a different country if they are not safe in their home country? Nowadays this question is very important but at the same time very difficult. It is an issue that is dealt differently in each country. Now I want to discuss what advantages and disadvantages immigration has. We will start with the con arguments and go on with the pro ones. More space for living is needed More jobs are needed Racism and non-equal rights Different languages and cultures First of all, there could be more unrests in the country. Because of the different languages and cultures, there could be disputes and racism. Some may even be disadvantaged because of their culture. But there are other things that could cause madness here. Many inhabitants are angry about the big changes, humans are actually more of a habit animal ¹. There is also a risk that they will be angry with the government, that they would have to spend a lot of money on immigration, but that does not always give them advantages. Even the politic can change. Especially here in Germany it is easy to see that now more people vote for the AfD, given that they have something against foreigners. 25 Secondly, more living space is needed. The government need to invest to get more houses and place to live. The immigrants cannot stay on the street, they also need a roof over their head. Maybe this point does not sound that hard, but it would cost millions of dollars. In addition, more jobs need to be created. Immigrants need a job. Since a country usually offers just enough work for its inhabitants, the government would have to invest again here too. Companies would have to be expanded or new ones built so that employees could work there. Let us come to the pro side. The government gets more taxes. I have mentioned above that they need to invest in more housing and more jobs. If all immigrants have the chance to work, they can serve the country well and pay taxes like the others. So, the state would get back the invested money. Additionally, the economy in the country could be improved. With more buyers, you can achieve more sales in the country. But also on the international market, the country can hold its own well. Due to higher numbers of workers, the number of products also increases, so that more money can be earned here too. Another argument is the responsibility. You, as a voter, has the chance to vote for the different parties, all of them have different opinions on immigration and asylum. So, you also have a responsibility as an individual to ensure that innocent people who live in permanent danger can finally find their peace in your country. Important is also, that there would be a smaller number of death if you let the immigrants live in your country. Most of the immigrants only immigrate because life in their home country is not safe. In most times there are wars and bombs that kill many people. If the immigrants could flee in another country in peace, then the probability that they will be killed is smaller. In my opinion the pro side is the right side. I think helping people to get a better life is very important and will make the world a better place. The argument that is the most convincing to me is that the number of deaths would go back. This question of immigration in my own country is also a question of conscience. Can I take responsibility with my conscience that innocent people get killed because I do not let them come to my country? In addition, you should think about how you want to get treated if you were in their situation. 26 Creative Writing 5) Write a last chapter for "Coast to coast". In the end everything is good and if it is not good, then it is not the end (Oscar Wilde) It is the best day of my life. I am free. I am allowed to leave Nauru. Cooper kept his promise and found Mr. Thompson for me. Mr. Thompson, a nice guard who gave me his phone so I can help to find a criminal. The Taliban who shot my father was here, in the camp but I recognized him. I will always do. It did not take long to pack my clothes. This time it was a nice reason, not like when I had to move to RPC 2. Everyone here was jealous and happy for me at the same time. But I told them they would be free someday as well. I hope I was right. Then I was standing at the airport. I could not see anything. The lights of the cameras scared me. A nice woman came up to me. She explained me that she is the case manager of the Minister for Immigration. She said that I have been granted a full visa. Then she asked if there is anywhere in particular where I would like to go. I did not need much time to think. Thanks to Cooper and Kate I know all states, all cities, all places in Australia, but there is just one place I wanted to go in the moment. * Many people were there. Cameras everywhere. And in the middle, there was standing Bashir. Scared. Afraid. Nervous. I could see many emotions written all over his face but when he saw me, he smiled. This dreamy smile that I have not seen in such a long time. I noticed how much I missed it. My dad went over to Bashir, he shook his hand and took his small bag. Then both came back to me. I smiled but I was not able to say anything. My father pushed us both out the door. Away from the