Blog Entry 11

I have really enjoyed this class covering Arab American Literature. I took a class on the Arab World and a class in Arabic 1, so this class added to my knowledge of Arabs and Muslims. In January, prior to the start of course, I was hesitant to take this course because I knew it would involve reading lots of books. When I was younger, I used to read a lot more, but lost interest. When I saw the syllabus, I felt a little overwhelmed and when Dr. Esa brought all the books we would read to our first class, and stacked the books on the desk, I knew it would be a lot of reading. Thankfully, I kept up with the reading. I learned about Arab Writers and Arab culture. I looked forward to class and discussions. The discussions were thorough and helpful in teaching us how to analyze literature. I took a class, 'Intro to Literary Analysis' (in Spanish), so I had some background in analyzing texts. We read a lot of books and despite all the hard work, I feel accomplished. Thanks to Dr. Esa and this course, I have started to read again. The pleasure that was lost in reading has now returned. Looking back at my blogs, I am glad I was able to blog every week and consider material discussed in class and reflect. I plan to use my blog as reference for reminding myself everything we learned. I will say, however, if a student is not interested in reading or learning about other cultures, they should not take this class. I will recommend this to students who are interested in the world and improving analytical skills. I graduate this semester and am thankful for the classes I have had with Dr. Esa, and this class on Arab American Literature. Four years went by fast, but I am eager to use the skills I’ve acquired for future jobs.  

Blog Entry 10

I enjoyed Sam’s presentation most on “I, the Divine.” The book seems really interesting. I liked how Sam presented with confidence. Sam explained the book thoroughly and she spoke clearly. You can tell she read the book and she seemed like she really enjoyed the book. She spoke with enthusiasm. She provided an excellent analysis at the end. She did not read the slides verbatim. She had appropriate images to go with her presentation.  I found her character map to be useful. It had character relations in America and in Lebanon. Sam had thoughtful, intelligent discussion questions – she even explained and rephrased her discussion questions. The style of the book was most interesting to me because each chapter is written as a first chapter, the point of view from first, second and third person changes, the writing style from poetic to formal to causal changes, and the story is not told linearly. Sam had interesting quotes that went along with themes of the book. She explained her selected quotes in-depth. This presentation made me really want to read this book. It sounds exciting and I enjoyed learning about another book. She provided excellent background on the author of the book, Rabih Alameddine. Rabih was born to Lebanese parents and born in Kuwait. He moved to the United States to study in college. I thought it was unique that in addition to being a writer, Rabih is also an artist. He seems very talented to have great abilities in art and in writing. Sam definitely put a lot of time into preparing for her presentation. I was happy with how she presented it, and how clear she was with her summary and her analysis. Hopefully, when I get a chance, I will read this book. It is clearly a unique book that should be read.

Blog Entry 9

The title of Etaf Rum’s Novel, A Woman is No Man, represents female struggle in Arab Society. A woman does not have the power that a man has – the novel repeats the word ‘powerless.’ In the novel, the women are supposed to cook, clean, and watch the kids. Deya wanted to attend college, but Fareeda was not okay with that. Also, the novel touches on a lot on abuse, which we learn from Rum’s lecture that she herself was abused and her parents disowned her. The women in the novel were abused but did not have much of a voice. When Sarah left her family, she was disowned. From what I’ve learned, a man can divorce his wife; however, a woman cannot divorce her husband. In Arab society, Rum made clear that she really likes the hospitality in the Arab community, which is a nice part of Arab society. However, women do often get abused. Just because you don’t hear about it doesn’t mean it does not happen. Women have a voice but might not be heard. From my standpoint it is unacceptable, but I know it is part of the culture. On a similar note, I really liked how Rum opened up so much with our class. She shared a lot of information that you would never know by just looking at her. In addition, Rum explained how she was in an arranged marriage, just like the women in her novel. From what I understand, the woman does not get to choose, just as Adam was selected for Isra. Nevertheless, this novel and Rum’s talk, was eye-opening. I did not realize how common abuse is in Arab society and I did not realize how powerless some women feel. I am privileged as a white male, but am understanding and accepting of cultural differences.  

