In Scott Sander's essay, On Looking at Women, the author provides explicit detail to what he tries to say. He talks about women not as just beautiful girls, but talks about their unique style, walk, and appearance. It all started with him as a teenage boy who was then introduced to the beauty of women, in their physical aspect. But Sanders said everything much more better and the way I view girls, in a intellectual and honest manner. He described them from being girls to women who expose themselves in a seducing manner. Now this essay contained many thins that are obscene, but he talks about what he felt and thought about when looking or thinking about girls. It's unbearable not to look when a rather charming young woman sits or walks past a guy. A guy will always look and have their own opinions about girls, but I could relate to Sanders in the way that I don't just see a girl's appearance, but rather I think to myself, " Well why is she wearing that?" Or " Is she a good girl?"
Now this is a problem that I have when writing my essay on cause and effect. I stop and think too much and then again, I don't know what to say and feel as though I already said the things, but I'm repeating myself. I also wish to do the same thing Sanders does when describing girls, but for me i chose to write a cause and effect paper on how girls are the main attractions in clubs and how men fall for them.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
insight on essay
Cause and effect essay in the Norton Reader is "The Clan of One-Breasted Women" by Terry Tempest Williams, this essay is personal and showing that due to the nuclear testing grounds in Nevada, Utah, where atomic bombs were “thrown” the women in Terry’s family along with other women children and men were affected by the testing. The testing affect was that these people in a couple of year had a from of cancer and later died. But cancer and later death was not the only form of cause and effect that was in this essay. Terry also spoke how due to the fact that she was a Mormon she was to respect authority, in this case the government, “obedience is reserved, and independent thinking is not” (359.) Terry was not able to question why the government was allowing the nuclear testing to keep testing, seeing the cases of cancer and deaths are in that area even though there is no specific link to the cancer and the atomic bombs. The affect was that the terry finally go tired of sitting back and finally stood up and questioned and went against authority. Terry gives a lot of description and she places you at that moment being able to see what she was seeing at that moment. She clearly is able to state what the two causes where and how they affected her as time went by.
Susan Allen Toth's : Classification Essay on "Going to the Movies"
Susan Allen Toth express her discontentment of the way men take relationship's by classifying different men which accompany her to the movies. Men who go with her to the movies are not worried to much about what she needs instead they all seem to looking out for themselves. The authors finalizes her essay "On Going to the Movies" by alluding that she is looking for a person who is also worried about what she feels and that values her opinion when she describes her experience "on going to the movies." One essential aspect that Toth classifies is the type of movies.
Toth goes to the movies by herself to see musicals. These musicals make her dream of what she could of been and also of what could be. The movies she watches have to end "happily". Toth ends this essay by saying "In the movies I go to by myself, the men and women always like each other. "(608) This is a very powerful statement to make because she implies that she is looking for a man that likes her and that she has been wasting her time with all the men she has had any relations with. She goes to the movies with various men who choose what they want to see instead of asking her opinion. This seems really odd because these men are basically just going by themselves. The seek her physical company but other than that she is just a stranger who happens to be sitting next them. There is no emotional connection. These men would obviously not want to watch a romantic movie with the author because that would imply something different to her.
This essay appears in The Norton Reader: Shorter Tenth Version
This essay appears in The Norton Reader: Shorter Tenth Version
Analyze, Analyze, Analyze
Scott Russell Sanders’ essay Looking At Women is an adequate representation of a cause and effect essay. He clearly illustrates the causes of looking at women. For example: he descriptively describes what women wear, how they walk, and the way their hair sways as the walk. He claims women dress up and get dolled up so that men may look at them. He uses personal anecdotes to describe why he looks at women. He illustrates how when he was smaller he noticed a women who “ as [his] mother would say, had just been poured into her pink shorts” (132). This caused the big, impacting effect that has been with him throughout his whole life. The reason I know that this special incident has effected him periodically is because he keeps bringing it up.
The most improtant thing he does is analyze at the end of his essay. This is one thing I struggle with when writing my cause-and-effect essay. I get stuck on stating the causes and effects that I forget to analyze and show the process and how it effected me. At the end of his essay you can almost see his thoughts while reading. You can see how he analyzes and thinks about his topic and what he wrote about. It seems as if he discovers something while writing his essay.
The most improtant thing he does is analyze at the end of his essay. This is one thing I struggle with when writing my cause-and-effect essay. I get stuck on stating the causes and effects that I forget to analyze and show the process and how it effected me. At the end of his essay you can almost see his thoughts while reading. You can see how he analyzes and thinks about his topic and what he wrote about. It seems as if he discovers something while writing his essay.
More Like Catton
In "Grant and Lee: A Study In Contrast" Bruce Catton begins by introducing us with both off the essays main topics. He states their similar goal which is to bring an end to the Civil War. The structure in which he writes this compare/contrast essay, is by giving us a solid background, their personalities and aspirations. This comparison helps me, the reader, understand both men separately before jumping to any conclusions of my own. He tries to set his point on how these men's ideals are different but still doesn't deny the fact that they're truly much alike.
Classify my man
In " Going T o The Movies", Susan Toth uses the style and structure of classification to convey its purpose by grabbing the attention of the audience. In order to get her point across she classifies the dates she went on as well as herself to prove that they are different and to show that each date can be classified. She first begins to classify her dates by who pays when they go to the movies. She begins with Aaron who is a "dutch treat" which means that she has to pay for herself. while the other dates she has are the same or pay for themselves.The pupose of her writing who pays for what is that she wants to show how even though she has gone on plenty dates they are not all the same. These men all fall in diffrent categories. Another way that she shows this is by showing us (the readers) the same date with different men and herself. the way that she is with them weather it be touching or not touching,buying snacks or not , or even paying for things.The reason i feel that this essay is so unique is because she shows classification by having the same dates at the same plays and just showing how different each date is.
Grant vs. Lee = Vegeta vs. Goku!
Comparing and contrasting is what Bruce Catton showed in his essay called "Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts". What did he do that showed comparison?He did a very good job in describing where they came from and how they were raised. He stated that "Lee was tidewater Virginia, and in his background were family, culture, and tradition....He embodied a way of life that had come down through the age of knighthood and the English country squire." Here Bruce tells us where Lee was born and how his surroundings were. He tells us that he was raised in an environment such that one would have in England with knights and it shows that Lee was probably rich in English culture. Comparing him to Grant, Catton tells us that "Grant, te son of a tanner on the Western Frontier, was everything Lee was not. He had come up the hard way and embodied nothing in particular except the eternal toughness and sinewy fiber of the men who grew up beyond the mountains." This explains to the reader that Grant was raised in the Western part of the United States. This also tells us that Grant was raised in the mountains and more in the wildlife. This helps the reader understand that Catton is trying to state that two different people that were raised completely different and born into different environment come together and become some of the most important historical figures in this great Conflict. Their leadership skills are different but yet they are both fighting to get what they want and have achieve so much. By reading this essay I thought of how to do my essay. I thought of a creative way to do it. I, for sure, wanted to compare two people. And in a way I thought of fighting by what Grant and Lee did. Therefore I chose to do two males that fight but were born in different environments and raised differently but then again brought together to fight for something they want. I chose Goku and Vegeta from DragonBall Z. I compare them by strength and perseverance. Bruce Catton helped me by deciding on what I wanted to compare and how. I decided to do it with a story mode. It was easier to do it this way. But re-reading Catton's essay it makes me want to change it a bit and talk more about what each character does and how they were raised a bit more.
Look at That Chassis
The author of, "Looking at Women", uses cause and effect to effectively explain to the readers why men look at women. So he tells us about the girl that his friend said had the nice "chassis" and then he explains to us how he began to understand why friend looked at women the way that he did. He went on throughout the explain what different things caused for him to examine the way men looked at women. He explain all these things but he ended just where he began; with the girl in the pink shorts. He used practical examples that all of his readers could relate to one way or another. He kept the readers attention by not drifting to deeply into any of his examples. He kept his essay interesting and didn't use to few or too many examples.
More Than Just Fighters
In the essay, "Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrast", by Bruce Catton the differences of the two men (Grant and Lee) went beyond more than just what they fought for. Although Catton describes these men along with their styles of reaching their goals he also portrays their ways of being from the beginning. This essay is very informative, but it accomplishes to describe and not in a dull manner. The essay begins with a brief introduction and soon switches off to describe each man individually. Catton begins in their line of duty and what they do and yet is still able to go as far back to take a glimpse at how these men were raised. The author writes in a way that the reader feels the emotion of the mens' beliefs and hardships.
The feeling of the reader is able to shift gradually but quickly from one emotion to a completely different one through Catton's gentle transitions. He wrote about Lee first and was able to shift from Lee to Grant so smoothly it was as if they were standing right in front of you and they are introducing themselves to you. The essay is personal. It is not just a general idea of the two men; you get two know the men as more than just fighters. Catton compares the men and then introduces them separately with enough detail to understand their ways of fighting which was stated in the first three paragraphs: he analyzed. Although Catton does analyze the way the two men differ it does not feel like there is a huge gap when transitioning from the personality of one men to the other. They way the descriptions are presented gradually transitions into describing the differences of another. The fact that Catton does not just list and analyzes is one way he keeps the readers attention, but he also separated the paragraphs enough to not scare the reader away. There are about two medium length paragraphs and the rest are pretty small. Although the other paragraphs are pretty short they keep the readers attention because there is small point being stated in one and it's breakdown of the point is spread amongst other following paragraphs.
Writing about historical figures in a captivating way can be difficult because there are so many facts. There is a solution to that and Catton was able to accomplish that. He filled the essay with many facts, but he also fit in the reasons. The facts are not just stated in a list; they are stated then followed by his descriptions: he analyzes. It gives the reader a captivated and secretly informs them about history in an entertaining way. Catton's writing is the opposite of that of a textbook. His essays are graciously informative and I actually learned something about these two men without being bored to sleep and ending up forgetting everything about the two once I put the essay away. It made me think about how I was raised and how some events and routines that have gone on in my life have effected the way I am as a person. It is almost as if this was a history lesson with a checklist about personality attached to it. At the end of the essay I saw these two men as more than just people who are remembered because of something big they did which was a result of their background as well as what they were fighting for.
The feeling of the reader is able to shift gradually but quickly from one emotion to a completely different one through Catton's gentle transitions. He wrote about Lee first and was able to shift from Lee to Grant so smoothly it was as if they were standing right in front of you and they are introducing themselves to you. The essay is personal. It is not just a general idea of the two men; you get two know the men as more than just fighters. Catton compares the men and then introduces them separately with enough detail to understand their ways of fighting which was stated in the first three paragraphs: he analyzed. Although Catton does analyze the way the two men differ it does not feel like there is a huge gap when transitioning from the personality of one men to the other. They way the descriptions are presented gradually transitions into describing the differences of another. The fact that Catton does not just list and analyzes is one way he keeps the readers attention, but he also separated the paragraphs enough to not scare the reader away. There are about two medium length paragraphs and the rest are pretty small. Although the other paragraphs are pretty short they keep the readers attention because there is small point being stated in one and it's breakdown of the point is spread amongst other following paragraphs.
Writing about historical figures in a captivating way can be difficult because there are so many facts. There is a solution to that and Catton was able to accomplish that. He filled the essay with many facts, but he also fit in the reasons. The facts are not just stated in a list; they are stated then followed by his descriptions: he analyzes. It gives the reader a captivated and secretly informs them about history in an entertaining way. Catton's writing is the opposite of that of a textbook. His essays are graciously informative and I actually learned something about these two men without being bored to sleep and ending up forgetting everything about the two once I put the essay away. It made me think about how I was raised and how some events and routines that have gone on in my life have effected the way I am as a person. It is almost as if this was a history lesson with a checklist about personality attached to it. At the end of the essay I saw these two men as more than just people who are remembered because of something big they did which was a result of their background as well as what they were fighting for.
Categories Leading to the Point
In "Going to the Movies" (p 606 in The Norton Reader)by Susan Allen Toth, Toth places her experiences in categories when describing her dates. By placing her dates and her experiences in categories, she proves to her audience that sometimes it's better to be alone than with bad company. Toth had more fun because she could eat and watch whatever she wanted to, rather than being forced compromise because the other person might not enjoy that type of movie.
Toth uses a set structure when describing her dates. She focuses on one and explains every detail about him, then moves on to the next, and so on. She explains how her dates make her feel by the things they do and don't do. Her structure is easy to see which makes her point hard to find because it's an easy essay to read. Since it's easy to read, we get the sense that something is being left out. It makes you want to look back and re-read the essay to find her point. The point is so obvious thats it makes it hard to find.
Toth focuses on things like habits her dates have while watching a movie, what they eat(if anything), where they park, and what kind of film they see. These are the categories that branch off from her main point. When she places her dates habits in each category, it leads us to the point she is trying to prove. She leaves her experience when going to the movies by herself, in the end, because she already established the "bad"dates so now she will end with the 'ideal" going to the movies experience. The point ,or thesis, is usually found in the beginning of an essay, but Toth decides to place it in the end. She has to place it in the end because after all that classifying, she has to come to a conclusion of what she is trying to prove.