noise, away from the crowds, away from the reporters. We ran fast to our car and closed the doors. Silence. We drove back home in silence. Nobody said anything. When we arrived Mum and Amy were standing on the porch. They did not pick up Bashir because my mother is still a little insecure in Bashir's presence and we want to keep Amy out of the media as best we can. Bashir looked a bit nervous. My mother greeted him with a friendly smile, but her gaze became a bit insecure when she turned to me and my dad. Amy could not take her eyes off Bashir. She had not seen him since a while. Everything reminded me at the time when we first took Bashir to our house. But this time something is different: It is legal. It was getting late. Bashir looked weak and a bit sick. He showered and washed himself. Then we all ate to dinner together. Bashir's table manners were still good and strict. He was hungry and ate a lot. He told us a bit about the conditions on Nauru. It must be terrible there. I felt guilty about it. 28 I woke up early in the morning. Bashir has slept in my room. He was already awake. I thought that he must be so excited, maybe he could not sleep this night. We both went downstairs. Mum and dad were sitting at the table. They have already prepared the breakfast. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson", Bashir said, and we sat down. "Look Bashir, I must tell you something. I have talked to the Minister of Immigration and your mother, Mr. Thompson had given me her number. Your mother is allowed to come to Australia as well and she already booked a cheap flight. The light in Bashir's eyes sparkled. "Are you serious", he asked happily. My dad nodded. "Thank you, thank you so much Mr. Jackson", he said. "No problem, but please call me Matthew!" For a couple of days our life went on normal, and I noticed that my mother was becoming more and more relaxed with the thought of Bashir. She really loved him. Even Kate came to our house sometimes and played with Bashir and me. Now that our actions are legal, her parents allowed her to meet me. After the semester she will move to a school in Brisbane, but we already said that we will stay in contact over our phones. Then there was the big day, the day of Bashir's mother arrival. We got up early and drove another time to the airport. Bashir was excited and when he saw his mother, he ran to her and hugged her. Everyone was happy, but there were still a few problems. Where should Bashir and his mother live, they cannot stay at our house forever? Where should I go on a college, I still did not find one, but to be honest I did not try to apply for one anymore. My dad called a family meeting again. Bashir, his mother, and Kate were there as well. We tried to find a solution for our problems. And I am a bit proud of us because I think that we managed it very professional: Bashir's mother applied for a few jobs like waitress or something that is easy to learn. Bashir, Kate, and I applied as well for a few jobs we could do in the holidays. In addition, I sent my application to a collage on the edge of Darwin, where I had not applied before. We have also opened a fundraiser. We tried not to cause as much fuss as we did last time, so as not to ruin our future. However, many have donated something, as they have looked into the issue more closely as a result of our protest. Half a year later we reached our goal. Thanks to the donations and our financial support, Bashir and his mother were able to buy a small and cheap house at the edge of our street. We visit them everyday and help to decorate their house. We decided to collect more donations to help the people on Nauru. And guess what. I am so lucky. My application got accepted yesterday. I can go to the College. I do not need to go to Melbourne anymore, I am so happy I can stay here. Auntie Claire was a bit sad about it, but I promised her I would visit her in my holidays. And it gets even better, Bashir is also allowed to learn on the college. We are both so excited at our first day. The teachers were nice, the students were nice, and the principal was very friendly. Sometimes a few students get a bit mean to Bashir. But Bashir does not care. We have already made a big step forward, which is hopefully only the beginning of a bigger one... 29 2) Slip into Cooper's shoes and write a diary entry when Bashir has left the family (Zusatz) Dear Diary, Everything is bad. Everything is worse. Today is a terrible day. It had happened so fast. One second, he was just here like always and in the other second, he was carried away. But let me tell you the story from the beginning. In the evening when we were just about to eat our pizza, dad's phone called. He answered. After a while he hung up. "It is time", he said. Just three words that make such a big difference! Dad told us to wait. We waited for over an hour. It was terrible. We all knew what would happen, but nobody was able to speak it out loudly. Then we drove to the beach. Casuarina, where I first had found Bashir. Bashir went into the sea. Dad had already called the police. Bashir came out, wet, scared. Two policemen came with their torches. They asked Dad what had happened and took down his personal