This is a good story about a first hand view of what women feel like in their strict culture. So far, all of these Middle Eastern stories, no matter what country, have been about the rules of the religion and the culture. Each time there is someone who is not very happy living like this, but still have to obey it because it is their culture. I shouldn't be saying this because I'm not an expert, but Fatiha is probably a typical girl who is fighting the bonds of her life. She does not want to have an arranged marriage, she does not want to marry someone she has never met, she does not even want to get married. All she wants to do is be free, be a sewing teacher, and make her own choices. Of course, that's not the case.
I really like this author, first of all (this might be sexist but too bad) that he is a guy, and he can write about women's feelings in detail. Maybe he just has a good imagination, but it seems pretty realistic to me. Second of all, he writes about the feelings of multiple characters, not just one main character who is whimpering and complaining about her arranged marriage. He is emitting opinions from every side of family and friends.
On the subject of the mother, I agree with a lot of people when they say that Houria (the mother) is nervous and noticing her daughter's sadness, but trying to ignore it and push it away because she probably can't do anything about it. Here is an example of an obedient woman, who had an arranged marriage, bore children, and agreed to her daughter's arranged marriage. Of course the feelings that run deeper show that the mother knows all of this is unfair to Fatiha, but still follows the tradition.
I also really like how the Ali Ghalem put in the side conversation of yet another start of an arranged marriage for a girl named Yamina. This just goes to show how important the aspect of marriage is in this community. The line about Aicha not even knowing she was being discussed just makes it even funnier, and sadder.
Another thing people have been talking about is that when Fatiha started dancing, they believed it was a sign that Fatiha had accepted her situation. I disagree, as there is no textual evidence that she accepts it. It could be possible if the story stopped there, but this is a full-length book. My feeling when I read that Fatiha was dancing was that she was trying to forget her situation for a little, and unleash all of her worries for a moment: "Fatiha danced with a liveliness unleashed by her anxiety, her worry, her regrets; she danced to forget and for the moment felt free."
~ALimBookChomper
First of all, I believe the book might be Called "A Wife for My Son" because this is just an exerpt out of a full length book, so most of the book may be from the perspective of the son. Second, I do agree that Fatiha is just fighting the tradition, and rightfully so. I think that it is a rediculous tradition that should not be continued. Also, I would have to say that it wouldn't be that hard for the author to put himself into the shoes of a women that was forced into an arranged marriage. I mean, it is not a huge secret how someone would feel if they were forced to marry even though they didn't want to. I believe that the mother is just trying to do what is expected of her, and she is too scared to break the cycle of arranged marriage. Lastly, I agree completely on the last two comments you made about how the adults are already planning another arranged marriage and about how she doesn't dance because she accepts what happens, but rather because she is trying to forget what is happening for the moment.
ReplyDeleteI, personally, think the short story is called "A Wife for My Son" because Aicha, the dictatorial, beautiful mother, wanted to have a smart, efficient wife for her, probably, wealthy son, and of course, that wife is Fatiha. I agree with both Cole and Andrea, saying that the last sentence is showing that Fatiha is releasing her anxiety and enjoying the freedom she has. I think she is also trying to let go of the concept of this arranged marriage. I mean, after all, she is a efficient intelligent student and she does not want to stop that for a man she has no reference of. I think the mother understood and knew the feeling in this situation because of past experience. I think Houria was forced into an arranged marriage because of the way the author describes her connection to her daughter and this horrid concept. Just lastly, I think it is sort of funny how the parents of Fatiha in this short story vary widely from the parents of Raha in "The Assassination at River's Flow."
ReplyDelete<3 Marmar