Toth uses a set structure when describing her dates. She focuses on one and explains every detail about him, then moves on to the next, and so on. She explains how her dates make her feel by the things they do and don't do. Her structure is easy to see which makes her point hard to find because it's an easy essay to read. Since it's easy to read, we get the sense that something is being left out. It makes you want to look back and re-read the essay to find her point. The point is so obvious thats it makes it hard to find.
Toth focuses on things like habits her dates have while watching a movie, what they eat(if anything), where they park, and what kind of film they see. These are the categories that branch off from her main point. When she places her dates habits in each category, it leads us to the point she is trying to prove. She leaves her experience when going to the movies by herself, in the end, because she already established the "bad"dates so now she will end with the 'ideal" going to the movies experience. The point ,or thesis, is usually found in the beginning of an essay, but Toth decides to place it in the end. She has to place it in the end because after all that classifying, she has to come to a conclusion of what she is trying to prove.
Classification=Epiphany
My essay "Suitors" is supposed to be a classification essay. It is not as good as Susan Allen Toth's classification essay "Going to the movies", but I do manage to classify my point.
The purpose of using classification in an essay is to organize the material so that it can be easier to analyze and explain. As a writer, you use this categories to usually justify or explain your thesis. These categories are almost like examples/ proof. By the end of your essay in your conclusion paragraph, the writer realizes what he/she was trying to say all along but that is really deeply hidden in the thesis. In other words, the thesis says what you want to say, but it really reveals something else about the reader.
For example in "Going to the movies", Toth classifies the movie dates (types). She has four different cases when she goes to the movies. The first three she goes with different guys, and the last case she goes alone. She uses categories like economics (who pays), transportation, type of movie, body language, chemistry (i.e. touching), snacks, and post-movie experience. Throughout the essay, the reader get the sense of the different type of guys she's goes with and how she feels. In the last paragraph when she talks about going to the movies by herself, we find out what she really wants. While describing the type of movies she likes, which are movies that end happily, she writes "At the end of Daddy Long Legs I wait happily for the scene when Fred Clark, no longer angry, at last pours Thelma a convivial drink. The smile at each other, I smile at them, I feel they are smiling at me. In the movies I go to by myself, the men and women always like each other" (Peterson, Brereton, and Hartman 608). With this last sentence, the reader finds out the purpose of her categories. We figure out what she really wants, and that is nothing to what she is getting. To some extent she likes going to movies by herself, but she also wants the perfect partner to go with her.
In my essay, I really was inspired with what she wrote. I like coming to the conclusion with what you really want all by yourself (having that epiphany feeling). I wrote about some of the different types of suitors I have encountered. I think what I am really trying to get at is describing the perfect man, who I have not encountered.
Peterson, Linda H., John C. Brereton, and Joan E. Hartman. The Norton Reader. Shorter 10th ed. United States of America: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000. Print.
"Daddy Long Legs Trailer (1955) 2." www.viivi.net. Web. 9 Nov 2010..
The purpose of using classification in an essay is to organize the material so that it can be easier to analyze and explain. As a writer, you use this categories to usually justify or explain your thesis. These categories are almost like examples/ proof. By the end of your essay in your conclusion paragraph, the writer realizes what he/she was trying to say all along but that is really deeply hidden in the thesis. In other words, the thesis says what you want to say, but it really reveals something else about the reader.
For example in "Going to the movies", Toth classifies the movie dates (types). She has four different cases when she goes to the movies. The first three she goes with different guys, and the last case she goes alone. She uses categories like economics (who pays), transportation, type of movie, body language, chemistry (i.e. touching), snacks, and post-movie experience. Throughout the essay, the reader get the sense of the different type of guys she's goes with and how she feels. In the last paragraph when she talks about going to the movies by herself, we find out what she really wants. While describing the type of movies she likes, which are movies that end happily, she writes "At the end of Daddy Long Legs I wait happily for the scene when Fred Clark, no longer angry, at last pours Thelma a convivial drink. The smile at each other, I smile at them, I feel they are smiling at me. In the movies I go to by myself, the men and women always like each other" (Peterson, Brereton, and Hartman 608). With this last sentence, the reader finds out the purpose of her categories. We figure out what she really wants, and that is nothing to what she is getting. To some extent she likes going to movies by herself, but she also wants the perfect partner to go with her.
In my essay, I really was inspired with what she wrote. I like coming to the conclusion with what you really want all by yourself (having that epiphany feeling). I wrote about some of the different types of suitors I have encountered. I think what I am really trying to get at is describing the perfect man, who I have not encountered.
Peterson, Linda H., John C. Brereton, and Joan E. Hartman. The Norton Reader. Shorter 10th ed. United States of America: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000. Print.
"Daddy Long Legs Trailer (1955) 2." www.viivi.net. Web. 9 Nov 2010.
How can I "Compare" to that
The style and information that the essay "Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts"uses is unique. It doesn't abide by the rules. This essay is a lawbreaker because it does what it wants in the way it believes should be done. It's approach is distinct from ordinary Compare and Contrasts essays. Compare and Contrasts essays usually follow one of two formats. Format one is when you compare the two topic in the same paragraph, keeping in mind of what you are comparing them for. So, essentially you have multiple paragraphs with the two "items" in each one. Format two is when you compare two topic in separate paragraphs. Usually, there are an even number of paragraphs for each topic. Using a different style/approach of this type of essay, Bruce Catton is able to gets its purpose across and unlike the ordinary Compare/ Contrast essay, this essay uses different amounts of paragraphs on each topic.
Unlike my compare/ contrast essay, this one has a point. It's purpose is to compare two historic figures that changed the course of the United States of America. They had a major affect on our nation and their actions can be a factor that shaped it today. Catton chose to compare these two to analyze how they were raised and how it affected their views and actions on things.
Unlike my compare/ contrast essay, this one has a point. It's purpose is to compare two historic figures that changed the course of the United States of America. They had a major affect on our nation and their actions can be a factor that shaped it today. Catton chose to compare these two to analyze how they were raised and how it affected their views and actions on things.
Compared to a Dark child
The essay I have chosen to pursue once again is the comparison essay. I have abandoned my old idea and have decided to write about being a dark child. I shall compare the reality and actuality of being a dark child to the perceptions and fabrications of what a dark child really is. It uses comparison because first it will define what the term dark child actually means. Then it will be taking my personal experiences as a dark child and breaking them down into why I might have had these personal experiences in the first place. Secondly it will taking what people think a dark child is and not only stating it but advancing forward to where it shows why these non-dark children would think like this in the first place. It will mostly in the beginning be defining what a dark child is because there is more to a dark child than the color of his skin and not many people know that which is an assumption of the non-dark child. I intend to possibly use some lines from a poem called "Knock Knock" by Daniel Beaty. The poem should be displayed below.His words somewhat convey the essence of a dark child.
"Going To The Movies" - My analysis
The AP book says that the purpose of writing a classification essay is that through categorizing your topics to form a central thesis, we're are supposed to learn something we didn't expect to get out of the essay through an analysis. We're supposed to define our categories and what they mean to us and analyze to explain something to ourself.
In the classification essay, "Going To The Movies," the author, Susan Allen Toth, wrote about her experiences of going to the movies with different dates and compared them back to her own experience of going to the movies by her self. She analyzes throughout the essay and gets her point across, through classifying, that she wants a movie like type of date where they both like each other and care about each other deeply. Throughout her experiences, she always finds something wrong about her dates but she doesn't say it directly, she lets us figure it out through analyzing the experiences she classifies. She makes it clear that with all of her experiences she is always pleasing the date instead of herself and them pleasing her. Through her classifying each of her dates, she lets the reader know what kind of date experience she is looking for. All of her dates didn't care about her and they just worried about what they wanted and not so much of what she wanted.
I believe Toth used classification to explain what she wants through categorizing each of her dates to better explain to us that she wants better than what she has already had, but more so she wants someone to care about her and what she wants for once, similar to the experience she has with herself while fantasizing at the chick flick movies she watches. She wants an experience like the one's in love movies.
This relates to the way I wrote my classification essay because I just mocked her style of classifying, but in my essay I classified cars. I did so by breaking my essay into four parts: my car right now, the truck I want, and the little car I should get. Within each of the paragraphs I did as Toth did by explaing the qualities and experiences of being with the cars, just as she did with her dates. I explained three components within each paragraph: the feeling I get when I'm driving it, the expenses that it would cost me, and the opinions of me and my parents on the car I should get.
What my paper is lacking is the analysis, and this is so because after reading Toth's essay she left the analyzing for the reader and just wrote her classification, so I did the same. When I revise my essay, I'll be sure to explain why I'm classifying these cars and explain that the type of vehicle I have has a lot to do with my style, and I'll do so in my conclusion paragraph where I'd be analyzing.
In the classification essay, "Going To The Movies," the author, Susan Allen Toth, wrote about her experiences of going to the movies with different dates and compared them back to her own experience of going to the movies by her self. She analyzes throughout the essay and gets her point across, through classifying, that she wants a movie like type of date where they both like each other and care about each other deeply. Throughout her experiences, she always finds something wrong about her dates but she doesn't say it directly, she lets us figure it out through analyzing the experiences she classifies. She makes it clear that with all of her experiences she is always pleasing the date instead of herself and them pleasing her. Through her classifying each of her dates, she lets the reader know what kind of date experience she is looking for. All of her dates didn't care about her and they just worried about what they wanted and not so much of what she wanted.
I believe Toth used classification to explain what she wants through categorizing each of her dates to better explain to us that she wants better than what she has already had, but more so she wants someone to care about her and what she wants for once, similar to the experience she has with herself while fantasizing at the chick flick movies she watches. She wants an experience like the one's in love movies.
This relates to the way I wrote my classification essay because I just mocked her style of classifying, but in my essay I classified cars. I did so by breaking my essay into four parts: my car right now, the truck I want, and the little car I should get. Within each of the paragraphs I did as Toth did by explaing the qualities and experiences of being with the cars, just as she did with her dates. I explained three components within each paragraph: the feeling I get when I'm driving it, the expenses that it would cost me, and the opinions of me and my parents on the car I should get.
What my paper is lacking is the analysis, and this is so because after reading Toth's essay she left the analyzing for the reader and just wrote her classification, so I did the same. When I revise my essay, I'll be sure to explain why I'm classifying these cars and explain that the type of vehicle I have has a lot to do with my style, and I'll do so in my conclusion paragraph where I'd be analyzing.
Clubbing Causes Happiness
I chose to redo my cause and effect paper all over again, even though it has a lot of errors and I can improve the way I word it. What I want to talk about is how clubs can provide happiness to people. Many elements fall into this, but the main reason are the girls and the music. If it weren't for girls, clubs would be boring. I mean guys wouldn't go to clubs to go see other guys, but what makes a good clubbing experience is having a girl dance with you and have music in the background. If music wasn't available then meeting a girl would be impossible and one lost their chance to meet a good companion.Girls, with their dresses and steady dance movements just catch my eye. Its not like I don't see girls everyday, but girls in the club are typically more crazier, but also good dancers. Clubs help men and women come together to enjoy a nice evening while listening to music and dancing to a favorite song with a beautiful woman. not that they are provocative, but they just display their best features, everything from how they use their make up, their hair, their choice of dress or tight jeans and their heels. A woman's appearance is what defines who she is that night and if the music is right she is the prey from gazing eyes. It's a wonderful moment when a guy asks a girl out to dance and just have a good time, listening to the songs that determine the way they move or spin. I especially like to take out girls, not only for their good looks, but I know that if the right song is being played I can show off my skills and get to know her even more. If I'm interested in one woman, I try to convince her to dance. and if I'm permitted, I know she won't regret the dance or me.
The Essay Like Mine
So I wrote a cause and effect essay, and because everyone helped me edit it up, I'm revising it. I was given a cause and effect essay to tell me how I should write mine, and it was called "Looking At Women." It was a long and arduous read, partly because I found it hard to understand, but in the end, I was helped along to comprehension by the discussion my classmates held. The essayist is very descriptive with his thoughts, which I am not used to because it leads to a lot of words that I have to read while he pins down his thought. He asks a very good question, which is why do men look at women, and how should men look at women? His first point is that men are hardwired to look at women. That is the way we are, and the greatest men of the age have been just men. He uses examples, both personal, when he explains his thoughts on Playboy models, and political, when he mentions Jimmy Carter, to show his point, which is that everyone feels lust. He concludes the section by explaining that he bears the responsibility of what he does with his desires. His next section deals with the female part of things: why do women make themselves desirable? They get dolled up, wear tight and/or revealing clothing, compete for title of prettiest in a certain area. His argument for this one is that regardless of what the woman is wearing, the desire of a prettied-up woman is this: to be seen as art. Men should look at women the same way we look at Picasso or Dali. His third point is that it is simply wrong to look at women like they are simply objects of desire. It makes women easier to handle for the man looking, and that's why it happens. However, it's wrong for women to turn themselves into objects, and it's wrong for men to look at them like they are objects. He concludes with his personal idea: that there is desire in his genes and women all around him, and his responsibility is to look at women the way they deserve to be looked at.
