The short story “Moon” by Chaim Potok deals with the 13-year-old American teenager Morgan Vinten who feels rejected and misunderstood by his parents who seem to care more about their social projects than about their son’s emotions and interests. Suffering from attacks of fear and anger which are often caused by his parents’ behaviour, Morgan who calls himself Moon often withdraws to his bedroom or to his band room where he plays the drums.
When Moon’s parents accommodate a Pakistani boy named Ashraf and his companion and translator, Mr Khan, who are travvelling the USA to inform the public about child labour in carpet production(1) in Asia, Moon is at first very defensive not knowing whether his parents’ guests might interfere with his privacy.
However, while attending a school assembly and listening to the report Ashraf gives about the unbearable living and working conditions during his childhood in Pakistan, Moon’s interest in Ashraf is aroused, particularly because Ashraf seems to be drumming a special rhythm with his fingers.
Back at home, Ashraf and Mr Khan do indeed enter Moon’s private band room, but as an interesting conversation about Moon’s punkish looks and his drumming as an outlet for aggressions develops, Moon opens up towards the visitors(2) and even lets Ashraf play his drums making _ a recording of the special rhythm produced by Ashraf at the same time(3). The boys say Goodbye, knowing that Ashraf is going back to Pakistan at the end of his information campaign.
Some weeks later Moon learns(4) that Ashraf after having returned to Pakistan has died in a road accident presumably arranged by the carpet producing industry. During a memorial service held at Moon’s school, Moon plays his drums along to Ashraf’s rhythm from the recording, thus finding out that his aggressive and angry music is a better, truer and more satisfying way of coping with Ashraf’s death than the guilty wordlessness of his parents whose social organization has proofed unable to protect Ashraf.
1 - "Child labor employed" ergibt keinen Sinn, Kinderarbeit kann man nicht anstellen, man kann lediglich Kinder zur Arbeit anstellen, aber das hätte hier eine größere Umstellung erfordert.
2 - So wie das geschrieben ist, muss "as an interesting conversation Moon opens up towards the visitor" der Kern des Satzes sein, und das ergibt überhaupt keinen Sinn: als eine interessante Unterhaltung öffnet sich Moon seinen Gästen?
3 - Bestimmungen der Zeit gehören ans Satzende zu den anderen Adverbialen.
4 - "get to know" heiß "kennen lernen", das passt hier nicht. "Etwas erfahren" drückt man auf Englisch mit "learn" oder irgendetwas ähnlichem aus.