contact dates. Then they grabbed Bashir. A few moments later, we stand there alone. The police had been driven away. Toohey whimpered, Amy sobbed and I, I felt like a part of me is gone. Bashir and I had done so many things together. We ate fish, tell ourselves stories about our past, played Lego together and watched the TV. I remembered every day with him like it was just a few hours ago. But one day is stuck in my mind like a screw in the wood. We went to my father's hut where Bashir was hidden before my dad found him. We took our fishing equipment and sat down near the water watching that nobody sees us. We sat there quietly. Just the wind was breeding, and the water was singing. Bashir caught a giant fish. He was so proud that I had to laugh. It looked so funny when Bashir carried this big and thick fish. We went back to the hut; Bashir prepared his fish, and I was impressed again how easy he cooked the fish. After that incredible taste, we went to sea for another time. But this time, we carried the canoe with us. Bashir had never canoed before, and he was a bit scared of the shaking. But in the end, he loved it. We laughed and shouted happily and forgot about all the problems. It was like the waves carried them away. 30 Now it is different, the waves carry all the problems to me. Bashir is just away for two hours, and it feels like two days. Everything here reminds me of him. When Amy and I watched TV, it was like he is watching it as well. When we played with Toohey I knew, Bashir would have loved to cuddle Toohey as well. Even the food tastes of him. Bashir is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I feel lonely. I feel like sense of life slipped away. I wait all the time and think about Bashir, but his future is lying in an uncertainty. The worst part about it was not being able to say goodbye to Bashir. I did not want to let him go. I wanted him to stay with us. But we are breaking the law, and I did not mean to. I want, yeah, actually I do not know what I want. It is a dilemma; I can decide between bad for Bashir and bad for us and Bashir. Diary, you have probably noticed that one option would not have made it bad for so many. But is this immoral? Do we only think of ourselves? Fortunately, or unfortunately (I do not know it yet) I am not the one in the house that make the decisions. Dad and also mum think that it would be better if Bashir is not staying with us anymore. I totally understand them, but I still do not want Bashir away. In the last weeks he became a part of the family that I do not want to lose. But I have already lost it, I hope I can do something to get it back. Now it is getting late. I will make myself ready and go to bed. I hope I can get at least a bit of sleep. The thought of Bashir haunts me like the hunter a rabbit. When Mum and Dad return, I will try to talk to Dad that we can drive to Coonawarra and visit Bashir. Maybe I can at least see Bashir. There must be a way to help him.... 31 Book Review After I have read the novel "Coast to Coast" written by David Fermer, I want to give you my opinion and recommendation about the book. But for everybody who has not read the novel yet, you can say that it is about the schoolboy Cooper finding an illegal immigrant named Bashir at the beach. The relation to his family is not that good, so Cooper just told his best friend Kate about Bashir and decides to hide him in his father's hut. Soon Cooper's dad discovers Bashir and takes him to their house. But everybody knows that Bashir cannot stay forever given that Australia makes the "stop boats politics" and hiding an immigrant is criminal. This book has many characteristics. On the one hand, it is exciting. As you read it, you always wonder how they can solve their problems. For example, when Bashir has to leave the family, it is a big question how he can get back to Australia. On the other hand, the book is also stirring and a bit sad. Between Bashir and Cooper's family there has grown an incredible relationship. They love each other very much and the family does everything to bring Bashir back to their country. In addition, this book is very dramatic, but it is still very close to reality. When Bashir had to go on Nauru he got past through some terrible experiences. But that what happened to Bashir, happens to so many other immigrants in reality. Australia does not want to have immigrants in their country, so they sent them on Nauru. This should be a sign to all the immigrants that have planned to flee to Australia: Do not even try Last you can say that this book is also very deep and makes you think and overthink a lot. Immigration is a big problem, and it is not easy to solve, but does that fact turns what happens to the immigrants into right? If you ask me, I would totally recommend this book. It is exiting and dramatic but still very realistic. It addresses the problems of the society and what happens to innocent people. But it shows as some possible solutions and ways to help as an individual as well. When you start reading you just cannot stop. In addition, it is very good to understand. The English especially in beginning is very easy given that Bashir cannot speak English that good yet. 33 Study