The Ugly American

The last chapter I read was very funny and heart warming. It was about a woman named, Emma Atkins, she was the wife of Homer Atkins. He was an engineer hired by MacWhite. Emma observed that every person over the age of 60 in the village of Chang Dong had a bent back, she figured that it was because they used a broom with a small handle. For months she looked for something to use as a longer broom handle. One day she found a reed that was 5ft tall to use as a handle. She brought a dozen back and everyday used the reed to sweep her porch. The old people watched her everyday until they finally asked her for one. Then all the old people started using long broom handles. 40 years later, Emma recieved a letter from Chang Dong, it said that now none of the old people had bent backs and that they built a shrine of her.

I really liked this chapter because it is the only humorous passage in the book,so far, and it is nice that the authors of this book put a relaxing chapter in. I thought that it was funny because none of the people in the village wanted to improve their backs and that finally an outsider came up with a solution. I think they put this chapter in the book to lighten the reader's spirit because something really bad will happen next chapter.