Blog Entry 8

I really enjoyed Randy’s presentation on Him Me Muhammad Ali by Randa Jarr. I felt Randy did a wonderful job explaining the book. He turned on the video screen so we could all see him, which was nice. He used quotes from the book in his presentation and included page numbers. I liked the book Map of Home and was glad to learn more about the author. I can see even better now that she is not afraid to speak her mind. She is explicit and does not seem to care what other’s think of her. I thought the timeline slide was fruitful and concrete. I also like the Tweet about Barabara Bush that Jarr made. She gained a lot of attention for this tweet. He did a great job explaining the themes (Identity, Religion, Sexuality). He provided two slides per each theme. He explained each theme thoroughly. Randy did a nice job completing his presentation in twenty minutes. I like how he remained in control, confident, and made sure we were all in the Kahoot with no problems. He asked good questions on his Kahoot. You can tell he really knows the book and provided great insight. I wish there were more pictures, but I am glad he included one of Muhammad Ali. Randy had everything set up in advance, which helps. He did not talk too quickly and was articulate. I wish his video on Vimeo would have worked, but he recovered and continued with his presentation. I learned a lot more about Jarr and her outspokenness. Hopefully, if I get the chance, I will read her book. Overall, I was happy with Randy’s presentation and was able to learn something from it. I look forward to hearing other presentations in the future from other classmates. Nice job! 

Blog Entry 7

A map of home is a coming-of-age novel about a girl, Nidali, who is born in Boston and throughout her childhood and adolescence, makes her way from Kuwait to Texas. She encounters arguments with her father, love and compassion, and explores her own sexuality. Nidali is very bright and her father advocates for a strong education and emphasizes the importance of Nidali attending school even if there is only one exam. Her father can be abusive and abrasive at times with Nidali, and her younger brother, Gamal. He does seem to care for his children, but also gets into arguments with his wife. As a result of the gulf war when Iraq invaded Kuwait, Nidali and her family move to Egypt. Nidali’s father is from Palestine and her mother is from Egypt. Her grandmother is Greek, so Nidali struggles with her own identity. She has friends in every place she and her family move, and has boyfriends, but when Nidali moves to Texas, she meets another boyfriend and loses her virginity. Nidali is a complex character who deals with heartbreak and struggle. In fact, her name means ‘struggle.’ While her family life is complicated, and her love life is confusing, Nidali finds out who she is. At the end of the story, she gets ready to leave for college in Boston. It is interesting that she is born in Boston (at the beginning of the story) and attends a college in Boston (at the end of the story). Young people might be able to relate to Nidali and her struggle as growing up is not always easy. This novel touches on issues that are controversial, and Randa Jarrs’s explicit language makes the novel even more impactful. Everyone can look and Nidali and find some commonality regarding growing up and getting through tough times.

Blog Entry 6

I read a story from The Inheritance of Exile entitled, “The Journey Home” about a woman named ‘Hanan.’ I enjoyed reading the story. I liked how John was not from Palestine and dated Hanan. They fought a lot, and things did not work out. However, early on in the story John was nice to Hanan and would rub her feet and take care of her. When Hanan had a son, it changed her life, but her life was not perfect. John could be abusive and even with Aliyah’s help, she struggled.  Hanan did not have a great relationship with her Mom. Hanan planned to visit her parents and bring Michael along despite knowing in advance that there might be conflict. Hanan took off and drove with Michael to her parents’ house, which is in South Philly. Hanan got along with her baba, but since there is tension with her mother, Hanan did not stay long. This was upsetting especially for her baba because he enjoyed the time they had together. One night, Hanan received a scary call. She learned that her Baba had a heart attack, but thankfully lived. I am glad the story ended this way, rather than a sad ending. I enjoyed this story because it shows that relationships are not always easy and living as the daughter of a Palestinian immigrant is tough. It shows real life and the truth in some ways. I really liked when Susan Darraj was able to join our class on Zoom and share her story and talk a little about her books. She seems so busy but finds time to write. When things slow down when classes end, I might look into some of her other books. Her book The Inheritance of Exile can hopefully help other children of immigrants get through more difficult times.

Blog Entry 5

The role of food in the novel, “Crescent,” is important because food brings people together. Sirine is the head chef at Naida’s café and spends a lot of her time in the kitchen. The novel mentions certain Arab dishes such as baklava and kanafeh, and there are even recipes at the end of the novel. The kitchen is important in the Arab world because that is where memories are made. Any time there is a meal, everyone gathers in the kitchen to visit and sit down to eat. Also, in the novel, Sirine mentions her family recipes and how much they mean to her. Food is a human connector because at the dinner table, everyone can share a laugh and visit and reminisce about the past. Nostalgia is an important theme in Arab-American literature.  Food is intimate because it draws people closer, especially when everyone is together.  Food is a metaphor for Sirine’s experience because it symbolizes her roots, her passion, and how she is able to connect with others. For example, she is able to get to know a lot of the students and professors at the University because they visit frequently, love her food, and they can chat. Sirine has also met Han at the café, and ended up having love for Han. Food is a common topic in the novel. It seems like every chapter practically relates the story to food. Sirine rarely misses work after nine years, and is always cooking. Food itself can have meaning because it is where memories are made.  Food can connect people through laughter, and it is an excuse to enjoy a nice meal, while everyone is together. Sirine feels it is important to bring what she knows from generations before to cook family recipes for other’s to enjoy, and to meet new people.