Questions Coast to Coast, Part 1, Sections 5-7 - Study Questions 1. On p. 24, II. 12f. Bashir says, "I wanted to leave darkness for light, but now I find that I have left darkness for even more darkness". Explain what he means by that. I finished reading the book, so I know, that Bashir was sent to Nauru after Cooper and his family pretended finding him at the beach. Bashir had made all this long way to come to Australia, because he always had been told that there would be democracy. He had left the darkness, which means his dangerous life in Pakistan for the democracy in Australia. But when he reached the country and Cooper finds him, his life first started getting better. He got food and some new clothes. And after Coopers Dad found him in his hut, he was allowed to live at their house for a couple of time. But he still was an illegal immigrant, Coopers family does not want to get into trouble, so they pretended finding him at beach and called the police. Bashir was sent to Nauru and his life got worse. There, he lives in small tents, he does not get enough water and he is not able to shower his whole body. So, to sum everything up, you can say, that Bashir left his life in Pakistan in hope to get a better life without bomb attacks. But when he reached his destination, Australia, he is not welcome. He is an undocumented immigrant and after a time staying at Coopers house, he was sent to the Camp at Nauru. There, his life is not doing well, and I think that the worst part which makes this darkness even darker is the uncertainty. He just wakes up every morning, but without a goal, without a sense of life. His life goes past him without a chance for him to live it. 2. What do you know about Afghanistan and its political situation? Summarise important aspects (possibly by doing some research). On the 11th of September in the year 2001, there were many terrorist attacks in the United States. More than 3,000 people died in the process. The terrorists belonging to the al-Qaida group were supported by the Taliban government of Afghanistan. The result of this attack was a long war. This war lasted for more than 16 years, and the USA fought with its allies against Afghanistan. More than 70.000 people lost their life and there are more attacks and bombs every day. 2013, the year where our book "coast to coast" was written, Afghanistan still fought against the USA and other countries. At the end of 2014, many troops left Afghanistan, but the war continues. Finally, 2020 Donald Trump signed a peace agreement with Afghanistan and the troops of the USA told to leave Afghanistan. bpb. Beginn des Afghanistan-Krieges vor 15 Jahren | bpb 3. "Hope came back to my life today" (p.26, 1.1). Explain what Bashir wants to express with this statement. With this sentence he wants to express his relief. He can switch from RPC 2 to RPC 3. There the conditions are a little better and you have a small private room for yourself. Something happens, he is noticed, and he has the feeling that he has not been completely forgotten in the camp because of this change. His statements to belong to the RPC3 were ultimately taken seriously. Bashir now hopes that he will not be forgotten in the course of time. That his life 35 can get better step by step and he may have the chance at some point to lead a good, more normal life. He shows that he is happy and thankful for every small step that goes in direction to a better life. 4. Summarise what the reader gets to know about Saba. Saba is a friendly little girl. She is 10 years old and has got dark hair and as well dark eyes. She came from Iran with her parents and her two brothers, who are around 14 and 17 years old. The family has not been in the camp for long time. At beginning Saba is very happy, she is full of energy, laughs a lot and tries to cheer Bashir up when he is sad. Her father always tells her that if she survived the sea, she could survive anything. Saba believes him. But then she gets sick, she is too weak to say something, and the doctor tells her that she has an infection, but he has not given her any medicine. He says, Saba should drink more water, which is quite difficult given that the water is not even enough for getting a longer shower. After two weeks Saba is totally unhappy. She thought that this camp would be freedom, but she was wrong. Now, she is also not sure about her father's testimony. Bashir describes that her eyes lose the light and her face lose the smile. 