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.