REVIEW: Day of the builders by Kristine Ong Muslim
The story started when the narrator began to reminisce the time when they meet the Builders who studied them and later he eventually learned to converse in their language including modernity. Then, the villagers met the Builders leader called Doctor, who is not the type of doctor who heals, and also showed the builders around the village. The Doctor explained that they will builed a hospital and school for the village and highways so they can reach civilization. Some village elders stay were in favor of the Builders staying in the village to do what they came to do. Afterwards, the Builders work and work while the Doctor explained that they conduct research in their village that could simultaneously change paleontology and anthropology. Later on, some people in the village fell ill and died while others survived and assimilated who began to learned the language of the outsiders. At the end, the narrator concluded the story when he read the builders written stories about them in the history books, that entitled fossils.
I expected that the story would be about modernization, assimilation, civilization, industrialization and construction based on the title, The Day of the Builders, and it somewhat turned to be as what I am looking forward to. As I read the first few sentences of the story, I think that some people were ignorant in terms of technology and they were not completely modernized and oblivious in our digital society. Because of what the narrator said that he was fascinated and found it remarkable on how one could deduce that from a rock formation. Upon reaching the climax, which is the most important part of the story, I feel extremely happy on how some of the people in the village were willing to adapt on their new home, accepting the fact that they will occur changes in their lives through the help of the Builders and their leaders, the Doctor. After reading the whole story, it made me understand that "change is the only constant thing in the world" why? As what was narrated, he said that 'I saw the feet of my people no longer barefoot and filthy against the ground' Soon, there would be no such thing as out there. It only means adapting to a new environment will be hard, but it is part of our life to accept what is the reality.
What I like the most of the story was the positive attitude of the narrator towards the outsiders. He was hospitable and polite to them openly showing the Builders around the village as well as the Builders did not show any dominant act to the people of village. That is why my favorite part of the story was how the Builders were understanding to the villagers that they did not walk ahead from them or belittling them, and they were not looking directly in the eye to avoid any sign of aggression. I dislike the part were people in the village began to feel ill, sick and eventually died due to the sickness exuded by the Builders. Those were the consequences brought by the outsiders. To be honest, I can relate to the story since I was born in the digital age or period where technologies, innovation are improved. Aside from that, some events happened in my life occur changes for improvement and for better in the future. The story gaves us a moral or lesson of the importance of change in every aspects in life and how it will affect on us. For me, I gave the story four out of five stars.