Maroko as a Principle

By preventing the government from tearing the slum down, Sunday was given a new chance to lead. The resistance  however, was both a defeat and a victory. Sunday realized that there would be no changing the minds of the government's decision to tear down Maroko, but he felt he needed to stand up for his and his community's rights. Though the demolition was postponed for another day, one man was shot, Jagua was injured, and two of the other wizards were arrested. "Had it been worth it? was any of this worth any principle? Sunday was not so sure anymore. Sighing, he walked past Freedom and Confidence into the tenement" (272). It is even unclear to Sunday whether or not he should have lead the resistance at all. The powerful symbol of walking pas Freedom and Confidence is an interesting way of framing the scene. The figurative powers of their names are not only their own, but create a relationship to others, which is an aspect about the power of naming I had not considered until this scene. To be left with an image of the children playing a new game of "who could jump over the still-burning barricade" (272) is very interesting as well. Fire has both a destructive and regenerative power, and children playing with the fire is an odd symbol. It leaves me with an odd sense of hope for the people of Maroko, but it's a strangely sad image nonetheless, leaving this chapter with a bazaar sense of beauty.