Works Cited:
Sanders, Scott Russel. "Looking At Women." The Norton Reader: an anthology
of expository prose. 'Comp'. Linda H. Peterson et. al. New York: W.W.
Norton & Company, Inc., 2000. Print.
Works Cited:
Sanders, Scott Russel. "Looking At Women." The Norton Reader: an anthology
of expository prose. 'Comp'. Linda H. Peterson et. al. New York: W.W.
Norton & Company, Inc., 2000. Print.
A useful comparison of Grant and Lee
Bruce Catton does a great job of using compare and contrast wisely to get his point across in his essay, "Grant and Lee: A study in Contrasts". He clearly describes who each character was and what he stood for. Then, at the end he goes on to analyze the importance comparing these two important figures.
In order to understand how he uses compare and contrast to get his point across, we first have understand what his point is. He compares Grant and Lee to show how two very different men were able to come together - in a room- and decide the future of America. They each had their strong opinions of what they each stood for, and what they each wanted was at two opposite ends of the spectrum. Yet with all these differences, they were able to unite America back again. His message is that having to different opinions doesn't have to be a bad thing. When trying to decide the future of our country these two men surely had some conflicts but because they were different, they were able to analyze the two different options and chose the best one.
Even thought he leaves the analysis at the end, at the beginning he does mention his purpose for comparing and contrasting. This helps with getting his point across because, as we read his comparative essay, we have his argument on the back of our minds.
He also gets his point across by painting an image of each character. He describes where each of them grew up and what affected their way of thinking. Catton does this in an organized fashion. He first describes to us Lee's background and opinion and then he moves on to Grant.
Overall, he has clear image of what he is trying to get across and he is able to transmit this clearness on to us.
In order to understand how he uses compare and contrast to get his point across, we first have understand what his point is. He compares Grant and Lee to show how two very different men were able to come together - in a room- and decide the future of America. They each had their strong opinions of what they each stood for, and what they each wanted was at two opposite ends of the spectrum. Yet with all these differences, they were able to unite America back again. His message is that having to different opinions doesn't have to be a bad thing. When trying to decide the future of our country these two men surely had some conflicts but because they were different, they were able to analyze the two different options and chose the best one.
Even thought he leaves the analysis at the end, at the beginning he does mention his purpose for comparing and contrasting. This helps with getting his point across because, as we read his comparative essay, we have his argument on the back of our minds.
He also gets his point across by painting an image of each character. He describes where each of them grew up and what affected their way of thinking. Catton does this in an organized fashion. He first describes to us Lee's background and opinion and then he moves on to Grant.
Overall, he has clear image of what he is trying to get across and he is able to transmit this clearness on to us.
Catton: The Writing Rebel
Bruce Catton is a writing rebel. When he writes his essay he doesn't follow the typical a,b,c order that is "the right way to do it", where Topic A has sample 1 and 2, and where Topic B is followed by sample 1 and 2... and so on.
Catton follows a structure of his own. It is very different yet very organized and easy to follow. For example he doesn't state his thesis until the third paragraph and he divides each paragraph to specifically talk about each person (Grant and Lee). Since he is talking about historical figures he begins by talking about what was happening at the time to set the reader in place and give them some brief knowledge about what was happening.
The body of the essay mostly talks about each historical figure in their own way. Each paragraph talks about their backgrounds, their views towards the war, and what they represented. It isn't until the last paragraphs where Catton actually begins to compare and contrast and analyze both of the generals side by side.
In this essay, Catton is arguing that both of these generals have very distinct backgrounds. Both were raised with different lifestyles, yet, they grew up to have the same mission. They were both brought in history and ended up doing something greater for the country which was to bring peace and end the war.
Catton uses this technique in order to show how two very different characters or what ever is to be compared can be similar and come to a common conclusion.
Catton follows a structure of his own. It is very different yet very organized and easy to follow. For example he doesn't state his thesis until the third paragraph and he divides each paragraph to specifically talk about each person (Grant and Lee). Since he is talking about historical figures he begins by talking about what was happening at the time to set the reader in place and give them some brief knowledge about what was happening.
The body of the essay mostly talks about each historical figure in their own way. Each paragraph talks about their backgrounds, their views towards the war, and what they represented. It isn't until the last paragraphs where Catton actually begins to compare and contrast and analyze both of the generals side by side.
In this essay, Catton is arguing that both of these generals have very distinct backgrounds. Both were raised with different lifestyles, yet, they grew up to have the same mission. They were both brought in history and ended up doing something greater for the country which was to bring peace and end the war.
Catton uses this technique in order to show how two very different characters or what ever is to be compared can be similar and come to a common conclusion.
On "Looking at Women"
How does Scott Russell Sanders use cause and effect analysis to get his perspective across in "Looking at Women"? That's an interesting question, you see, because I don't know. To answer this question you first have to ask, "What is Sanders' purpose/perspective?". Well, Sanders is, in a sense, trying to answer the question of, "How should men look at women?". The problem for readers is that his essay doesn't answer the question with a clear and direct answer, which is okay for such an open ended question. Sanders instead describes how men look at women then answers why they look at women. He also describes what women think of men looking at them and how it further effects their actions. The causes and effects that he provides illustrate the problem that men looking at women are causing women to feel like objects or pieces of meat; makes them what to become like pieces of art or toys for men to play with. Showing the effects of looking at women answers the question of, "How should men look at women?". The rest is up o the readers discretion. If they believe the effects are wrong then they will find the answer to be that men should not look at women the way that they do so now.
Classifying to elighten
Anyone can classify or categorize; people do so in their daily routines at school or the workplace. Categorizing with style, though, is something only a few can do. Susan Allen Toth's "Going to the Movies" is a perfect example of this. She classifies the different elements that make up going on a movie date- the type of guy, type of movie, and the interaction between themselves- and uses 3 different dates to represent different categories of movie dates.
Toth doesn't only point out the positives attributes that these 3guys have, she also discusses their downsides. With the exception of Aaron, who doesn't appear to have any good date qualities, Toth points out what these guys do during the date, avoiding bias. A perfect example is Bob, "Inside the theater Bob will hold my hand when I get scared if I ask him. He puts my hand firmly on his knee and covers it completely with his own hand. His knee never twitches"(Toth Paragraph 5). At this point, many readers would think that she would simply keep listing all the positive things that Bob has, but in the next paragraph she addresses how Bob refused to stay for one more drink after a movie because "relationships tend to move too quickly".
Toth does the same thing with the other guys, listing their characteristics and what sets them apart from each other. For example, while Bob likes to watch more documentary-style movies about war, poverty, and other social problems, Sam likes to watch entertaining movies. Again, Toth starts to describe several things about Sam that make him interesting, but then she plays the cards down as explains how he has another girlfriend Duluth. Toth is trying to say that there is no perfect match, up to this point.
In her last paragraph, Toth describes how she sometimes goes to the movies on her own and watches romantic films. Instead of categorizing what she does at the movies, she categorizes what the characters do in the romantic movies- "They smile at each other, I smile at them, I feel they are smiling at me." Toth puts herself in the female character's role in the movies, wishing that it was her living the dream. Toth is trying to convey how a perfect date is only seen in movie films, not in real life.
Toth categorizes all the 3 guys to somehow represent three different kinds of men in America. By explaining what each men does, Toth shows the reader how men do both good and bad things, in the dates. This way, categorizing the actions does the job of telling the whole story instead of her having to explain how she doesn't like the guy. Since, to Toth, there is a right way to do things (most likely what people do in the romantic films she watches on her own), Toth is showing how most guys don't do enough to make her completely happy.
Toth doesn't only point out the positives attributes that these 3guys have, she also discusses their downsides. With the exception of Aaron, who doesn't appear to have any good date qualities, Toth points out what these guys do during the date, avoiding bias. A perfect example is Bob, "Inside the theater Bob will hold my hand when I get scared if I ask him. He puts my hand firmly on his knee and covers it completely with his own hand. His knee never twitches"(Toth Paragraph 5). At this point, many readers would think that she would simply keep listing all the positive things that Bob has, but in the next paragraph she addresses how Bob refused to stay for one more drink after a movie because "relationships tend to move too quickly".
Toth does the same thing with the other guys, listing their characteristics and what sets them apart from each other. For example, while Bob likes to watch more documentary-style movies about war, poverty, and other social problems, Sam likes to watch entertaining movies. Again, Toth starts to describe several things about Sam that make him interesting, but then she plays the cards down as explains how he has another girlfriend Duluth. Toth is trying to say that there is no perfect match, up to this point.
In her last paragraph, Toth describes how she sometimes goes to the movies on her own and watches romantic films. Instead of categorizing what she does at the movies, she categorizes what the characters do in the romantic movies- "They smile at each other, I smile at them, I feel they are smiling at me." Toth puts herself in the female character's role in the movies, wishing that it was her living the dream. Toth is trying to convey how a perfect date is only seen in movie films, not in real life.
Toth categorizes all the 3 guys to somehow represent three different kinds of men in America. By explaining what each men does, Toth shows the reader how men do both good and bad things, in the dates. This way, categorizing the actions does the job of telling the whole story instead of her having to explain how she doesn't like the guy. Since, to Toth, there is a right way to do things (most likely what people do in the romantic films she watches on her own), Toth is showing how most guys don't do enough to make her completely happy.
Objection, please.
Reading Looking At Women by Scott Sanders is a deep analytical, Cause And Effect essay about how men look at woman or as the author puts it, " How should a man look at women?". The author gets his points across points across by giving us examples of women in culture. He uses franchise names such as Playboy, Miss America pageant, Greek Goddesses, famous erotic novelists, paintings and so on. Each example gives us a better view at the points he's making. Let's take for example the Greek Goddesses. Sanders writes that women arouse the interest of men in the way they dress. He gives the example of a goddess lolling around in her long white, chiton gown. It's man-like, he justifies for men to notice the beauty because she's just there for everyone to see. This is how much of the essay is formulated. Question, answer and explanation. The most important part of this essay is the question itself, “How should men look at women?”. He goes by answering this question by getting into his male persona, and others. Yes, all men ogle at woman for one reason and another but it's not always to make them feel uncomfortable though for most of human history, it can't be said the same. Women were built differently, shaped to be beautiful that any man would want to take back home. Even the most novel of men who are not “lusting” have thoughts of looking at women. It's all genetics he resolves to at the end.
Overall, the concept of men looking at women is a topic many will have different positions on. Sanders gives his own perspective and reasoning behind this. He also gives a minor perspective how women feel when thousands of men look at them. They become an object not a person. It can almost relate to slavery. Men objectify women and it might be on purpose but anatomy does not allow men to not notice.
The Norton reader: an anthology of nonfiction prose
Linda H.Peterson - John C.Brereton - Joan Hartman - W.W. Norton - 2000
How to compare
The comparison essay is the one that has proven to be the hardest for me because of the analysis that distinguishes it from a regular classification essay. The example provided was an essay written by Bruce Catton that compares to of the greatest American historic figures, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee tittled "Grant and Lee: A study in Contrasts". In this essay, Catton compares the men by analyzing the the ideals they represent. Catton makes Grant and Lee the incarnation of the North and the South during the Civil War.
Catton describes each man's characteristics independently of each other but in a way that clearly shows how polar these two standpoints are though the men themselves exemplify similar characteristics such as their ability to fight, to think, and to virtue. Catton doesn't just categorize the two men as individuals and then analyze. When you look closer at the essay you see that there is analysis all through out the essay that may have been overlooked because of the subtlety of it.
In his introduction, Catton clearly states the subject of his comparison, though he doesn't really explain his purpose for comparison. The fourth paragraph, which reads "Back of Robert E. Lee was a notion that the old aristocratic concept might somehow survive and be dominant in American life" (213), summarizes Lee's identity in such a way that the ensuing paragraphs are meant to support it. Catton does this so that when he introduces Grant, he may describe him as "everything Lee was not" (213). Of course Catton is referring to Grant and Lee as symbols for the comparison and as people for the similarities.
This was something that I tried to imitate when began comparing George St-Pierre but failed in doing so because of the lack of analysis until the very end, by which point my comparison essay had become a classification essay.
Catton describes each man's characteristics independently of each other but in a way that clearly shows how polar these two standpoints are though the men themselves exemplify similar characteristics such as their ability to fight, to think, and to virtue. Catton doesn't just categorize the two men as individuals and then analyze. When you look closer at the essay you see that there is analysis all through out the essay that may have been overlooked because of the subtlety of it.
