What is the What #2

Quote #1
"Michael, you have not seen darkness until you have seen the darkness of southern Sudan" ~Valentino Pg. 95 last paragraph
This is Valentino talking about his flashbacks in his head. This flashback was when his village was getting raided and he had to run away from the murahaleen. He was running through the darkness of southern Sudan and he couldn't see anything. This quote relates to the first question because his village was getting raided by the murahaleen and everyone who fought got killed and anyone of the murahaleen who just felt like killing something killed someone from the village. His friend Moses got killed also. I think Valentino came to America so he won't experience this kind of event again. He didn't want to see a village of people who he has known so well get taken away from him and killed in just seconds.
I can relate to this because I might not have seen anything as dark as southern Sudan because I have not seen it before and that I've seen some pretty dark things before. For example I came back to get a refill of my soda then when I went back to the theater it was really really dark and we were sitting all the way at the top. I was being careful of going up the stairs slowly and passing by people that were sitting.


Were you ever in a situation that was so dark and that you had to be really careful so you won't trip and face plant?

Quote #2
"Yes. These are Arabs who have fallen to the level of the animal. They are like the lion, with its appetite for raw meat. These are not humans. These lion-creatures love war and blood. They enslave people, which is against the laws of God. They have been transformed into animals"
~An old man that Valentino has found in the woods. Pg.99 second paragraph
This is when Valentino was running from the murahaleen and he found an old man that is willing to help him keep safe until morning. They are walking to his home and along the way the old man says this. This quote also relates to the first question because he does not want to be savagely killed. He wants to be safe, he wants to know he is safe and that he can start a new life without the violence. In order for that to happen he has traveled to America to start and finish his goals.
I can relate to this because if I haven't ate for a long time because of something like a long drive or we still had to get the food I would be like this when I'm eating it. I would fall to the level of an animal and have an appetite for meat not raw meat. I would devour the food in seconds depending on how hungry I am and how small the food is.

Has there ever been a time where you have fallen to the level of an animal?