Serious

On page 127 a woman comes and talks to Amad about Famhy and how well and outstanding he has become. She says, "Fahmy, sir, is a fine young man. He has gained favor with you through his seriousness, success in school, and good manners, may God protect him from the evil eye. Perhaps he has entrusted his request to me hoping that his status with his father will be an argument on his behalf". (pg 127) The part that caught my eye the most in this passage is how she begins to describe Fahmy. Instead of saying something like he has an outstanding career path going, she tells him about his c and I wonder why the first thing to be mentioned is how serious Famhy has become? Why is it important at all that he has become serious? Since we have been going through the book I have come up with a great theory of my own. I believe that the reason everyone else mentions his seriousness is because they know that that is what his father praises the most in a young man, and that he feels if a man is not more serious as he gets older then he is not a man. Like the rest of the quote said by telling Amad that his son is more serious has earned him a hire standing with his father. Now instead of treating him like a child who knows nothing Famhy can now be seen as a man in front of his father. But it is wired because in our culture we like to see that a child has matured a great deal, but for them to be completely serious is not what our parents require that we become in order for us to gain a higher standing with them. When people talk about me they never mention how serious I am, they always praise that I am a talented athlete or that I have grown so much, but they have never just told my parents that her seriousness has increased. That's why it is shocking to me that the first thing this lady wants to say to Amad is that his son has more seriousness.