5. Bashir tells Cooper how he got to Australia (pp.28f.). Write down the different stops and how he got there. (Afghanistan) → Pakistan → Thailand → Malaysia Indonesia → Australia 2nd home → by planego in the jungle and cross the border → no description about how he got to Indonesia → destination by boat 6. Read Bashir's description of his father's death (p. 31, 1.30 - p. 33, I. 8). Why is this scene an important part of the story? This scene is an important part of the story. It describes the reader Bashir's life in Pakistan and what he has gone through. In addition, this scene shows Bashir's feelings, his sadness but also his scar and his anger. It is one of the first times, that he opened his self and tells all these terrible memories. The scene shows as well how alone and broken Bashir is, but also how much he trusts Cooper and Kate. He needs them, he needs company, he needs someone to talk to. Cooper and Kate know that, too. That is one of the reasons why they do not betray Bashir and help him. 36 Coast to Coast, Part 1, Sections 8-15 - Study Questions 1. Compare the situation at the end of section 8 with the opening of section 9. Use the table to help you make notes. Location Events which take place Characters Father-child relationship Atmosphere End of section 8 (p. 37, I. 11-end) Near the beach At the hut of Cooper's Dad Cooper and Bashir are learning English grammar Suddenly, Cooper's Dad comes in Cooper Bashir ● Cooper's Dad, Mr. Jackson Not good, thy argue a lot Cooper's Dad tries to avoid an argument and tries to stay calm ● But there is still a certain tension between them Tension between Cooper and his dad 37 Opening of section 9 (p. 39, I. 1-27) ● ● Bashir is in his tent when Saba came in and tells him to come to their tent ● On Nauru ● Detention centre ● The doctor cannot help him to change his mind, she can just disinfect the wounds Saba ● In the tent of Bashir and Saba's family Her father sewed up his mouth Bashir Saba's mother Saba's father The doctor Saba loves her father She believes her father (If we survived the sea, we can survive anything -> sentence is not in this chapter) She is worried and sad about her father and what he had done She cries Worried -> everybody is worried about Saba's dad Other important/int eresting information Bashir ● Cooper Bashir and Cooper are worried -> what will Mr. Jackson do Interesting: Bashir's English gets better and better ● Important: Mr. Jackson tries to stay calm Reasons to be worried ● Foreign house Foreign people Somebody saw him even if Cooper told him nobody should ● 2. How do you think Bashir and Cooper feel when they are driving to Cooper's house (p. 44)? What are their reasons? Make notes using the table. ● He does not know if Mr. Jackson is good or bad It could be a trick He cannot stay there forever The truth came out His family knows now that he lied to them It could be a trick of his dad -> (there must be a catch II. 16) Bashir cannot stay forever It is illegal and his dad is a candidate for the mayor elections ● 38 ● Sad/shocked -> most of them are sad or shocked of what he did Important: Nobody can help Saba's Dad Interesting: Bashir does not believe Saba's dad mind has left him because he is a clever man Reasons to be happy ● ● ● ● Better place to sleep More comfortable ● More people to talk to Clean and safe place ● Better food Warm house More people could mean more help He is not alone with Kate and their "problem" Bashir will feel better in a house 3. Read the paragraph about the gift which Saba gives to Bashir (p. 65, II. 22-29). Describe the gift and explain what it means to Bashir. The gift Saba gave to Bashir was a butterfly made of cans. It was coloured with Coca-Cola and Fanta, and it means very much to Bashir. He can see the love; the care and the time Saba made this butterfly for him. Saba likes him and she will remember him like he will her even if they are far away from each other. In addition, the butterfly is symbol for freedom. Bashir sent it flying and it worked for a short moment, the butterfly rose higher but then fell. Even if the butterfly cannot fly or escape from this camp, Bashir got more hope, that one day he can get away from here and live free like the butterflies in the sky. 4. Put the events which happen in Section 15 into the right order. Write numbers 2-8 in the boxes. 3 6 7 1 4 8 5 2 Mr. Jackson withdraws from the election for the mayor of Darwin. The Jacksons drive Bashir to the beach. Mr. Jackson gives Bashir some last words of advice. Mrs. Jackson goes to live with her sister for a while. Mr. Jackson spends a lot of time doing activities with Bashir. Bashir walks towards the sea. The night before Mr. Jackson goes to Perth, there is an important phone call. Mr. Jackson tells Cooper what really happened between him and Graham's mum. 5. Compare the car journey Bashir takes with the Jacksons to the beach with the journey you looked at in question 2. Is anything the same? What is different? Make notes. There are similarities between the two car journeys. First, both car journeys were made along the beach Casuarina. They were made in silence, no one was able to talk. The first time nobody talks because of the tense and dangerous atmosphere and because of the worries everybody had have. The second time everyone was quite given that Bashir must leave the family. Everyone was sad about this fact. But there is another thing both car journeys have: the uncertainties. Nobody knows what will happen next and how the story will end. If there will be a good ending or bad one for hiding an undocumented immigrant. 