In addition to his ideas concerning Hurricane Katrina itself, author Dave Eggers also introduces ideas concerning racism and racial profiling in his novel Zeitoun.
The Oxford Dictionary defines racial profiling as "the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offence". In a post- 9/11 society, racial profiling is the norm. After the Patriot Act was passed, it was made clear to Americans that the government would stop at nothing to achieve peace, no matter the price. In this price, one must include the lack of respect and the blatant racial profiling that occurs to those of Arab descent.
And although racial profiling has, in theory, stopped several terrorists from completing their mission on American soil, at what cost do we stop terrorism? Initiating racism has stopped several attacks, but is that really what America is about? Would the Founding Fathers accept such a cost?
Author Dave Eggers perhaps responds to some of these questions in Zeitoun. However true (or untrue) the novel may be, main character Zeitoun exemplifies many honorable characteristics of a man pursuing the American Dream. After representing Zeitoun in a way that makes him likable to readers, the author then introduces several prejudices faced by the family because of their Arab descent. By no means do I assume the author wishes for terrorism to resume in America, but Eggers obviously is distraught over the racism faced by this honorable character, a character that is proved to be similar in nature to so many Caucasian Americans.
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