Literary Assessment

In scene five of Murphy and Robertson’s play The Jungle, the Afghani refugee and restaurant owner Salar addresses the English volunteers in the camp: “We have trusted you with our lives. If you are here for opportunity, or holiday, or because this place is better than your home, leave. We do not want you. The last thing Zhangal needs is more refugees” (86-87).  

Write an essay that examines the ethical challenges or pitfalls faced by the non-refugee characters in the play as they try to support people who have lost everything. What position does the play seem to take on the problems and possibilities of being an ally? Some passages you might consider in your discussion are the following: Boxer’s claim that “we’re all refugees” (44), Salar’s statement that “I know what British are like. They go to places they don’t belong and tell people what to do” (50), Beth’s struggle to understand the experience of Okot and many other refugees—“I don’t know” (75), the debate between Helene and Paula on the question of refugee choices (90-92), and the discussion of “virtue signaling” (92).  

Keep in mind that a quoted passage is meaningful within a larger context. In other words, you need to look at the whole scene to really understand what is being said.

3-3/12 pages double spaced MLA