39 Coast to Coast, Part 2 - Study Questions 1. Describe the situation in Cooper's family after Bashir has left. Everyone is sad, Cooper, Amy, their dad. Cooper's mum is spending a few days with her sister in Perth, and she does not know about Bashir being in the Department of Immigration yet. The house feels empty without Bashir. Amy and Cooper eat Qabuli and watch TV. They cuddle with Toohey and look a football game. But it is like Bashir's ghost is in the house. Every activity they do, remind them of Bashir. Cooper described his feelings with the sentence: I felt like I was waiting, but I did not know what for. Waiting to hear from Bashir? Waiting for him to come back? I knew there was no reason to wait. (p.76, II.25-27) Everybody misses Bashir. In the last weeks he had become a part of the family. They have beautiful memories together. But the worst thing about Bashir's leaving is that nobody knows what will happen to him. The family only can hope that he is treated well. 2. Explain why Bashir's situation in the refugee camp gets worse and might even become dangerous. Bashir situation in the camp is worse. The conditions there are terrible and inhuman. He does not have enough water and his physical and mental health are becoming increasingly poorer. But one day his situation even gets dangerous. Bashir had discovered an old acquaintance: the Taliban. He is scared. This man had killed his father. Will he recognize Bashir, will he kill him as well? Bashir does not have any answers on these questions, but all he knows that this is a bad man who does not deserve to come to Australia. If his asylum application would get accepted, there would be a criminal in this country. 3. Summarise Bashir's plan to escape from the danger awaiting him at the camp. This man cannot come to Australia, he is a criminal. Bashir has a plan. He speaks to Mr. Thompson. He needs a phone to take a few photos of the Taliban. Then he would send these pics to his mother in Pakistan. His mother will find a proof that the Taliban is criminal, Bashir is sure about that. But Mr. Thompson does not to give Bashir his phone, he says Bashir should keep his head down, then this man would not recognise him. Even the Somali who has a phone does not want to give it to Bashir for free, he wants something in return. But Bashir has nothing. One morning Bashir discovers a phone and a note under his bed. It is from Mr. Thompson. Bashir takes the pictures and write his mother's number in this phone. Then he hides it under the trash cans. Mr. Thompson gets it, and Bashir hopes he will soon be able to live without danger. 4. Summarise how Cooper tries to help Bashir and what his aim is. Cooper informs himself about Nauru and the conditions there. He reads many letters that were written to the Australian government. Cooper and Kate want to do something against this cruel method of bringing immigrants on Nauru. They decide to protest like ninety Afghan 40 men had already done it. They ask some friends they trust if they want to help them. In the end they are 26 protesters including Kate and Cooper. Even Graham joins the protest and stays till the end. The kids lock themselves on the roof of their school and wait until the first people and the press got their attention. They demand that all children and their families, especially Bashir, be allowed to return to Australia. The kids knew that the immigrants on Nauru would not be released because of their protest, but they hoped that the protest would raise awareness of the issue. 5. Why does Cooper think that his protest would be more effective than a protest from "ninety Afghan men"? (p. 84, II. 3-8) It makes a big different and I think as well that Cooper's protest will be more effective. The men who protested first were all locked on Nauru, and they know how cruel the conditions are. Of course, they want to be free and get out of this place. But if children who live in Australia protest for some people that are miles away from then it is something different. Actually, the children do not have to worry about it, they are not affected, they are fine. But they feel responsible and want to change something. 6. Evaluate Cooper's protest. Do you think this is a valuable and promising way to help Bashir? Can you think of any other ways to support him? So first I have to say, I think it is great that Cooper cares so much about Bashir and he is trying to help him without considering the possible consequences for him. I also think the protest is a good way to help Bashir. Of course, this does not improve the situation on Nauru, but more people are becoming aware of the problem. Personally, I cannot think any other option would be more effective than Cooper's. Especially since it is very difficult for someone who has done something illegal before to protest like this without making a confession or even gaining followers. 41 |||||| Sources --------------------|||||||| ||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||| Sources for the task Research: ● ● ● I have many points from the novel "Coast to coast" The "interview" with Bashir consists of the experiences he had told us in the book. I did not quote anything here because in an "interview" you normally do not quote. Australien: Für die Flüchtlingskinder auf Nauru könnte sich eine Lösung anbahnen - DER SPIEGEL Nauru: Die Kehrseite der Flüchtlingspolitik Australiens | Telepolis (heise.de) Australien holt letzte Kinder aus umstrittenem Flüchtlingslager (dnn.de) I did not need sources for the other tasks. But I used pons.de to look up some new words/vocabularies. 43