In his introduction, Catton clearly states the subject of his comparison, though he doesn't really explain his purpose for comparison. The fourth paragraph, which reads "Back of Robert E. Lee was a notion that the old aristocratic concept might somehow survive and be dominant in American life" (213), summarizes Lee's identity in such a way that the ensuing paragraphs are meant to support it. Catton does this so that when he introduces Grant, he may describe him as "everything Lee was not" (213). Of course Catton is referring to Grant and Lee as symbols for the comparison and as people for the similarities.
This was something that I tried to imitate when began comparing George St-Pierre but failed in doing so because of the lack of analysis until the very end, by which point my comparison essay had become a classification essay.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Bruce Catton: Compare & Contrast
The writing in Bruce Catton's Grant & Lee: A Study In Contrast is a compare and contrast essay that explains the differences between the two civil war generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. Because if Catton's extensive history of the civil war he has a very good overview of these two generals. He shows his knowledge over these two generals by comparing them with each other. Catton does more then just compare the two generals he also uses historical facts about the war to back up his knowledge, he also gets into the meanings behind the facts by comparing and contrasting. He analyzes the facts of the war to go into great depth behind the generals.
To really help you understand how compare/contrast work and how you can really get into the heart of the subject, this website will really help you: Compare/Contrast. Compare and contrast I feel is on of the types of writing that can really get deep into the analysis of your subject. One because iit gets you distinguishing between all that you are comparing and it also makes you show the details in which makes the things you are comparing different or the same. Compare and contrast essay's are hard to write because there is the chance you can go into repetition, but if you know alot about what your writing like Bruce Catton then you can really do a good job at it.
To really help you understand how compare/contrast work and how you can really get into the heart of the subject, this website will really help you: Compare/Contrast. Compare and contrast I feel is on of the types of writing that can really get deep into the analysis of your subject. One because iit gets you distinguishing between all that you are comparing and it also makes you show the details in which makes the things you are comparing different or the same. Compare and contrast essay's are hard to write because there is the chance you can go into repetition, but if you know alot about what your writing like Bruce Catton then you can really do a good job at it.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
looking up to the father
The father figure is a very important quality that is in many cultures. Fathers are looked up by their sons. In Palace walk the father figure is greatly used through out the book as Ahmad's journey is told through this book. The one part of the book that really caught my attention to this father figure theme was when Yasin saw his father at the store and Ahmad was smiling and having fun. Yasin was shocked seeing his father who he knew as a very controlling man. Mafouz uses pathos to bring out that emotion a son has for father and how he looks up to him.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Pathetic Kamal
One of my favorite parts of the book is when Kamal walks to his father’s shop to demand that his father bring his mother, Amina, back. This scene is one of my favorites because it has so much emotion. You feel like a child again because you are placed in Kamal’s head as he approaches his father’s shop. This scene has so much pathos that it reminds me of when I was younger. I would get scared at night and want to walk to my parent’s room across the house. It would take me about 10 minutes lying there in bed staring and the dark ceiling to finally convince myself to sit up. It would be about 30 minutes when I finally reached half way down the hall that I started to rethink my decision. I would contemplate on everything that my parents would say. I would start to walk back when 5 seconds later I had run into the room and was tapping my mother’s shoulder telling her I was scared and if she could come sleep with me.
Kamal’s experience made me have a flashback and think of that one specific time. I could feel Kamal’s hands shake and sweat. I could feel his heart beat and possibly skip a beat. I could anticipate his fear to be rejected and turned down. I could feel the certain chill run through my back and up my neck and that jolt of strength that caused his reaction. This is an excellent scene full of pathos and such detail.
Mahfouz did a great job of interpreting a child’s mind and feelings. He even used simpler word choice to get you in the child mood. He also describes the feelings and emotions the child has very well. “The moment his father’s eyes turned away, the boy revived. Afraid the man would leave and the opportunity be lost, without pausing to consider what he was doing Kamal shouted. ‘Bring back Mama, God help you.’ Then he sped away as fast as the wind” (215).
Kamal’s experience made me have a flashback and think of that one specific time. I could feel Kamal’s hands shake and sweat. I could feel his heart beat and possibly skip a beat. I could anticipate his fear to be rejected and turned down. I could feel the certain chill run through my back and up my neck and that jolt of strength that caused his reaction. This is an excellent scene full of pathos and such detail.
Mahfouz did a great job of interpreting a child’s mind and feelings. He even used simpler word choice to get you in the child mood. He also describes the feelings and emotions the child has very well. “The moment his father’s eyes turned away, the boy revived. Afraid the man would leave and the opportunity be lost, without pausing to consider what he was doing Kamal shouted. ‘Bring back Mama, God help you.’ Then he sped away as fast as the wind” (215).
Mahfouz exemplifies to his audience the way Amina feels towards her men in the family. The very structure of the way he states "This moment was one of the happiest of the mothers days", it shows that she has a good soul and that just to see her men walk out proud into the streets gives her the utmost joy. excellent example of ethos as well.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Ahmad and Children
Naguib Mahfouz shows the audience how much care Ahmad has for his children when on page 12 he writes " making no distinction between the eldest and the youngest". This small paragraph stood out to me because it gives the audience a perspective of how Ahmad views his children. This section prepares the audience for the one meal when the males all eat together: breakfast. The reading gives a warning to what is about to occur in the book. It gives us, the audience, a sense of what level of importance Ahmad gives to his children.
Susan, this is the blog that I previously had technical difficulties with it. I sent it to you through chinquapin mail on September 14.
Susan, this is the blog that I previously had technical difficulties with it. I sent it to you through chinquapin mail on September 14.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The fall of a curtain...
Yasins' life was changed from this moment,
Sitting next to her was her father, not someone else. When he saw him, his heart pounded harder. His father had removed his cloak and rolled up his sleeves. He was shaking the tambourine and gazing at the performer with a face brimming joy with joy and happiness. The door was open only so long as Zanuba was in the room, one or two minutes, but during that time he witnessed an amazing sight: a secret life, a long story with many ramifications. He awoke like a person emerging a long dream, deep sleep to the convulsions of a violent earthquake. (P. 249)
This part of the paragraph is extremely powerful where Mahfouz conveys the importance of having Yasin see his fathers' other life. Yasin has never seen his father drinking, singing, playing instruments, or even being relaxed in anyway. Yasin's heart pounds hard when he sees that his father is sitting next to a woman and not only that he is the complete stranger to him. Mahfouz not only lets Yasin in on Ahmad secret it seems that he is letting the reader have a look over Yasin's shoulder. Mahfouz uses the methapor of the earthquake to show this revelation to Yasin, "He awoke like a person from a long dream, deep sleep to the convulsions of a violent earthquake (249)" A dormant earthquake erupts without mercy when the time comes and nothing in the world can ever be hidden forever. Yasin was amazed at the sight he saw of the father he never really knew. So many things ran through Yasin's mind and he probably wanted to know about this made who smiled with such happiness.
Sitting next to her was her father, not someone else. When he saw him, his heart pounded harder. His father had removed his cloak and rolled up his sleeves. He was shaking the tambourine and gazing at the performer with a face brimming joy with joy and happiness. The door was open only so long as Zanuba was in the room, one or two minutes, but during that time he witnessed an amazing sight: a secret life, a long story with many ramifications. He awoke like a person emerging a long dream, deep sleep to the convulsions of a violent earthquake. (P. 249)
This part of the paragraph is extremely powerful where Mahfouz conveys the importance of having Yasin see his fathers' other life. Yasin has never seen his father drinking, singing, playing instruments, or even being relaxed in anyway. Yasin's heart pounds hard when he sees that his father is sitting next to a woman and not only that he is the complete stranger to him. Mahfouz not only lets Yasin in on Ahmad secret it seems that he is letting the reader have a look over Yasin's shoulder. Mahfouz uses the methapor of the earthquake to show this revelation to Yasin, "He awoke like a person from a long dream, deep sleep to the convulsions of a violent earthquake (249)" A dormant earthquake erupts without mercy when the time comes and nothing in the world can ever be hidden forever. Yasin was amazed at the sight he saw of the father he never really knew. So many things ran through Yasin's mind and he probably wanted to know about this made who smiled with such happiness.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Al-Sayyid Ahmad Holds His Own
"It was based most of all on his innate desire to continue to be loved and enjoy a fine reputation." On page 223 in the last two paragraphs of the page, Naguib Mahfouz displays the books moral theme: reputation and order. In this section of the book, the children were getting close friends of the family to convince Ahmad to bring back Amina. While doing so he believes that his neighbor, Umm Maryam, tries to hit on him. Though he fights temptation, he doesn't give in but instead chooses his fine reputation to uphold.
Throughout the book, Ahmad's reputation and order/place within his community and household, comes up frequently with precise illustrations displayed in order to get the theme across like on page 223. "Umm Maryam represented nothing more to him than a delicious kind of food, which threatened his digestion, he could easily turn down in favor of some of the other tasty but wholesome dishes that covered the table." This example of illustration is exact in portraying the them of reputation and order. Ahmad referring to Maryam as a food that would "threaten his digestion," meant that she would threaten his reputation, and he'd rather not go for that "dish."
Throughout the book, Ahmad's reputation and order/place within his community and household, comes up frequently with precise illustrations displayed in order to get the theme across like on page 223. "Umm Maryam represented nothing more to him than a delicious kind of food, which threatened his digestion, he could easily turn down in favor of some of the other tasty but wholesome dishes that covered the table." This example of illustration is exact in portraying the them of reputation and order. Ahmad referring to Maryam as a food that would "threaten his digestion," meant that she would threaten his reputation, and he'd rather not go for that "dish."
In the Dark
"He awoke like a person emerging from a long, deep sleep to the convulsions of a violent earthquake. In those two minutes he saw a whole life summed up by one image, like a brief scene in a dream that brings together diverse events that would take years in the real world.He saw his father the way he truly was- his father, not some other man, but not as he was accustomed to seeing him." (Pg. 249)
Naguib Mahfouz uses illustration effectively by presenting us with the unusual joyous character of Yasins' father. The secrecy behind his father's affair brings about the bigger issue in this book of oppression in a culture. The struggle to express ideas within a family is rejected by the presence of the father. Though its not seen in this way by the culture, we see it by knowing the characters thoughts. Fear and courage play a big part in whether this ever changes. This passage represents this by finally seeing the father for who he was, but the point is that he did it behind an ungrateful act.
Naguib Mahfouz uses illustration effectively by presenting us with the unusual joyous character of Yasins' father. The secrecy behind his father's affair brings about the bigger issue in this book of oppression in a culture. The struggle to express ideas within a family is rejected by the presence of the father. Though its not seen in this way by the culture, we see it by knowing the characters thoughts. Fear and courage play a big part in whether this ever changes. This passage represents this by finally seeing the father for who he was, but the point is that he did it behind an ungrateful act.
Kamal's Hatred
"He greeted Khadija and Kamal and sat down-as Kamal put it later-as though he were one of them. The boy seized the opportunity presented by the bridegroom's conversation with the others to scrutinize his face for a long time. It was a stranger's face that had suddenly appeared in their lives, where it occupied a prominent position that entitled the man to be one of their closest relatives-in fact, Aisha's husband. Whenever Kamal thought of this new relationship, he remembered the loss of Aisha, just as surely as the thought of white brings to mind the color black"(291). Mahfouz talks about description in this passage by the way he brings forth the character in our minds. We get the sense that Kamal doesn't like Khalil because of the way Kamal described him. Kamal doesn't like that Khalil feels like he is one of them and the author emphasizes this point by giving us Kamal's description of him. The author also uses color at the end of this passage to convey how Kamal doesn't enjoy the change of Aisha's marriage has brought to the family. Kamal misses aisha and blames Khalil for her departure. I can really imagine the face Kamal has when he is thinking about Aisha's leaving because of the way the author uses his words correctly. He uses words like "scrutinize" to let us know that Kamal doesn't approve of Khalil. The author could have used "notices" or "pays attention to", but instead he uses "scrutinize". It gives us a mental picture of how Kamal is reacting to the situation.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Khadija's Good Nature
Khadija’s latent good nature came to the surface like a green plant emerging from a seed hidden beneath the mud once sweet water has been provided. She did not suspect the motives of this interest in her the way she had previously. She knew this was genuine and directed at her unquestionable skill. It constituted a general admission of her importance and significance. Although happiness was not hers to enjoy, it would not be fully realized until she contributed to it. She set about this new project with a heart totally cleansed of her hostile emotions. (p. 239)
This selection stood out to me because I sometimes do this. I relate to how Khadija is willing to help even though she is mad and upset with this event. I sometimes tell myself I won’t help with some things but I end up doing it because it is something I love: helping people. We see the logic, Khadija uses because she knows that she is the only that can actually help her sister and without her support her sister would be devastated. In this selection we read a lot of things that can’t be seen. We see skills, emotions, and ideas. The author start this with a simile which helps the reader see how much her willingness to help was hidden and how much it had to go through in order to come out. But in the end it appeared.
