In my opinion, this story was way too fast-moving and confusing. Also, the author never mentioned if it was based on a true story. My questions to the author are:
a) The first sentence of the story, "The distance between moves was the bridge between my heart and theirs (who is theirs?), between my soul and theirs. As I saw the bridge destroyed, movement collided with empty space." (1) is extremely confusing. What does it mean?
b) Even though in middle eastern countries it used to be common for parents to decide whom the daughter was marrying, I've never heard that in existence today. Doesn't the daughter decide who she marries?
c) It's really strange that the narrator's parents beat her up like that. If her parents hated her, then she wouldn't have been so worried about her dad being "sick." Even more strange is how she talks about her parents sacrificing her.
Overall, the story was moving, but it could have been more clear. I didn't really get the point the author was trying to convey-is it that parents treat daughters badly in Middle East, or is it that women have no freedom?
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I personally disagree with your opening sentence. I think that the story went at just the right speed. All you have to do is go back and think about it later.
ReplyDeleteTo answer some of your questions:
A)Theirs is Raha's parents.
I do agree that "movement collided with empty space is very confusing, and I cannot answer that.
B) No. Daughters cannot choose their own husbands(most of the time), and sometimes men cannot choose their wives.
C) OK. Before this event, Raha loved her parents. Couldn't wait to get home to show them her test scores. Loved them. This is why she was worried about her father. Her parents, well actually only mother, beat her up because she wouldn't marry Fahid. I don't think that her father wanted to beat her up, and he didn't only her mother.
I don't know if there is a point. No disobedience?
I agree with Daniel Naroditsky on that this short story moved way to fast! It started slow and nice in the beginning, but when Raha found out she had an arranged marriage, and then she was beat up, it started to speed up. Though Daniel N., I think that was the point: that a privileged life is way too slow and dull and a dangerous life is fast and adventurous.
ReplyDeleteA: As Griggi said, "theirs" means Raha's parents. In my opinion, the parents and Raha began together on this metaphorical bridge and slowly they move to separate ends and as this arranged marriage incident occurred, the bridged was destroyed, leaving to parents on one end and Raha on the other. The movement of separation left nothing in between, so the parents and she were completely separated. That thought is my take on it, but I am sure there are many different thoughts on how that metaphor goes.
B: First, it is not all Middle Eastern countries that have arranged marriages; it is just the Muslim religion, and yes, it still exists today. For me, it makes me look at how lucky I am to not see that beating and strictness around me, right?
I think the point the author was trying to convey varies. For me, I think it was how ironic Raha seemed. She explained her safe life like she was very lucky and everything around was bad, but not where she lives. Now, she has experienced it and she realizes how those people in poverty feel: a loss of freedom, and no reason to live?