Attn: Dyan Shaw                                                
Subject:  OCUReads Essay Contest
2501 North Blackwelder Avenue
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73106-1402

-OR-

• Include a cover page with title of essay and your name; your name must NOT appear on the essay;
• Double space the entire essay;
• Use only a 12-point font (preferably Times New Roman or Arial);
• Use 1-inch margins all around;
• Do not justify the right margin;
• Pages must be sequentially numbered.

Entries that are mailed in must also be

• Stapled together at the top left hand corner (do not use a binder or folder);
• Be printed on one side of the page (single-sided), in black ink on standard white letter-size paper.

In First They Killed My Father, Loung Ung writes of the almost incomprehensible atrocities committed by the soldiers of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge—rape, torture, starvation, slavery, and murder resulting in the deaths of nearly two million people.  While Loung’s story is extremely painful to read, it offers us deep insight into the resilience of human beings and their ability to survive even the most horrific experiences.  Write an essay in which you reflect upon Loung’s survival.  In your essay, be sure to address these questions:  Why was Loung able to live when so many around her perished?  What was the cost—psychologically, emotionally, and physically—of her survival?   If you were in Loung’s place, what, for you, would be the most difficult part of the aftermath of this ordeal?  What strategies might you envision yourself using in order to go on with the rest of your life?   

Tell a story of courage—your own courage, perhaps, or the courage of someone you know well—that feels to you emotionally equivalent in some way to Loung Ung’s courageous story.  Begin your essay with a definition of courage—your own definition, not one you find in a dictionary.  Explain why Loung fits your definition of a courageous person.  Then go on to tell your personal story.  Be sure your readers understand how your story’s protagonist fits your definition and how he or she is similar to Loung.

First They Killed My Father is filled with unforgettable scenes.  Choose a specific scene or passage from the bookthat affected you powerfully.  Analyze the scene carefully—what are the specific details or characteristics that make it so memorable and compelling? Then go on to explain how this scene has changed your view of yourself or the world.  How are you different after reading this passage than you were before you read it?

Reflect on these questions:  Why did the zealous supporters of the Khmer Rouge do what they did?  Were the thousands of men and women who committed sadistic acts of torture and murder simply bad people—were they all innately evil?  Then write an essay in which you explain how First They Killed My Father has influenced your understanding of the meaning of “good” and “evil.”