This selection stood out to me because I sometimes do this. I relate to how Khadija is willing to help even though she is mad and upset with this event. I sometimes tell myself I won’t help with some things but I end up doing it because it is something I love: helping people. We see the logic, Khadija uses because she knows that she is the only that can actually help her sister and without her support her sister would be devastated. In this selection we read a lot of things that can’t be seen. We see skills, emotions, and ideas. The author start this with a simile which helps the reader see how much her willingness to help was hidden and how much it had to go through in order to come out. But in the end it appeared.
Khadija's Good Nature
Khadija’s latent good nature came to the surface like a green plant emerging from a seed hidden beneath the mud once sweet water has been provided. She did not suspect the motives of this interest in her the way she had previously. She knew this was genuine and directed at her unquestionable skill. It constituted a general admission of her importance and significance. Although happiness was not hers to enjoy, it would not be fully realized until she contributed to it. She set about this new project with a heart totally cleansed of her hostile emotions. (p. 239)
This selection stood out to me because I sometimes do this. I relate to how Khadija is willing to help even though she is mad and upset with this event. I sometimes tell myself I won’t help with some things but I end up doing it because it is something I love: helping people. We see the logic, Khadija uses because she knows that she is the only that can actually help her sister and without her support her sister would be devastated. In this selection we read a lot of things that can’t be seen. We see skills, emotions, and ideas. The author start this with a simile which helps the reader see how much her willingness to help was hidden and how much it had to go through in order to come out. But in the end it appeared.
This selection stood out to me because I sometimes do this. I relate to how Khadija is willing to help even though she is mad and upset with this event. I sometimes tell myself I won’t help with some things but I end up doing it because it is something I love: helping people. We see the logic, Khadija uses because she knows that she is the only that can actually help her sister and without her support her sister would be devastated. In this selection we read a lot of things that can’t be seen. We see skills, emotions, and ideas. The author start this with a simile which helps the reader see how much her willingness to help was hidden and how much it had to go through in order to come out. But in the end it appeared.
A Father's True Thoughts
"He felt a boundless confidence and pride in this answer but later had acknowledged that his treatment actually had changed, although he had tried to keep anyone from detecting his hidden intention to change" (Mahfouz 285). We feel a sense of regret and compassion coming from Ahmad in this chapter. Mahfouz puts this paragraph here, after the arguement between him and his son, Yasim, because he wants us to slightly see the parternal side in Ahmad.
The way Mahfouz has dialog from only Ahmad in this chapter allows you to get into Ahmad's head and truly understand how he feels. Ahmad mentions that he reacted upon anger; trying to justify his actions. Ahmad's attitude and deffensive tone allows the reader to comprehend that Ahmad does love his children and that he didn't want to hurt Yasim. Mahfouz illustrates Ahmad's affection by having him look back at his past. He is recreating the emotions and moments that Ahmad went through. It shows that Ahmad has a passionate side and feelings.
The way Mahfouz has dialog from only Ahmad in this chapter allows you to get into Ahmad's head and truly understand how he feels. Ahmad mentions that he reacted upon anger; trying to justify his actions. Ahmad's attitude and deffensive tone allows the reader to comprehend that Ahmad does love his children and that he didn't want to hurt Yasim. Mahfouz illustrates Ahmad's affection by having him look back at his past. He is recreating the emotions and moments that Ahmad went through. It shows that Ahmad has a passionate side and feelings.
Fahmy's Love
"The moment a thought occurred to him, a memory stirred, someone mentioned her name, or anything similar happened, his heart would throb with pain and exude one grief after another. It was like a decayed tooth with an inflamed gum. For a time the toothache may die down until the tooth presses against a morsel of food or touches a solid object. Then the pain erupts. Thus Fahmy's love would beat against his ribs from inside as though craving a breath of air, shouting at the top of his lungs that it was still a prisoner. No amount of consolation or forgetfulness had set it free" (Mahfouz 258).
This passage of the book is about the pain and love Fahmy feels when he sees Maryam walk in through the door at Aisha' s weeding. What really stands out to me is how Mahfouz is able to describe the pain that Fahmy feels in a way that makes us feel it too. He does this in one way by using analogies.
He uses the analogy of his pain to a toothache. If we have ever had a toothache we know that it can be a painful process that, if we don't do anything about it, it will not go away on its own. The pain Fahmy feels is just like this because, even if at times the pain seems to disappear, the least reminder of her brings all the heart-throbbing memories back. Another analogy used is of how his love is like a prisoner. His love is begging to come out and let itself be seen but his father and the culture he lives in does not allow him. If he were to express his love, it would be frowned upon and Fahmy is too afraid to take that chance. Just like his love is yearning to come out, most prisoners can only think about one thing; their freedom.
This has the effect of actually making us imagine and, to certain extent, feel what Fahmy feels. I personally like how Mahfouz presents the characters in a way that makes it so easy for us to relate. It reminds me of A Hope in the Unseen. Ron Suskind also did a great job in making the characters jump of the page. I think this is a great style of writing because it makes us imagine what is happening and it makes the reading much more interesting. The rhetoric stance used in this passage is pathos because reading it makes us feel empathy for Fahmy love and pain. It makes us feel that Fahmy is a real person with emotions just like ours.
This passage of the book is about the pain and love Fahmy feels when he sees Maryam walk in through the door at Aisha' s weeding. What really stands out to me is how Mahfouz is able to describe the pain that Fahmy feels in a way that makes us feel it too. He does this in one way by using analogies.
He uses the analogy of his pain to a toothache. If we have ever had a toothache we know that it can be a painful process that, if we don't do anything about it, it will not go away on its own. The pain Fahmy feels is just like this because, even if at times the pain seems to disappear, the least reminder of her brings all the heart-throbbing memories back. Another analogy used is of how his love is like a prisoner. His love is begging to come out and let itself be seen but his father and the culture he lives in does not allow him. If he were to express his love, it would be frowned upon and Fahmy is too afraid to take that chance. Just like his love is yearning to come out, most prisoners can only think about one thing; their freedom.
This has the effect of actually making us imagine and, to certain extent, feel what Fahmy feels. I personally like how Mahfouz presents the characters in a way that makes it so easy for us to relate. It reminds me of A Hope in the Unseen. Ron Suskind also did a great job in making the characters jump of the page. I think this is a great style of writing because it makes us imagine what is happening and it makes the reading much more interesting. The rhetoric stance used in this passage is pathos because reading it makes us feel empathy for Fahmy love and pain. It makes us feel that Fahmy is a real person with emotions just like ours.
Khadija's Hatred
Her anger for everyone in general was nothing compared with the feelings of jealousy and resentment against Aisha that she had packed into her breast. She hated her happiness. Most of all she hated Aisha's attempt to hide her happiness. She hated her beauty, which to Khadija's eyes appeared to be an instrument of torture and oppression. In much the same way, a man stalking prey finds the glistening full moon oppressive. She hated life too. It held nothing for her but despair. The progression of days only added to her sorrows as the presents of the bridegroom were brought to the house along with little tokens of his affection. While the house was filled with an atmosphere of unadulterated delight and happineses, she found herself in a forlorn isolation that was as fertile a breeding ground for sorrows as a stagnant pond is for insects. p 238
This passage uses pathos to effectively describe Khadija's hatred for the beauty of Aisha. Throughout the book you get a glance at how much Khadija disliked Aisha for her beauty but now it you get to fully understand how strong this hatred is. The author uses word choice to best describe how much Khadija hates Aisha. Words such as resentment, torture, oppression, and hated clearly show a picture of what goes through Khadija's mind. These words infect Khadija's mind with complete anger.
Descriptive detail is another element the author uses to get this hatred across to the readers. Khadija describes Aisha's beauty as "an instument of torture and oppression" (238) just as the same way "a man stalking a prey finds the glistening full moon oppressive." (238) With this one sentence you get can picture the intense brightness of the moon shining above a man as he tries to sneak through thick grass to kill his prey. But because the moon is oppressive, the prey is able to get away after seeing the man.
This passage uses pathos to effectively describe Khadija's hatred for the beauty of Aisha. Throughout the book you get a glance at how much Khadija disliked Aisha for her beauty but now it you get to fully understand how strong this hatred is. The author uses word choice to best describe how much Khadija hates Aisha. Words such as resentment, torture, oppression, and hated clearly show a picture of what goes through Khadija's mind. These words infect Khadija's mind with complete anger.
Descriptive detail is another element the author uses to get this hatred across to the readers. Khadija describes Aisha's beauty as "an instument of torture and oppression" (238) just as the same way "a man stalking a prey finds the glistening full moon oppressive." (238) With this one sentence you get can picture the intense brightness of the moon shining above a man as he tries to sneak through thick grass to kill his prey. But because the moon is oppressive, the prey is able to get away after seeing the man.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Not Another Speech
"As beautiful as the moon, by the Messenger of God! You're really your father's daughter. Anyone seeing those eyes would immediately remember this...I see you're all wondering how this woman knows al-Sayyid Ahmad...I knew him before his wife herself did. He was a neighbor and childhood playmate. Our fathers were friends. Do you think a performer doesn't have a father? My father was head of Qur'anic primary school and a blessed man. What do you think about that, you beauty?" (265)
This passage indicates how the performer Jalila is affected to be in the same building as her previous lover: al-Sayyid Agmad. The reader can almost see the performer Jalila just having a hard time trying to compose herself among the other women in the reception but she's drunk! I see the make-up on her smearing because she had been crying before, the bush of hair that's yet to be tamed, the empty bottle thrown at the side of the stage and the sole realization: he's here but what can I do?
A wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion where the bride bids farewell to her family to join her husband and the life that comes with being with him. Jalila,however is not happy and needs to release all the emotions she's feeling by picking on Amina whie she's drunk. Naguib Mahfouz does a great job by using pathos, emotions of the lovely performer to convey lost hopes of love, marriage. By reading the above excerpt
you get a sense she's envious of Amina because she's not as beautiful, virtous as Amina who is by standard a good wife and woman. So now we can kind of see the comparison that's going on. Amina is beautiful as the Moon, what about Jalila? Amina is patient, what about Jalila? Amina is a wife,Jalila is a performer. Amina is dependent on Ahamd, Jalila is independent. Despite these things the two women do share something: their fathers. Both women had fathers were teachers dedicated to the Koran.
Maybe though, Jalila is recalling memories when she was happy and it just happen Ahmad was in them and she's distraught that he left her for Zaynuba(another performer) Overall, Mahfouz uses pathos to convey one woman's sadness, anger that life didn't go as planned for her.
This passage indicates how the performer Jalila is affected to be in the same building as her previous lover: al-Sayyid Agmad. The reader can almost see the performer Jalila just having a hard time trying to compose herself among the other women in the reception but she's drunk! I see the make-up on her smearing because she had been crying before, the bush of hair that's yet to be tamed, the empty bottle thrown at the side of the stage and the sole realization: he's here but what can I do?
A wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion where the bride bids farewell to her family to join her husband and the life that comes with being with him. Jalila,however is not happy and needs to release all the emotions she's feeling by picking on Amina whie she's drunk. Naguib Mahfouz does a great job by using pathos, emotions of the lovely performer to convey lost hopes of love, marriage. By reading the above excerpt
you get a sense she's envious of Amina because she's not as beautiful, virtous as Amina who is by standard a good wife and woman. So now we can kind of see the comparison that's going on. Amina is beautiful as the Moon, what about Jalila? Amina is patient, what about Jalila? Amina is a wife,Jalila is a performer. Amina is dependent on Ahamd, Jalila is independent. Despite these things the two women do share something: their fathers. Both women had fathers were teachers dedicated to the Koran.
Maybe though, Jalila is recalling memories when she was happy and it just happen Ahmad was in them and she's distraught that he left her for Zaynuba(another performer) Overall, Mahfouz uses pathos to convey one woman's sadness, anger that life didn't go as planned for her.
Friday, September 24, 2010
"This moment was one of the happiest of the mother's day. All the same, her anxiety that her men might be harmed by the evil eye knew no limits. She continued reciting reciting the Qur'anic verse " And from the mischief of the envious person in his envy" (113:5) until they were out of sight."
This passage to me is a perfect example of ethos. The way that Amina prays for her men as they leave the house shows how she is established, showing her caring, nurturing, and loving ways.
This passage to me is a perfect example of ethos. The way that Amina prays for her men as they leave the house shows how she is established, showing her caring, nurturing, and loving ways.
Reunited and It Feels So Good?
She lowered her eyes to hide her overwhelming joy. She could not conceal the emotions rocking her soul. Her face seemed an extremely accurate mirror, registering everything that was inside her, no matter how small. She wanted so much to receive the happy news with a composure befitting her maternal role, but she was transported by joy. The features of her face laughingly expressed her childish delight. At the same time she felt ashamed, although she did not know why. She remained motionless for so long that Kamal's patience was exhausted. He pulled her by the hand, putting his entire weight into it until she yielded and rose. She stood for a little while in a strange confusion. Before she realized what she was doing the turned and asked, "Should I go, Mother?" p. 232
This passage is the climax to Amina's exile and it is affective because of the rhetoric stance the author takes: pathos. The passage effectively portrays both the excitement she got from a reunion with her beloved children and the shame she feels for herself. With descriptive word choice and illustrative detail the author is able to effectively lure the reader into the book as though the reader was actually Amina.
