Tozzi Riccardo Reflection on Varieties of Religious Experience

In these stories the writer want us to empathize with different character and different point of view, of the catastrophic event of 9/11. Even the point of view of two hijackers, their rancor against American society and culture, dramatically different from Arab culture, especially from the precept of the Islam fundamentalist. On the other hand, is also reported the occidental religious fundamentalist and the main character Dan, who appeared twice, at the begin and at the end, find the stately celebration and commemoration annoying and pitiable. In the former story Dan has a soliloquy about God and His careless love for us, and his big question is how those big buildings could have been felt down so quickly and why God hadnt intervened? Though Dan had been an Episcopalian, he give us the answer since the first words of the text, because there is no God. When the granddaughter ask him why God let bad man doing this type of things, he didnt answer with the first idea in his mind because his cynicism is far from childish thought. In the latter story Dan is fewer critic on his Country and also is fewer cynical toward God and toward humankind. Indeed he reveals a patriotism side, contradicting his daughter, actually saying I don't think that would bevery American". The writer never point out Arabs like enemy and Americans like poor victims on the contrary he try to manage both points of view and figure out Muslims reason and grudge. In addition what happened had been so inhuman that Dan humanized the groan of the Twin Towers collapse, clinging to reality. Dan goes to buy some food in case of necessity and mother and daughter went to withdraw some cash. But the society and the main characters as well, look like puppets which is going through their own life as if nothing has happened; instead of being on totally panic, they act rationally doing normal thing in an ordinary day. In the second story the writer focuses his narration on the days immediately precedent of the attack, going through the life of two hijacker. They try to manage an American ordinary life on the surface, but below, in their thought, they feed a deep hate against American society with his spoil people, with his laxity of laws and his unholy places, going against Muslims education, religion and

common sense. They want to protect their Country, their family and their culture from western invader. The third story, to my point of view, is the most moving and gloomy. The wife that in an ordinary day call his man to make small talk and suddenly they realized that call is being the last between each others. The husband keep ones nerve and try to figure out wifes new life and spur her to keep going her normally life. At last the wife hasnt even time to say goodbye or I love you to her husband. The story which take place in the hijack plane, presume how the passengers react once they realized what was going on. The writer, through the eyes of an old woman, try to figure out the fear and the feelings of the people inside the plane and their last ditch. The woman at first glance think that they would land at some obscure airport, and a long standoff of negotiations would begin. She is selfish when think about hostages and their fate, because she is an old lady and she would be among the first; for a while she feel safe, but suddenly she hit into reality and turn her last words and thoughts to God.