The Day of the Pelican- Hidden Loyalty

Showing loyalty is not only when you stand by a person whatever the
challenge, but it can also be shown when you stand by a certain belief or
feeling whatever others might think or say. In The Day of the Pelican by
Katherine Paterson, Mehmet is loyal by being loyal to his country and
religion, his family and friends and most of all, he is loyal to his own
thoughts and opinions.
The first reason is that Mehmet is loyal to his country and religion.
One reason why is that when he was confronted by the boys on his soccer
team and was accused of being like the enemy in their terrible ways, they
had dared him to deny that he was a faithful Muslim. Instead of bending to
their will, Mehmet told them that yes, he was a Muslim, and stood by his
word even when they beat him up.
Another reason why Mehmet is loyal to his country and religion is
that he wants to join the KLA, the army fighting to defend Kosovo, against
the Serbs. His stubbornness towards his father when he is told that war is a
bad thing is proof that he isnt afraid to risk some things for his country, if he
believes that what he is doing is right.
One final reason why Mehmet is loyal to his country and religion is
that he, alone in his family, likes to express his hate for the attacking Serbs
whenever theyre mentioned. This proves that he wants the people harming
his country and his life in Kosovo to be defeated, so his country can be safe.
That is why Mehmet is loyal to his country and religion.
The second reason why Mehmet is loyal is that he is loyal to his
family and friends. For example, although he easily could have pretended he
was old enough to join the army when they were in the mountain camp, his
actions show that he decided (grudgingly) that it wasnt worth it to leave his
family alone when there was a huge risk he might be turned back.
Another example is of when he and his family were at the mountain
camp, and Mehmet was asked to act as a teacher to the small kids also living
at the camp, and to teach them their letters. Once he got started, he did not
give up on his job and proudly took it upon himself to teach them as best he
could.
One last example is that when the family was at the airport and were
being met by the lady that (in Mehmets opinion) treated them like babies,

Mehmet got angry on his familys behalf and indignantly defended his
family. This shows that Mehmet is loyal to his friends and family.
The third and final reason why Mehmet is loyal to his world is that he
is loyal to himself, and his own personal thoughts and beliefs. The first
example would be when his father tells him, again and again, that war is bad,
and he doesnt even try to see it in his fathers point of view. This shows that
Mehmet truly believes that his own reasons are right, and he doesnt let
anybody change that.
The second example of why Mehmet is loyal to himself is that when
the boys beat him up, he stands by his opinions without trying to deny them
by admitting that he was a Muslim. When a weaker person might have lied
and said, No, Im not a Muslim, I hate Muslims! and tried to bluff their
way out of the situation, Mehmet stood firm even though he knew that the
boys would make him pay dearly for it, as payback for something other
Muslims had done at 9/11.
The third and last example is that when he was taken away by the
Serbs at the very beginning of the book, he managed to keep his head and
eventually he found his way home. Other people might have given
themselves up to their captors, and hoped that somehow they would be
spared. Mehmet, on the other hand, was loyal to everything that he was; his
family and his love for his country, and he managed to contact the KLA,
who found him and took him home.

At first, Mehmet might not seem to be the type of person who would
fight everything just to get back to his home, or would stand by a master
whatever happened. But while in the book he might sound arrogant and
discordant, he is actually courageous and loyal in his own way, and these are
the reasons why Mehmet is loyal: first, he is loyal to his country and
religion, second, he is loyal to his family and friends, and third, he is loyal to
himself and his own personal beliefs.