33 pages 1 hour read

God Grew Tired of Us

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2007

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Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Summary

Although in many ways Dau adjusts to his life in America, he still dreams of Africa. He considers himself blessed, however, because his dreams aren’t the kinds of terror that other Lost Boys experience. Some have post-traumatic stress disorder and are forced to continually relive the worst moments of their past. Even with a new life in a new country, Dau says it’s important to hold onto their roots: “They, and I, must learn to be Dinka in America. With God’s grace, we must learn to treasure the best of our experiences and apply them to our new lives” (237).

After years spent looking for his family, Dau had all but given up hope of finding them. However, he receives a letter from his brother stating that his mother, father, and some siblings are still alive. Like Dau, they fled on the night of the attacks and sought refuge in various camps, and they’re now living on the Ugandan border. After a substantial paperwork, Dau is able to bring his mother and sister to live with him in the United States.

That same year he marries a Dinka woman named Martha. She and Dau had lived in the same refugee camp briefly and had a relationship, but she relocated to America before him. After a Lost Boys reunion, they start talking again. They eventually marry after Dau’s father conducts investigations in the neighboring villages of Southern Sudan to see if Martha is from a good family; after a lengthy investigation, he gives Dau his blessing for the marriage.

During the Lost Boys reunion, the narrator is disappointed that so many of the Dinka men seem to have forgotten their culture by wearing the hairstyle and clothing of American men. Although Dau tries to rally the Dinka men to unite for their country, it strikes him as “ironic that so many Lost Boys could pledge their love of Duk County yet forget to honor their Duk ancestry through their clothes and manners” (249).

In 2005 Martha moves in with Dau, and she’s soon pregnant with a daughter. He moves his entire family—his mother, sister, and wife—into a house he built in Syracuse. He dreams of working with the UN to help African refugees. In the meantime he participates in various organizations and foundations that benefit Sudanese refugees, and he starts the American Care for Sudan Foundation with the intention of building a medical facility in Duk County. He hires local Duk County workers, which benefits the region’s economy, and he envisions the clinic being a vital community resource, since the residents usually must walk 75 miles to receive healthcare.

To facilitate the building project, he goes back to his home to survey the land. He also reunites with his father for the first time since their separation. When his father first sees him, he thanks God, and it reminds Dau “of the welcome given by the father of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke” (267). Dau revisits his home village. He stands “where [his] placenta had been placed in the ground” and feels his “spirit reaching down, like roots of a thirsty tree seeking water” (269).

When Dau returns to the United States, he attends the premiere of Christopher Quinn’s documentary film God Grew Tired of Us at the Sundance Film Festival. Although he’s initially hesitant to be in the spotlight, in the end he’s grateful because many people donate money during the event to help him build the clinic in Duk County.

He ends the chapter by acknowledging that despite its flaws, America and its people have been incredibly kind to him, and he is full of gratitude for all the blessings he’s received in America.

Chapter 6 Analysis

Many events happen in this last chapter, such as Dau’s reunion with his family, his marriage, and his mother and sister’s arrival in America. He also realizes and acts upon his ability to make a difference in his home region of Duk County. He attributes much of his success in fundraising for the Duk County clinic to various churches and to his participation in the documentary film premiere. Being part of Christopher Quinn’s award-winning documentary helps raise vital awareness to his cause.

Dau’s humanitarian efforts culminate in the John Dau Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to supply Southern Sudanese residents with healthcare and nutritious food. The foundation equips medical workers, operates clinics, and ensures that women and children have access to adequate food.

After detailing these endeavors, Dau ends his book with an expression of gratitude to America for bringing him in, and to all the individual Americans who helped him along the way. Although he questions America’s dark characteristics like discrimination and injustice, he ends the book on a hopeful note by acknowledging that America is truly a unique land of opportunity because its citizens are in control of their own futures.

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