Through descriptive word choice, the reader is able to empathize with Amina because there has been a moment where we felt so happy that our inner child came out. Amina is decribed as being so happy that she couldn't conceal her inner child while trying to "receive the happy news with a composure befitting her maternal role." (232) Words such as "childish delight", "overwhelming joy", and laughingly protray the excitement she received from the news her children brought. After she is overjoyed from that moment of pardoning she quickly is blanketed with feelings of embarrassment and shamefulness. These feelings were so powerful that she "remained motionless" to the point where Kamal began to get impatient. Words such as "strange confusion", and ashamed illustrate how ashamed she was for being exiled. She then questions herself of being worthy to be by Ahmad's side by questioning her mother if she should go back.
Amina's inner child and shamefulness is described effectively with descriptive sentences. After reading the descriptive first half of the paragraph, the reader is able to imagine the feeling Amina was overcome by. The reader is able to picture Amina trying to hide a smile that occupies most of her face but then gives in to her inner child by jumping up and down. Then, suddenly this picture is flipped inside out with a feeling of shame by the illustrative second half of the paragraph. The reader then imagines Amina wide-eyed and stiff after realizing the shame she brought on herself for being exiled.
This passage is the climax to Amina's exile and it is affective because of the rhetoric stance the author takes: pathos. The passage effectively portrays both the excitement she got from a reunion with her beloved children and the shame she feels for herself. With descriptive word choice and illustrative detail the author is able to effectively lure the reader into the book as though the reader was actually Amina.
Through descriptive word choice, the reader is able to empathize with Amina because there has been a moment where we felt so happy that our inner child came out. Amina is decribed as being so happy that she couldn't conceal her inner child while trying to "receive the happy news with a composure befitting her maternal role." (232) Words such as "childish delight", "overwhelming joy", and laughingly protray the excitement she received from the news her children brought. After she is overjoyed from that moment of pardoning she quickly is blanketed with feelings of embarrassment and shamefulness. These feelings were so powerful that she "remained motionless" to the point where Kamal began to get impatient. Words such as "strange confusion", and ashamed illustrate how ashamed she was for being exiled. She then questions herself of being worthy to be by Ahmad's side by questioning her mother if she should go back.
Amina's inner child and shamefulness is described effectively with descriptive sentences. After reading the descriptive first half of the paragraph, the reader is able to imagine the feeling Amina was overcome by. The reader is able to picture Amina trying to hide a smile that occupies most of her face but then gives in to her inner child by jumping up and down. Then, suddenly this picture is flipped inside out with a feeling of shame by the illustrative second half of the paragraph. The reader then imagines Amina wide-eyed and stiff after realizing the shame she brought on herself for being exiled.
To Catch Yasin, You Must Think Like Yasin. Feel Like Yasin
People, my post is of a sexual nature. Viewer discretion is advised. It's not my fault his sproink-a-doink-doink parts are very descriptive.
"He sighed with relief and victory, confident now that he would pluck this fruit he had patiently pursued. Lust surged inside him, the way a ravenously hungry man's mouth waters when his nose smells meat being broiled for him." (Pg. 244)
This is incredibly descriptive. He really wants us to understand this almost overpowering lust Yasin is feeling.Going through the laundry list, we see tactile used a lot, along with olfactory. We see the emotions he feels, along with the reactions these emotions elicit. His stance appeals to pathos. He really gets the emotions nailed down for you to feel. Great descriptions in this passage.
Again, sorry for the sexual nature of this post. I just put my finger down on a passage. Blame the Fates.
"He sighed with relief and victory, confident now that he would pluck this fruit he had patiently pursued. Lust surged inside him, the way a ravenously hungry man's mouth waters when his nose smells meat being broiled for him." (Pg. 244)
This is incredibly descriptive. He really wants us to understand this almost overpowering lust Yasin is feeling.Going through the laundry list, we see tactile used a lot, along with olfactory. We see the emotions he feels, along with the reactions these emotions elicit. His stance appeals to pathos. He really gets the emotions nailed down for you to feel. Great descriptions in this passage.
Again, sorry for the sexual nature of this post. I just put my finger down on a passage. Blame the Fates.
Dangerous Desire
"With his mouth hanging open, he advanced gently and cautiously. He was oblivious to everything except the mountain of flesh spread at his feet. To his greedy eyes this body appeared to be preparing itself to receive him. He hesitated before her legs. Then, almost unconscious of what he was doing, little by little he leaned down over her, driven by urgent internal and external stimuli. Before he knew it, he was sprawled out on top of her. He had perhaps not intended to go this far all at once. Perhaps he had not intended to indulge in some of the foreplay that ought to precede the final violent motions, but terror, and a resounding scream escaped, before his hand could stifle it. The pervasive silence was shattered and his brain was dealt a blow that brought him back to his senses. He put his hand over her mouth as he whispered anxiously and fearfully in her ear, "It's me. Yasin. It's Yasin, Umm Hanafi. Don't be afraid""(277-278).
Mahfouz reveals the outrageous behavior of one of Ahmad's children. He uses up to about a page and a half to describe the various actions of one child that lead up to the one action of desire. Yasin was craving the body of another woman but settled for what was already being offered to him at home. Yasin knew the consequences of everything he was doing but wasn't listening to anything besides that strong desire that told him to do what he would in order to quench the thirst of his lustful desire. Mahfouz uses ethos through description as done through this entire chapter or any other chapter to present the uncontrollable yet disciplined desires of the men in this culture. Yasin really presents the reader with a scene that will give a sense of how much a woman's body isn't something revealed every where and every day as it is now, and how there are many regulations to live by. Talk about temptation. It only made sense -logos- that when there is a body laid there for you, when your body and mind are craving lust, you will jump to devour what is basically handed to you. Mahfouz really sets the scene to present the thoughts and actions of Yasin as he analyzes everything although he is very drunk. Although Yasin is drunk, he finds it in himself to not take chances of getting caught and not quenching his desire and stay at home to quench it with the body that was " preparing itself to receive him"(277).
Mahfouz reveals the outrageous behavior of one of Ahmad's children. He uses up to about a page and a half to describe the various actions of one child that lead up to the one action of desire. Yasin was craving the body of another woman but settled for what was already being offered to him at home. Yasin knew the consequences of everything he was doing but wasn't listening to anything besides that strong desire that told him to do what he would in order to quench the thirst of his lustful desire. Mahfouz uses ethos through description as done through this entire chapter or any other chapter to present the uncontrollable yet disciplined desires of the men in this culture. Yasin really presents the reader with a scene that will give a sense of how much a woman's body isn't something revealed every where and every day as it is now, and how there are many regulations to live by. Talk about temptation. It only made sense -logos- that when there is a body laid there for you, when your body and mind are craving lust, you will jump to devour what is basically handed to you. Mahfouz really sets the scene to present the thoughts and actions of Yasin as he analyzes everything although he is very drunk. Although Yasin is drunk, he finds it in himself to not take chances of getting caught and not quenching his desire and stay at home to quench it with the body that was " preparing itself to receive him"(277).
Beauty
" It's beauty that's made me so bored I'm sick. It's like a new word that dazzles you the first time. Then you keep repeating it and using it until it's no different for you than words like 'dog,' 'worm,' 'lesson,' and other commonplace expressions. It loses its novelty and appeal. You may even forget its meaning, so that it becomes strange, meaningless word you can't use." (pg. 337)
Newly wed husband clearly has doubts and doesn't believe in love. This passage reminds me of pathos, since it holds lots of description and a nice metaphor, it contributes to the reader's emotions in an odd manner. Mahfouz uses beauty as if it were something boring and uninteresting in the minds of men. This passage shows how something so intoxicating can also bring about boredom and displeasure. It's hard to believe that Yasin would say something like this, since he " inherited" his father's lustful and " midnight amusement" qualities. But it's in my mind, as well as in most, that beauty is just among the first qualities a guy sees in a woman and is enticed by its pleasant and magnificent power to extract the emotions and thoughts of men. Beauty plays a vital role in this novel as we see with Aisha, Khadija, Al-Sayyid Ahamd and Yasin, but also it poisons them. Its wonderful that Mahfouz was capable of playing with his words and causing beauty to play with the emotions of men. In doing so, Mahfouz captivates the reader into thinking that beauty is marvelous and causes a great deal of controversy upon the novel's characters and the readers. Yet, does "beauty" ever get boring and unappealing? According to Yasin and Mahfouz's metaphor he simply states it as if it were a new word. I love that combination. Learning a new word provides a pleasing effect, yet once repeated it also brings about irritation. Think of it as if it were a repeated song over the radio station, getting played multiple times within every tuned-in station. But it's difficult to understand that a married man can find his wife unattractive. It creates a feeling of pity and doubt about how a woman can endure a man that finds her uninteresting. That can be a good reason why Yasin married her. He was so dazed about her "beauty" that that word stuck to his mind and that's the only characteristic that he truly found in her upon marriage. A woman would like to get recognized by other things, but since he was at a stage of lustful and disgusting manners, he only got caught up with what was put in front of his eyes and he fell in love with the appearance of his wife, not for who she was. As a reader, one is blinded by rage and curiosity as to why Yasin is the way he is. Of course he only states it trying no to sound cruel, but it seems that living with a wife and not be able to go out and do mischief when he was single is what leads Yasin to take that course and announce his message to Fahmy.
The passage chooses a metaphorical stance and provides some description, followed by emotions. The metaphor had an impacting effect when announcing that " beauty" was unappealing and that it was a word. But not just any word. A word that only characterizes Zaynab and to which shows that words have a great effect on people. Words convey messages, but here beauty has more emphasis to the things that distract men and to how men see women. They are seen as tools, but beautiful tools, to be fair. Even words like this can provide a certain way of talking, especially in this novel. Using the word beauty provides a good effect on men's wife, but when used to say it to another woman, is very illegal. Basically, this passage shows what Yasin feels and how Fahmy rejects the idea of having a woman be talked of as if she were just a breath of air.
Newly wed husband clearly has doubts and doesn't believe in love. This passage reminds me of pathos, since it holds lots of description and a nice metaphor, it contributes to the reader's emotions in an odd manner. Mahfouz uses beauty as if it were something boring and uninteresting in the minds of men. This passage shows how something so intoxicating can also bring about boredom and displeasure. It's hard to believe that Yasin would say something like this, since he " inherited" his father's lustful and " midnight amusement" qualities. But it's in my mind, as well as in most, that beauty is just among the first qualities a guy sees in a woman and is enticed by its pleasant and magnificent power to extract the emotions and thoughts of men. Beauty plays a vital role in this novel as we see with Aisha, Khadija, Al-Sayyid Ahamd and Yasin, but also it poisons them. Its wonderful that Mahfouz was capable of playing with his words and causing beauty to play with the emotions of men. In doing so, Mahfouz captivates the reader into thinking that beauty is marvelous and causes a great deal of controversy upon the novel's characters and the readers. Yet, does "beauty" ever get boring and unappealing? According to Yasin and Mahfouz's metaphor he simply states it as if it were a new word. I love that combination. Learning a new word provides a pleasing effect, yet once repeated it also brings about irritation. Think of it as if it were a repeated song over the radio station, getting played multiple times within every tuned-in station. But it's difficult to understand that a married man can find his wife unattractive. It creates a feeling of pity and doubt about how a woman can endure a man that finds her uninteresting. That can be a good reason why Yasin married her. He was so dazed about her "beauty" that that word stuck to his mind and that's the only characteristic that he truly found in her upon marriage. A woman would like to get recognized by other things, but since he was at a stage of lustful and disgusting manners, he only got caught up with what was put in front of his eyes and he fell in love with the appearance of his wife, not for who she was. As a reader, one is blinded by rage and curiosity as to why Yasin is the way he is. Of course he only states it trying no to sound cruel, but it seems that living with a wife and not be able to go out and do mischief when he was single is what leads Yasin to take that course and announce his message to Fahmy.
The passage chooses a metaphorical stance and provides some description, followed by emotions. The metaphor had an impacting effect when announcing that " beauty" was unappealing and that it was a word. But not just any word. A word that only characterizes Zaynab and to which shows that words have a great effect on people. Words convey messages, but here beauty has more emphasis to the things that distract men and to how men see women. They are seen as tools, but beautiful tools, to be fair. Even words like this can provide a certain way of talking, especially in this novel. Using the word beauty provides a good effect on men's wife, but when used to say it to another woman, is very illegal. Basically, this passage shows what Yasin feels and how Fahmy rejects the idea of having a woman be talked of as if she were just a breath of air.
