Round Table Discussion #3

8.         The authors write that “the Balti held the key to a kind of uncomplicated happiness that was disappearing in the developing world.” This peaceful simplicity of life seems to be part of what attracts Mortenson to the villagers. But while the Balti determined to better themselves, yet are stuck in the past. Which scenes best show the “uncomplicated happiness” of their traditional lives? Which scenes best show the Balti as being stuck in a past that seems to not be good for then?

Sometimes it is easy to live simple and happy. However, it is not good for change. In order to grow, one has to let go of the past and move on to the future. The Balti are happy with their peaceful simplicity of life. However, they want to change and improve their lives for their youth and their future. The fact that they cannot break tradition puts a tight squeeze on their ambitions. One of the main problems with this is their location. According to page seventy-seven in the book, the Balti live in a village where the mountains and gorges cut them off from the rest of the world. That in itself is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they are protected from the enemy and any negative forces that could walk in so easily from the outside world. However, the Balti are also out of touch with the times. They would not know how to interact with an outsider if they left their village to live on their own. Plus culture clashes can play a role in the Balti’s difficulty to change. The Pakistani people do not really like Americans that much. Moriston’s intends maybe good, but some old beliefs are hard to kill off.