Name 1
These are the guidelines attached. I have also attached my Short paper, and the highlighted part is important.
Guidelines:
After choosing a topic, you will compile a bibliography of at least two primary or secondary sources (one
of which must be beyond our course readings), develop a thesis, and support it with primary and secondary sources. If you decide to conduct an interview/oral history, you must prepare and email the questionnaire you will use for the interview.I encourage you to check the first draft of the paper with a tutor. Please, refer to the current edition of the
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers or
The Chicago Manual of Style for questions on formatting, documentation etc. If you have any questions on this or other course assignments, please talk to me during office hours or make an appointment. Your compositions must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font, with 1-inch margins in Word or Pages format. I will grade papers for content relevance, accuracy, and originality in responding to the assignment; direct use and analysis of primary and secondary sources, quotes, and excerpts; logic, style, grammar, and spelling. You are encouraged to bring your paper to a tutor before the deadline and, if you do, submit to me both the original and revised versions and follow MLA or Chicago standards for citation.
Points to clarify: how will you connect your topic and the sources you’ll be using with the books read in class?
Short Border Handbook and
Sarajevo Marlboro
To clarify, I’ll connect my topic with the class texts by focusing on shared themes of displacement, identity, and political boundaries:
A Short Border Handbook offers a historical perspective on migration in Europe, which complements my discussion of Poland and Hungary’s current policies.
Sarajevo Marlboro uses personal stories to convey the impact of war on individuals, much like
Human Flow shows the human side of modern displacement. I believe These links will enhance my understanding of how past migrations influence current refugee issues.
SP2
A Short Border Handbook by Gazmend Kapllani and
Sarajevo Marlboro by Miljenko Jergović explores themes of identity, conflict, migration, trauma, and resilience through distinct yet complementary narrative styles. The tone and organization of each author’s work are shaped by their unique historical and cultural backgrounds, giving them different perspectives on migration and war. While
A Short Border Handbook narrates the journey of an Albanian immigrant facing physical and mental borders,
Sarajevo Marlboro presents glimpses of lives shattered by the Bosnian War, creating a mosaic of survival through short stories. Both authors foster empathy by delving into personal stories that reflect broader political and social issues.
Kapllani’s work, marked by reflective humor and keen observations, illustrates how migration transforms identity, presenting borders as barriers that divide not only nations but also individuals based on their sense of self. He recounts his journey to Greece with a humor that masks deeper sadness as he confronts disappointment and separation. In passages like, “The most difficult borders to cross are the ones in our minds” (Kapllani, Chapter 2, p. 17), he captures the loneliness many immigrants feel as they navigate the realities of life outside their homeland. Similarly, Jergović’s
Sarajevo Marlboro conveys the fragmentation of identity during wartime, revealing how war disrupts routine and security. In “The Gravedigger,” for instance, the protagonist finds comfort in his repetitive work, which becomes a lifeline in an otherwise meaningless world—a subtle yet powerful acknowledgment of the strength people derive from the familiar, even amid destruction (Jergović, “The Gravedigger,” p. 42).
While Kapllani’s narrative is a continuous journey of self-reflection, Jergović’s fragmented style, composed of independent short stories, mirrors the chaotic experience of war. This structure highlights the unpredictability of life during conflict, creating a collage of emotions, struggles, and fleeting moments of peace. In
Sarajevo Marlboro, characters cling to everyday objects or routines to maintain their sanity, as seen in “The Family Plot,” where a character reflects on the futility of war, stating, “In this war, no one wins. We’re all just surviving” (Jergović, “The Family Plot,” p. 91). This sentiment illustrates how people in conflict zones depend on simple daily routines to create a sense of stability, even amidst disaster. Such moments resonate with Kapllani’s exploration of resilience in the face of adversity, where immigrants’ everyday struggles are fueled by the hope for a better life.
The political and historical contexts behind each story deepen these narratives, emphasizing how both migration and war reshape identity. Kapllani’s journey to Greece is overshadowed by Albania’s oppressive regime, which imposed psychological borders that lingered even after he crossed into new territory. He writes, “In Albania, we grew up surrounded by barbed wire” (Kapllani, Chapter 3, p. 28), reflecting on the mental barriers that years of isolation created for its people. Meanwhile, Jergović’s characters in Sarajevo navigate the brutal ethnic conflicts that tore Bosnia apart, illustrating a different kind of psychological barrier. For example, in “The Letter,” a character ponders the futility of war, stating, “Life pulsates to a regular beat, with minor betrayals and the odd respite, like juggling your checkbook and the credit cards. People survive in closed circuits” (Jergović, “The Letter,” p. 124). This quote captures the emotional numbness that accompanies life in a war zone, showing how survival itself becomes a daily struggle for normalcy. This theme resonates with Kapllani’s exploration of identity and survival in a new land, where immigrants must navigate both external and internal borders and emotional challenges to find their place.
Through our class discussions and additional resources like
Quo Vadis, Aida? and
War Hotel, my appreciation for these works has deepened, particularly for their portrayal of courage in the face of disaster. These stories, along with the film’s visual representation of the Bosnian War and the documentary’s account of life in conflict zones, highlight the resilience necessary to survive and adapt. The narratives of Kapllani and Jergović serve as powerful reminders of the strength and complexity of the human spirit, demonstrating how literature not only reflects history but also gives voice to those caught in its struggles.
1. Kapllani, Gazmend.
A Short Border Handbook: A Journey Through the Immigrant’s Labyrinth. New Europe Books, 2017.
2. Jergović, Miljenko.
Sarajevo Marlboro. Archipelago Books, 2004.
Migration and Boarders: Synopsis
This paper will focus on the contemporary refugee crisis in Europe, especially on conflict zones such as Afghanistan and Syria, and compare the patterns with migration in the Cold War. The thesis argues that geopolitical shift, mainly due to political war before and following the fall of Berlin Wall significantly impacted the routes of migration and national identifies, reshaping the contemporary societal responses on migration and refugees. By examining Poland and Hungary’s case studies including how the nations have navigated through migration issues amidst changing borders, it will help understand contemporary migration and how the past informed current migration responses.
Human Flow (2017) documentary by Ai Weiwei will be the primary source for the analysis. The documentary examines refugee crisis by looking at immigrant stories about individuals that have been forced to escape war, and famine including the greatest displacement since World War II. Next, The Silent Steppe: The Story of a Kazakh Nomad Under Stalin (1999) by Mukhamet Shayakhmetov, which provides insight into forced migration and identity including the effects such as losing the traditions due to oppressive regimes. These sources are critical in understanding history of migrations, its routes and impacts, paralleling today’s migration and refugees struggle.
Work Cited
Shayakhmetov, Mukhamet. “The Silent Steppe: The Story of a Kazakh Nomad under Stalin (1999). October 4, 2007.
Weiwei, Ai.
Human flow: Stories from the global refugee crisis. Princeton University Press, 2020.
