On the night of December 5th, I was mesmerized and astonished by the marvel that was “The Jungle,” at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. The play was unlike any other I had seen or experienced. It was based on the refugee crisis in Calais, France and the setting of the play accentuated the feeling of being placed in the refugee camp. While I had not known about the complications and hurdles that plagued the lives of many refugees looking to claim asylum in U.K, I was slightly familiar of the overall situation regarding the refugee crisis. However, upon watching the play, all my prior impressions disappeared. The proximity of my seat to the entirety of the play really highlighted the personal nature of the play and it allowed me to understand the true and heartbreaking story behind the plight of the refugees.
One the most striking and moving moments of the play was structured around the question “when does a place become a home?” The scene that followed included the restaurant owner, Salar, and the community of the The Jungle as they celebrated Salar’s birthday. As Salar was presented by the cake, he was brought to tears as he reminisced about his hometown and his friends. He recounted the fact that many of friends claimed to have birthdays on the first of January due a lack of time at the hands of various wars. While he presented a humorous anecdote, he explained that although the Jungle was a horrendous place, it was starting to feel like home. This distinction between house and home really brought out one of the major themes of the play.
As I thought about Salar’s monologue, I criticized my own definition of a home. I have always associated my home with a house, a place where I live, but I understood at that moment that a home is far greater than just a living space. I realized that no matter the terrible nature of your situation, a home is where people care about you and will do anything to protect you. The materialistic nature our society has forced us take for granted all that we have been blessed with. However, as Salar explained, we can never take for granted what we have and we must always appreciate those who care for us.
Additionally, the moment when the audience was presented with the video of a child’s body washed up on shore, really brought the reality of the refugee crisis into perspective. It allowed me to disregard my own perception of the refugee crisis and the narrative regurgitated by the media. I realized that we are the ones who have the opportunity and the resources to make a change in the lives of those in need.
Overall, I was extremely impressed and moved by the play. It far surpassed my expectations and presented me with various ideas and issues to contemplate.
Hi Suhaib,
Wow. I am so happy that I chose to read your blog. You described a moment in the performance that unfortunately, I wasn’t able to witness. You brought up the question of “what is a home?” We had a class discussion about this question, but I feel that your blog went even deeper in the sense in how you related it to the performance. Reading your blog definitely enhanced the meaning of home. You then went on to describe a morbid picture of a child’s body being washed up on the shore. Just reading about this makes me feel sick to my stomach and it really makes one think about The Jungle. I really enjoyed reading your blog.
Hello Suhaib,
Your part about home was touching. It seems you had a moment of self-realization about your own meaning of home. For me, home will always be where my family and loved ones are–regardless of whether or not it entails a physical home with long-developed memories. After moving many times, I’ve realized that home really is where the people you love are because they’re the ones who uplift you and make you feel loved. It’s a pretty warm moment when you realize who your loved ones are and how much they actually mean to you. Without these people in your life, regardless of who they are, your life may lose value–as seen by the close relationships the refugees at the camp established.
Also, I completely agree with the chilling moment in which they showed the dead body of a young boy washed up on the shores of Turkey. His name was Alan Kurdin. He was only three years old, when him and his family attempted to flee the Syrian civil war in 2015. I agree with you in the sense that this scene really put things into perspective, and gave it’s viewers a call to action.
Karina Chiqui
Suhaib,
I am very happy that I chose to read your blog because you described scenes in the first act, which I didn’t have the opportunity to see. The scenes that you pointed out are both very moving. I loved how you really pinpointed the part of the play when Salar says that the Jungle is starting to feel like home. This really lends itself to the discussion we had in class. As a class we seemed to have concluded that a home isn’t the four walls in which you live, but rather the people that make you feel comfortable and lift you up.
I really enjoyed reading this post!