Skip to main content

In De Niro's Game by Rawi Hage, what is the function of George?

In the novel De Niro’s Game,George functions as a symbol of how power though illegal means (and especially during war) can corrupt the young.  Within the friendship of George and Bassam, it is the character of George that functions as the instigator.  George also turns friendship into betrayal in Beirut during the Lebanese civil war.  Bassam is drawn into criminal ways only through George.  It is not long before George has initiated his friend...

In the novel De Niro’s Game, George functions as a symbol of how power though illegal means (and especially during war) can corrupt the young.  Within the friendship of George and Bassam, it is the character of George that functions as the instigator.  George also turns friendship into betrayal in Beirut during the Lebanese civil war.  Bassam is drawn into criminal ways only through George.  It is not long before George has initiated his friend into the world of smuggling both drugs and alcohol.  While Bassam loses his nerve, George gains power in the militia.  Unfortunately, he loses his morality at the same time.  George eventually participates in the Phalangist massacre and kills Laurent Aoudeh after a strange sexual escapade.  He also mercilessly allows Bassam to take the heat for George’s own crimes (while at the same time stealing Bassam’s girlfriend, Rana).  As Bassam begins to stalk George, Bassam finds that George is even more into political corruption than once thought.  Just as George’s own character shows how power can truly corrupt and lead to death, the game of Russian roulette (otherwise known as “De Niro’s Game”) the two play together ends with George being the unlucky one, killing himself by a bullet through the head.  Bassam then struggles to remain moral in an immoral world of war.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...