I dislike Fatiha's father. He seems far too old-fashioned, and is so confident that he is always right. When Madame Suissi tried to convince him not to have Fatiha get married, he repeated the same things over and over: "Marriage is more important," and "A woman's place is in the home." After a while, he began sounding like a child throwing a tantrum. I found it annoying, actually.
Even if Houria had opposed him in the decision to have Fatiha get married, if she had spoken her opinion, it's unlikely that it would have made any difference. Fatiha's father would have ignored her, or even possibly hit her. He seems like the type of person who won't accept others' ideas if they clash with his own. Also, he mentions "what was the use in winnning our independence if we're just going to copy everything the Europeans do?" (pg. 57) He seems like the typical Middle Eastern man, obsessed with anti-Westernism.
I don't understand how Houria suddenly managed to make Fatiha happy. (pg. 57) Just because she looked at her, doesn't mean she will suddenly liven up.
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ReplyDeleteAbout the deleted post: I wanted to edit my post a bit more after it was posted. Anyway, I have just a couple of points.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your opinion that "the typical Middle Eastern man" is obsessed with anti-Westernism. No, I am not denying that Fatiha's father dislikes the west, but it is a possibly very offensive stereotype against Middle Eastern people. However, I agree with you to some extent - the father was VERY annoying, and very proud - "he agreed so naturally with his own decisions, so self-confident because he based himself on respect for the family order established for centuries for the good of all." (p. 57). Basically what he says is "this is the way things have been, so this is the way things should be. That will never change - women will always stay in the home, and men will always be the ones who work," even though that vision is crumbling around the world.
I think that when Houria looks at Fatiha, it's really a "it's OK, things will be all right" sort of look. Also, Fatiha isn't amazingly happy after the look, just not completely in tears.
That's all.
I agree with you, Olivia. Fatiha's father is extremely stubborn, and acts as if he owns everyone in his family (which he probably does due to tradition) Also, I dont think that he cares about his daughter that much and only wants to marry her off quickly, while the mother still wants her daughter to be happy, as we know from reading the short story. I think this is true because the author never wrote about how the father felt sorry for Fatiha while the mother noticed how quiet and sad Fatiha acted oppsed to her usual happy and talkative self.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really find his rant annoying though. I just kinda got mad at Fatiha's father because he refused to accept any other opinion other than his.(Madam Sussui)
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Also, Houria made Fatiha happy by showing her daughter that she still loved her. Fatiha must have been feeling very alone because nobody understood or felt how she felt about marrying someone she didn't want to marry. It must have made her feel much better when her mother looked at her with so much tenderness that she knew that her mother cared for her, and it made her happy.
-Jessica W.
Personally, I think that the father would consider letting Fatiha go to school and get married later if a man, not a woman like Suissi, suggested that. This just shows how women in middle eastern countries are like robots, doing what they are told, and agreeing with men their whole life. Women, like all men, should be able to choose how to live their life; traditionally, or more modernly. When Suissi tried to talk to Fatiha's father, he was confident his choice was right, and didnt care that a woman opposed him, since women are considered weaker then men in the middle east. This is very sexist and unfair! What is even worse, is that Fatiha's mother didn't stand up for Fatiha, because she was used to being a 'good traditional woman' who agrees with their husbands, even if the husband's choice is life changing to another person, that doenst want to live their life in that way. (like arranged marriage)
ReplyDeletei dont think we can blame the father for being traditional, a lot of people are still just because they are afraid to change their life. And i also this was the point of the story, to show how much different people can be and how unfairly some girls are treated. At the same time it shows that no matter how bad things seem, there is a big chance you can find a brighter side to the situation.
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