Ahmad's Struggles
Pg. 229- Ahmad struggles with a number of hardships, that we see as unnecessary: His dual-identity, ejection of his wife, womanizerness, and most importantly his detachment from his family. When his children are infants and still in their early stages of childhood, he shows his love for them freely, and he is limitless with pampering them. As soon as they grow up, however, they are cursed with a life of strictness and fear of their father. What is clear is that Ahmad wishes he could show his children some affection. His sternness and control over everyone doesn't seem natural. Digging even deeper within his character, there is an Ahmad that wants to show his love. "He had a sensitive heart, more sensitive than most people would have suspected. In fact, it was too sensitive" (229).
I Caught You Red-Handed
"Trembling with rage, al-Sayyid Ahmad began to examine Yasin's face grimly and silently, dragging out the silence. Without taking his pitiless eys off Yasin, he pointed with his han to the door, ordering him inside. Although at that moment disappearing would have been dearer to yasin than even life itself, he was paralyzed by fear and confusion. The father was outraged, and his scowl showed he was about to explode.... He rebuked him loudly,'Go upstairs you criminal...'"- Page 279
In this passage, Mahfouz uses pathos rethoric to illustrate both Ahmad's strong reply to Yasin's madness for trying to rape the house servant and Yasin's reaction to a horribe nightmare.
Mahfouz's most used method in this section is body movement. From "trembling" to "paralyzed", Mahfouz does a wonderful job in using body movement in his writing to set up the tone and mood of the scene. He shows Ahmad's anger simply by the way he stares at Yasin's. Yasin, on the other hand, shows fear through silence. That is something I found very peculiar in this scence- There is a lot of silence going on. In fact, there are only two shorts sentences of dialog. Mahfouz does this because he wants to emphasize the importance of silence in this scene. Not only does it contribute to the gloomy mood, but it shows the huge respect and fear that Yasin has for his father's mere presence.
Looking at the entire chapter, Yasin committed a deadly mistake. Obviously. But that's not the whole point of the passage. Mahfouz wants to convey to the readers how body language solely does the trick in a Muslim patriarchy. What does it signify? Fear. Respect. Authority. Power.
Afterwards, Ahmad can't hold back his tounge and uses very, very strong langauge. Calling your son a "criminal" isn't something a father does often. Mafhouz wants to show how Ahmad takes into account that Yasin defiles the family name. He probably wouldn't care less if Yasin wasn't his son, but since he is has a big problem in his hands. As soon as the word gets out, Ahmad is going to be looked upon. This is a big influence in his tantrum.
I also found it a bit ironic. Ahmad does this all the time, except it isn't rape. A clear sign of hypocrisy.
In this passage, Mahfouz uses pathos rethoric to illustrate both Ahmad's strong reply to Yasin's madness for trying to rape the house servant and Yasin's reaction to a horribe nightmare.
Mahfouz's most used method in this section is body movement. From "trembling" to "paralyzed", Mahfouz does a wonderful job in using body movement in his writing to set up the tone and mood of the scene. He shows Ahmad's anger simply by the way he stares at Yasin's. Yasin, on the other hand, shows fear through silence. That is something I found very peculiar in this scence- There is a lot of silence going on. In fact, there are only two shorts sentences of dialog. Mahfouz does this because he wants to emphasize the importance of silence in this scene. Not only does it contribute to the gloomy mood, but it shows the huge respect and fear that Yasin has for his father's mere presence.
Looking at the entire chapter, Yasin committed a deadly mistake. Obviously. But that's not the whole point of the passage. Mahfouz wants to convey to the readers how body language solely does the trick in a Muslim patriarchy. What does it signify? Fear. Respect. Authority. Power.
Afterwards, Ahmad can't hold back his tounge and uses very, very strong langauge. Calling your son a "criminal" isn't something a father does often. Mafhouz wants to show how Ahmad takes into account that Yasin defiles the family name. He probably wouldn't care less if Yasin wasn't his son, but since he is has a big problem in his hands. As soon as the word gets out, Ahmad is going to be looked upon. This is a big influence in his tantrum.
I also found it a bit ironic. Ahmad does this all the time, except it isn't rape. A clear sign of hypocrisy.
Ugly Beauty
"Her anger for everyone in general was nothing compared with the feelings of jealousy and resentment against Aisha that she had packed into her breast. She hated her happiness. Most of all she hated Aisha's attempt to hide her happiness. She hated her beauty, which to Khadija's eyes appeared to be an instrument of torture and oppression. In much the same way, a man stalking prey finds the glistening full moon oppressive. She hated life too." (Page 238)
In this passage, Mahfouz really describes Khadija's anger towards her sister. His word choice really shows how Khadija is feeling. For example, he uses a lot of strong words to show her strong feelings. Mahfouz uses the words anger, jealousy, resentment, and hate to show how this is really affecting her life.
This passage shows the overall feeling of the book because it shows how the culture really shapes the purpose of the girl's life. It shows their culture and how important it is for a girl to get married as soon she can. Overall Mahfouz uses a lot of pathos in this passage in order for the reader to feel how she is really feeling.
In this passage, Mahfouz really describes Khadija's anger towards her sister. His word choice really shows how Khadija is feeling. For example, he uses a lot of strong words to show her strong feelings. Mahfouz uses the words anger, jealousy, resentment, and hate to show how this is really affecting her life.
This passage shows the overall feeling of the book because it shows how the culture really shapes the purpose of the girl's life. It shows their culture and how important it is for a girl to get married as soon she can. Overall Mahfouz uses a lot of pathos in this passage in order for the reader to feel how she is really feeling.
Not Me
Yasin breathed in deeply and then exhaled. He was playing with his fingers in obvious anxiety. He stammered, "Our father has a fiery temper and does not accept corrections for his opinions. I, for my part, am no longer a boy. I have become a man and an employee, as you pointed out. What I fear most is that he'll get angry and I'll lose control of myself and become angry too." (pg. 213)
The children have been trying to determine who would confront their father about bringing their mother back and as the oldest Yasin is kind of automatically the one that should take on the responsibility. He uses logos to try and find a reasonable explanation as to why he shouldn't be the one to so it. He knows that he can't just give any crappy reason so he thoughtfully tries to avoid the situation. He didn't think this true at first but when he said it he realized that is was more than just an excuse he realized it was actually true. He was afraid of how he would react. He knows that his father has a bad temper and doesn't want to put himself in a situation that would cause him to react in an inappropriate or disrespectful manner.
The children have been trying to determine who would confront their father about bringing their mother back and as the oldest Yasin is kind of automatically the one that should take on the responsibility. He uses logos to try and find a reasonable explanation as to why he shouldn't be the one to so it. He knows that he can't just give any crappy reason so he thoughtfully tries to avoid the situation. He didn't think this true at first but when he said it he realized that is was more than just an excuse he realized it was actually true. He was afraid of how he would react. He knows that his father has a bad temper and doesn't want to put himself in a situation that would cause him to react in an inappropriate or disrespectful manner.
Questioning
"'But your husband?...An intelligent man going on fifty... can he find no other way to express his anger by throwing out the companion of a lifetime and separating her from her children?... O Lord glory to You. Most people get wiser as they get older, while we grow older and become foolhardy. is it a sin for a virtuous woman to visit our master Al-Husayn? Don't his friends, who are just as jealous and manly as he is, allow their wives to leave the house for various errands?...Your father himself, who was a religious scholar and knew the Book of God by heart, permitted me to go to neighbors' homes and watch the procession of pilgrims setting out for Mecca'" (202).
This passage creates an effect of Logos. By questioning Ahmad's motives through Amina's mother, Mahfouz causes the reader to begin reasoning, and to see that logic might not explain his actions, though it was Ahmad's logic that drove him to exile his wife. This passage is included to show the error in Ahmad's own logic, or maybe the culture of which he is a part of as a whole.
The detail presented in this passage also contributes to expressing the degree of error to which Ahmad has sunk in his religious beliefs. The fact that Amina's father was a "well learned scholar and knew the Book of God by heart" means more than if the author would have simply stated that he was a religious man. This then shows Ahmad's oppression of Amina as something that isn't practiced culturally but by a single family. Adressing a large misconception that people may have about Islamic culture.
This passage creates an effect of Logos. By questioning Ahmad's motives through Amina's mother, Mahfouz causes the reader to begin reasoning, and to see that logic might not explain his actions, though it was Ahmad's logic that drove him to exile his wife. This passage is included to show the error in Ahmad's own logic, or maybe the culture of which he is a part of as a whole.
The detail presented in this passage also contributes to expressing the degree of error to which Ahmad has sunk in his religious beliefs. The fact that Amina's father was a "well learned scholar and knew the Book of God by heart" means more than if the author would have simply stated that he was a religious man. This then shows Ahmad's oppression of Amina as something that isn't practiced culturally but by a single family. Adressing a large misconception that people may have about Islamic culture.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Aisha's encounter
I love the book as a whole. The story is extremely interesting. The paragraph, among others, that quickly got my attention is chapter 5. Aisha's first encounter with the young police officer. Mahfouz uses detailed description. I could feel the excitement Aisha feels. In the second paragraph of the beginning of the chapter, Mahfouz writes "She sighed and closed the window, fastening it nervously as though hiding evidence of a bloody crime". The discription of her feeling afterwards gave me jitters in my stomagh. I know how it feels to have your heart divided into two emotions. You don't know if to feel scared or excited because you did something you could get in trouble for. I think over all this paragraph is a attention-seeker. Throughout the beginning of the book, Mahfouz first introduces the family and then starts talking about each individual's story. I like the plot he is using to build up to the climax.
Rays of Sunshine
The first paragraph of chapter ten seems to be perfectly situated, it's a calm scene after quite chaotic one. At the end of chapter eleven there is an argument of how kamal is living his life and how it seems to not have much direction. Now he is with Fahmy on which the setting makes him seem as if he's hiding. The words, " the sun was about to dissapear" makes it seem like he came out at that time so that no one could see him. Though this passage is meant for Fahmy and how he feels the need to hide, it can also be applied to Kamal.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Man=Music??
A paragraph that caught my attention was a paragraph on page 10 - 11. It talks about Ahmad's passion. This paragraph talks about music and the husband. This is the second time music is brought up in the book. This paragraph tells us how musical Ahmad is. He loves music. In a way I think this section was put there to kinda maybe set up for something in the the future reading about Ahmad being very involved with music. This is the first time in the book where we don't see Ahmad as the bad person. One line that caught my attention was "he loved song with both his body and soul". This is the first time where we see hope in Ahmad being a real person as in someone having feelings. He may be nice or reasonable or different. We have hope for this. It tells us he has a soul and has love in him for something.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sweet Escape
There's something about dreams of owning a candy store that makes you look twice at Kamal.
He's certainly the youngest, and a boy for that matter. He attends an all boy school where his father's influence reaches him even out of the household. Mahfouz writes how the boy is like, " a prisoner waiting to be struck at any time...(47)" and he can't stop but just wait to be punished or bullied by the other boys because he's around it at home all the time. As Mahfouz describes how Kamal dreams of owning a candy shop, the reader is reminded he's just a innocent kid who can't have fun because his dad's power will not let him. When you think of a candy shop, we think every inch of the facility is made of sweet, sweet candy that makes every kid feel happy. Happiness, that's what Kamal needs to find at home but doesn't because his dad thinks he's trouble but what I think Mahfouz is hinting at is that the father just doesn't understand how different this boy is from his elder brothers who probably avoided telling their dad of childish dreams.
He's certainly the youngest, and a boy for that matter. He attends an all boy school where his father's influence reaches him even out of the household. Mahfouz writes how the boy is like, " a prisoner waiting to be struck at any time...(47)" and he can't stop but just wait to be punished or bullied by the other boys because he's around it at home all the time. As Mahfouz describes how Kamal dreams of owning a candy shop, the reader is reminded he's just a innocent kid who can't have fun because his dad's power will not let him. When you think of a candy shop, we think every inch of the facility is made of sweet, sweet candy that makes every kid feel happy. Happiness, that's what Kamal needs to find at home but doesn't because his dad thinks he's trouble but what I think Mahfouz is hinting at is that the father just doesn't understand how different this boy is from his elder brothers who probably avoided telling their dad of childish dreams.
The Inescapable Past
Chapter 13 has an interesting aspect to it. In it, Mahfouz leaves the immediate family slightly and goes on to describe Yasin and his relationship with his biological mother. This chapter also marks the end of the familiar descriptions. After this, it goes into the story that takes up the rest of the book. Mahfouz used the first 13 chapters for the characters to be developed fully so that the reader has some background to the story.
In chapter 13, there is a quote. It goes, "He had often told himself that if a person had a strong enough will he might be able to carve out more than one future, but no matter how strong his will he could never have more than one inescapable and unavoidable past" (78). This is a quote that does not necessarily need to be attributed to to Yasin as a character, but it seems that the location is more important for its meaning to get through. It is strategically placed near the beginning of the new part of the book where a future is to be made for the reader, but for the characters it is and inescapable past that was set onto paper.
