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Graphic Literature

From “Chaabi”

By Xavier Delaporte & Richard Marazano
Translated from French by Edward Gauvin
HOW TO DESCRIBE THE SUFFERINGS OF THAT PATHETIC CREATURE BEFORE HE JOINED THE REVOLT ?

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HE LIVED AS A PETTY DEALER .

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HE WAS ANGRY ..HIS HEART HARDENED TO THE WORLD .

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FOR HE HAD NEVER KNOWN A MOTHER'S LOVE ...

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..AND HIS FATHER HAD TAUGHT HIM NOTHING .

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CAN A TREE WITHOUT ROOTS BEAR SWEET AND BOUNTIFUL FRUIT ?

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HOW TO DESCRIBE THE SUFFERINGS OF THAT PATHETIC CREATURE BEFORE HE JOINED THE REVOLT ?

[Frame]
HE LIVED AS A PETTY DEALER .

[Frame]
HE WAS ANGRY ..HIS HEART HARDENED TO THE WORLD .

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FOR HE HAD NEVER KNOWN A MOTHER'S LOVE ...

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..AND HIS FATHER HAD TAUGHT HIM NOTHING .

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CAN A TREE WITHOUT ROOTS BEAR SWEET AND BOUNTIFUL FRUIT ?

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SONDEEP WAS FILLED WITH DISGUST AT HIMSELF AND HIS ORIGINS
BEFORE HE WENT TO THE CITY , SONDEEP LIVED ALONE WITH HIS FATHER , A GRASPING MAN WHO ABUSED HIS POWER .

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EACH DAY HE SOLD HIS SON'S STRONG ARMS FOR PAINFUL AND DEGRADING LABORS NO ONE ELSE WOULD DO .

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EVEN AT NIGHT , SONDEEP'S WORK WAS NEVER DONE , FOR HIS FATHER HAD NO WISH TO PAY ANOTHER TO LOOK AFTER HIS OWN PROPERTY

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SONDEEP WAS A GOOD SON . IT DID NOT OCCUR TO HIM TO BLAME HIS FATHER FOR HIS MISERABLE LIFE .

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YET AT THE LEAST MOMENT OF RESPITE SONDEEP BEMOANED HIS FATE

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WHY COULDN'T HE GO TO SCHOOL , LIKE BOYS HIS AGE ?
DID YOU BECOME A MAN BY WORKING LIKE AN ANIMAL ?

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YET ONE DAY A NEW HOPE WAS BORN IN HIS BREAST.
SONDEEP'S FATHER HAD RENTED HIM OUT FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS ...

TO A FARMER NOT MUCH RICHER THAN HIMSELF .

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WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE THAT TIME IN SONDEEP'S LIFE .
BUT HIS HAPPINESS WAS TO BE SHORT - LIVED .
THE NEXT DAY , SONDEEP LEFT VILLAGE ...

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HOUSE ..

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AND CHILDHOOD BEHIND
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SONDEEP SOON SAW HIS POSITION CHALLENGED

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HE NO LONGER HAD A PLACE NT THIS ORDER OF PLUNDER RULED BY YOUTH .

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RISE , PITIFUL CREATURE !

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IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE OF HUNGER TAKE THIS PIECE OF BREAD

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IN YOUR TORMENTED FEVERS , I HAVE HEARD YOU CURSE THE CRIMES OF YOUR FORMER LIFE .

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FOLLOW ME , AND I PROMISE THAT TOGETHER WE WILL DO OUR UTMOST TO STOP FATHERS FROM STEALING THE LIVES OF THEIR SONS .

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TOGETHER , WE WILL DRIVE HUNGER FROM THIS LAND .
SANJAY WAS THE SON OF A PROUD MOUNTAIN BANDIT WHO LED A PEOPLE AS PROUD AND PITILESS AS HIMSELF .

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UNDER HIS COMMAND THEY ATTACKED TRAVELERS ...

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..BOLDLY MOUNTING DARING RAIDS THAT MADE WHOLE REGIONS QUAKE WITH FEAR .

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THE GOVERNORS OF THE NORTHERN PROVINCES DECIDED ON TO TAKE ACTION AS ONE.

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THEY ORGANIZED AN AMBUSH TO CAPTURE THE TERRIBLE BANDIT CHIEFTAIN .

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WORD WAS SPREAD OF AN EXTRAVAGANT CHARTER TRAIN ...

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..WHOSE CARS HID AN ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT KIND OF FREIGHT .
TALKS OVER THE ELECTION FOR THE NEW CHIEFTAIN PROVED DIFFICULT .

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WHILE THE HEADS OF THE CLANS VIED FOR THE HONOR OF LEADING THEM ALL ..

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..LOOT FROM THE RAIDS NO LONGER FED THE VILLAGE AND ITS PEOPLE DECLINED .

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SANJAY MADE A SPEECH NOW LOST TO MEMORY .

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THUS , AT THE AGE OF TWENTY , DID HE FIND HIMSELF LEADING BANDITS WEAKENED BY THE LOSS OF THEIR LEADER .

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HIS PEOPLE RALLIED UNDER HIS GUIDANCE , FLOURISHING ONCE MORE .

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YET HE COULD NOT BE SATISFIED WITH A LIFE OF PLUNDER , WHICH HE FOUND AS UNWORTHY AS IT WAS UNJUST .

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BEFORE MEETING CHAABI , HE HAD ALREADY CALLED THE CLANS TOGETHER TO PROPOSE A NEW WAY OF LIFE .

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BUT OLD HABITS DIED HARD .

AND SANJAY'S DREAMS OF JUSTICE WERE AT ODDS WITH THE TRADITIONS OF HIS PEOPLE , WHO HAD ALWAYS BEEN BANDITS .
THEN A RUMOR SPREAD THROUGH THE PEAKS AND VALLEYS OF THE REGION .

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A SMALL COMPANY , PURSUED BY GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS , CAME SEEKING REFUGE FROM THE BANDIT PEOPLE .

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SANJAY WELCOMED THEM WITH THE HOSPITALITY OWED TO TRAVELERS IN NEED .

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HE SOON BECAME FRIENDS WITH THIS SURPRISING GROUP OF REFUGEES

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SANJAY'S HEART WAS FILLED WITH HIS ADMIRATION FOR HIS NEW COMPANION .

HE ASKED HIM TO SWAY THE HEADS OF THE CLANS .

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CHAABI MADE HIS SPEECH .

AND SANJAY WAS CONTENT TO SEE THE CLANS RALLY TO A CAUSE HE FOUND JUST .

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THE ALLIANCE FORGED THAT NIGHT WAS TO GIVE CHAABI THE MEANS TO LEAD HIS REVOLT

From Chaabi (Paris: Futuropolis, 2007). By arrangement with the publisher. Translation copyright 2008 by Edward Gauvin. All rights reserved.

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