In chapter 13, there is a quote. It goes, "He had often told himself that if a person had a strong enough will he might be able to carve out more than one future, but no matter how strong his will he could never have more than one inescapable and unavoidable past" (78). This is a quote that does not necessarily need to be attributed to to Yasin as a character, but it seems that the location is more important for its meaning to get through. It is strategically placed near the beginning of the new part of the book where a future is to be made for the reader, but for the characters it is and inescapable past that was set onto paper.
Stix
Aisha is slender, well extremely skinny, compared to her sister Khadija. Khadija is extremely jealous of that fact and is not ashamed to let that be known. She constantly teases Aisha about her size and in chapter 5 in the second paragraph on page 29 she just goes on a rampage with insults concerning Aisha's weight. She wants Aisha to feel bad about her size and the fact that the author starts off with, "Aisha's slenderness did not correspond to the diligence with which she ate" relates to how Khadija feels about Aisha's weight. This sentence was used to introduce the paragraph to display just how much she dislikes the fact that Aisha does not look like her. She tries to make Aisha feel bad for being as small as she is by bringing up the fact that the "potion" used to fattened up the rest of the women has failed to help Aisha gain weight, she attributes it to the fact that Aisha has little faith. Khadija definitely wants Aisha to feel bad and does everything she can to make that possible and the author does a tremendous job in setting the tone.
Ahmad the Confident
Chapter fifteen begins with Ahmad closing his store and heading out into the rest of the world. In the previous chapter, Ahmad was in his store, now, Mahfouz transitions to another seen with this first paragraph. The beginning of this chapter also helps to illustrate Ahmad's confidence. Chapter fifteen is the chapter in which Ahmad pays Zubayda a visit, and this second paragraph gives insight into how Ahmad might be used to doing these kinds of things with many women. Ahmad has a confidence that can only come with experience. To supply evidence of this I can quote "...demonstrating he was accustomed to situations like this and certain the results would be to his liking" (92).
The placement of this brief passage here is important because it sheds more light on Ahmad's true character and it serves as a mean for Mahfouz to continue his story.
The placement of this brief passage here is important because it sheds more light on Ahmad's true character and it serves as a mean for Mahfouz to continue his story.
Amina's Escape
In chapter 6 on page 34, the first two paragraphs focuses on Amina and her personal likings within the book. I believe Naguib Mahfouz especially puts these paragraphs in the order right after describing what breakfast the house rules are like, to emphasize that the roof of their building is Amina's escape. " This roof...was her beautiful, beloved world, and her favorite place for relaxation out of the whole universe, about which she knew nothing." (Mahfouz, 34) Through giving the reader a more emphasized detail of a character, it provides a relationship between the reader and the character and I believe he does this so when Amina gets into her accident the reader feels more sympathy for her. It even gives her a distinction from the others how it said that no other roof top looked like Amina's roof. I also believe that Mahfouz gave us this explanation of Amina in order to put a sort of pure look to Amina and show her escape from the world of responsibility.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Sentence Placement
My paragraph is the fourth paragraph on pg. 65. It talks about how Kamal enjoys having his mother's attention. The paragraph starts off with, "He was pleased by her interest" (65). At first glance, this seems like a pretty simple sentence. The second sentence is, "A feeling of bliss and power he experienced only during this final lesson of the day coursed through him" (65). Both of these sentences are the exact opposite. The first draws your attention because it's short and to the point. In the latter, the author uses phrases like "a feeling of bliss and power" and "lesson of the day coursed through him". These phrases grab my attention because they drag out what they're trying to convey with more of an eloquent word choice. If you see round beads all the time, of course you're going to notice the narrow ones and especially if they're right next to each other. The author does an amazing job of putting sentences in an order the reader will notice, like he does here.
Beauty vs. Criticism
Beauty is an uncomfortable factor that clings onto women occasionally. Whether it be to go to a party or , even, at home, women try to stay beautiful through cosmetics, medications, lotions, etc. Yet it’s a continuous battle between Aisha and Khadija. Aisha, being the inheritor of all these qualities that make her beautiful, is a rather loud, pretty, happy, and conscience person. While Khadija doesn’t hesitate to bring her down or use her sharp tongue to retaliate against anyone who tries to be o n top of her. Yet, due to her sharp characteristics, she is pretty, but doesn’t have luck in being better looking or having the first opportunity to have her hand asked in marriage. Yet, I believe even though Aisha may have the luxury if being complimented of her beauty, she still has respect and admirations towards her sister. Joyful in every aspect, its hard to depress her, but also she doesn’t complain when here sister criticizes her. Perhaps its due to the fact that Khadija envies her sister, but know that by putting her down won’t make a difference. On pg. 29, Aisha is cautious to what she eats, but Khadija rapid tongue enjoy toying with her beauty by stating that “ Aisha’s slenderness” has part to do with the “ weakness of her faith.” The author puts this passage to describe how Khadija doesn’t support her sister being the beauty of the family, when she’s the first born. Throughout the book, there are complaints and conflicts involving the two girls, who each have very wise-ass things to say, but know they know their limits. It puts a emphasis to how Khadija sees Aisha when one is worried about her looks, and the other trying to bring her morale down through criticism. Yet, they both symbolize their parents, Aisha being more like her mother and Khadija more like the father. Aisha obeys her sister and it submissively more calm in any situation, while Khadija shows the rough characteristics of her father’s critical manners. Yet this passage just makes the battle even longer and with positive results as usual. Each has their own abilities and weaknesses, but it doesn’t hide the fact that family is family and there will always be nonsense involved in any conflict.
Structural Palace
In Naguib Mahfouz’s book, Palace Walk, the author talks about the different cultural and spiritual aspect of the family of Al-Sayyid Ahmad. It talks about every family members’ situation based on who they are and what they do. Not only does the author talk about how he has become a positive figure in society and how the organization of the household basically is run by his decisions. He is the head of the house and controls what goes on around the house, while the women help clean the house and the boys dedicate themselves to their studies. Yet, not only does this have an effect on how the household is run, but rather, their father also has some defects. A positive model in society and a rather has the loyalty of that of his family, he is a flirt. Through their religious background, the family depends on God, but also they are under Al-Sayyid Ahmad judgment. It’s a different way of how life functions compared to that of Christianity. It made me think how life is can be possible under that sort of household structure. Having to submit to a husband’s authority, use God’s name in every sentence, and have to be able to do well so that society won’t have a bad image against you. How is it that people can actually live without being seen? To ask for a daughter’s hand without knowing the girl? Its has a curious and totally different view of how the world functions, but in either case, the author describes every day as a normal and peaceful day. Perhaps its due to their beliefs that make them exceptional to how life in their household is conveyed. Of course in some occasions it seems absurd to how the father reacts or his decisions based on how the wife, loyal and faithful, just says what is need to be said to keep him informed, but rather scolds her. I can’t see how women can stand that! He doesn’t compare the lives of the Islamic view to the Christian one, but rather gives an overview, with specified detail, how life is different and how customs change. Yet, in every character each has its own weakness. Aisha conceals the fact that she has emotions for an officer, while Khadija has a bad attitude, at times, and uses her tongue to bring Aisha down. Kamal, is a playful kid, who fears and admires his dad and is mischievous at times. Fahmy is in love with his neighbor, but knows that he can’t look or ask her hand in marriage. Also Yasin, deals with the fact that his mother is to marry and brings forth his anger against her. Each member is Inclined to doing some sort of mistakes, due to their feelings, but also fear that their father has the last word in everything and will, often, rebuke any desire they might have. An interesting culture, it contains many details of their daily routines and shows the audience how life can sometimes be misjudged by that loyal religious belief of obeying God’s word, rather than following the true emotions and thoughts within.
"Marriage..."
My paragraph is located in chapter 10 which is about Fahmy taking Kamal up to the roof every day to make him practice his vocabulary. It turns out that this is not the only reason why he takes him up to the roof, Fahmy actually goes up there because he likes to see the girl next door whom he is in love with. Fahmy starts stating the words so that Kamal can tell him the definition but he gets so distracted by the girl that he starts saying the words heart, love, and marriage.
My paragraph, on page 61, comes right after Fahmy has just stated the word marriage. The placement of this paragraph is very important because in it we see that the girl finally shows a reaction to what Fahmy is saying. It is important to notice that this reaction is made to the word marriage, and not heart or love. This fact shows that the are both in love with each other and that they might be willing to get married and do things the proper way because their romance is wrong to the eyes of their strict society. That the girl is letting herself be seen by Fahmy is itself an offence to their culture but even in a strict culture like theirs, there is still room for love.
Another factor that shows the love Fahmy feels for this girl is seen in Mahfouz's style of writing. He is so descriptive when it comes to showing the character's emotions. In this paragraph he writes, "he had at least been able to transmit to her a charge of the electricity blazing in his heart" (61). Here he is describing Fahmy's love for this girl and I don't think he could have chosen a better choice of words to make us feel what Fahmy feels.
My paragraph, on page 61, comes right after Fahmy has just stated the word marriage. The placement of this paragraph is very important because in it we see that the girl finally shows a reaction to what Fahmy is saying. It is important to notice that this reaction is made to the word marriage, and not heart or love. This fact shows that the are both in love with each other and that they might be willing to get married and do things the proper way because their romance is wrong to the eyes of their strict society. That the girl is letting herself be seen by Fahmy is itself an offence to their culture but even in a strict culture like theirs, there is still room for love.
Another factor that shows the love Fahmy feels for this girl is seen in Mahfouz's style of writing. He is so descriptive when it comes to showing the character's emotions. In this paragraph he writes, "he had at least been able to transmit to her a charge of the electricity blazing in his heart" (61). Here he is describing Fahmy's love for this girl and I don't think he could have chosen a better choice of words to make us feel what Fahmy feels.
Childhood...
Why is Kamal so different from all the men in this society? Does the fact that he is ten years old make a difference. Kamal is looking for attention constantly from his brothers, especially his mother. He is the only one who seems to have a deeper respect for women. Women in this society are either used as maids such as in the case of Amina and her husband Amad or as sexual objects from which men gain pleasure. If they are house wifes as Amina, they can't leave the house for any reason unless accompanied by their husbands, they learn about the outside world only from what by mouth of their husband, and are basically ignorant of everything except for the teachings of the Koran and what they need at home. Kamal seems to be very different from all his male brothers, he enjoys the company of his mother and two older sisters. Mahfouz describes Kamal's reason for wanting to teach his mother about what he learned at school, " The truth was that he loved the women's company with all his heart and did not want to be separated from them even when working. Seeing them gave him a pleasure nothing else could equal. He loved his mother more than anything in the world (Mahfouz 65)." Kamal spent his time trying to teach his mother many things he found interesting and in doing that I feel that he is being inclusive with his mother. Kamal seems to think that maybe his mother shouldn't be any different from him or even men. Men are the one's who get educated in this society and Kamal makes a difference. I attribute this difference to his age and experience because he can't have so much respect and admiration for a man like his father who treats him as if he doesn't deserve respect. Mahfouz placed this paragraph to show us probably how men in this society grow out of their admiration and respect for women. Is Kamal going to change later in the story?
P. 65, top paragraph
Friday, September 10, 2010
The life of a muslim women.
The passage I chose to talk about I think really explain how in the Islamic culture women and their "position" in the household. ( No offense to women.)
I chose the passage on pg. 12 and the last paragraph on the page. This paragraph really describes with the rest of chapter 2 how in the Islamic culture women wait on the man to come back home and then service to there needs. Due to this many women tend to not know much about the outside world because they can't go outside or be seen by anyone besides their husband. In Palace Walk Amina loves her husband dearly, and that she waits for her husband all night and that her husband is very special to her. I think Mahfouz is puts this passage in the book just to emphasize how much the women in Islamic culture have a place to be a house wife and loyal to there husband.
I chose the passage on pg. 12 and the last paragraph on the page. This paragraph really describes with the rest of chapter 2 how in the Islamic culture women wait on the man to come back home and then service to there needs. Due to this many women tend to not know much about the outside world because they can't go outside or be seen by anyone besides their husband. In Palace Walk Amina loves her husband dearly, and that she waits for her husband all night and that her husband is very special to her. I think Mahfouz is puts this passage in the book just to emphasize how much the women in Islamic culture have a place to be a house wife and loyal to there husband.
Under Her Wing
The family's life and behavior always revolves around the father’s presence. But when he is gone they feel a huge relief and feel like they can act like themselves. “They would cluster under their mother’s wing with love and all-embracing affection” (52). I really like how Mahfouz compares the mother’s comfort to a wing. It really reminded me of pelicans. Pelicans are birds that will bite chunks of flesh off of their chest in order to feed their babies and if there isn’t any food. In the Catholic Church pelicans are also compared to Jesus Christ because He gave His body and life to his children. The mother of the family gives so much to her children to protect, feed, and make them feel comfort just like a pelican would. Under her wing they feel safe and protected from anything, even if it’s their father.
Page 52: Paragraph 2
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