In The Good Woman of Setzuan, Shen Te decides to be two different people. She is herself, but she is also her cousin Shui Ta. When I realized that she was playing to be different people, I was very shocked. It seems awkward that when being herself, she wants to help others and only thinks about how to make their lives better. On the other hand, while she is Shui Ta, she only thinks about how to protect herself and make herself better off(Shui Ta and Shen Te). For example, when the wife and the husband ask, “We want to know if we can leave these things in your new home. Will you do us this favor?”(76) Shen Te responds by saying, “Why, yes, I’d be glad to”(76). On the other hand, when the wife and husband tell Shui Ta that them and the carpenter are going to leave their belongings with Shen Te, he says, “That will not be possible”(78). Another example is when Mr. Shu Fu ofers Shen Te a check for any amount she desires. Her, being Shen Te, refuses the offer and leaves the check blank. But when Shui Ta comes around, he cashes the check for ten thousand silver dollars. So when Shen Te is being Shen Te she helps others without ever thinking about herself and that is why she is The Good Woman of Setzuan, but when she disguises herself as Shui Ta, she only thinks about what is more convenient for her. After reading the play, it seems to me that the only reason why Shen Te helps others is to make a name for herself and make everybody like her. She doesn’t seem to be giving out to tobacco or providing others with a place to sleep from the goodness of her heart. Shen Te is secretly ambitious and she figures that the best way to get money from others is being pretending to be innocent and the most caring person in Setzuan.
Works Cited
Brecht, Bertolt. The Good Woman Of Setzuan. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1948.
Showing posts with label Marixa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marixa. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Helping others
The beginning of The Good Woman of Setzuan was somewhat confusing. At first we see the three Gods going around asking for a place to stay, but no one gives them a room. Then, Shen Te, who is a prostitute decides to offer them a place to stay. To me it seems that the point is to show how ironic it is that sometimes the people who we consider to be bad in society end up being the better people. Or it could also be that the people who have the most never help out while the people who have less always try to help. As Shen Te says, “ Isn’t it funny how people who don’t have very much like to give it away?”(36) It seems that Shen Te really enjoys giving to others even when that means that she might not have enough for herself.
Another thing that was confusing, was the purpose of the carpenter and the landlord lady coming into the shop to ask for money. It seems that this could represent how selfish the world is and how some people just like asking for more and more even when that means that other people will be harmed. It could also show how far Shen Te will go just to help others. Now she is about to lose her shop because she is too busy giving away products instead of selling the. Now, people also just come in and expect things to be given to them without putting any effort into their work. The question is whether there should be a limit to how nice and helping one person can be?
Works Cited
Brecht, Bertolt, and Eric Bentley. The Good Woman of Setzuan. Minneapolis, Minn.: University of Minnesota, 1999. Print.
Another thing that was confusing, was the purpose of the carpenter and the landlord lady coming into the shop to ask for money. It seems that this could represent how selfish the world is and how some people just like asking for more and more even when that means that other people will be harmed. It could also show how far Shen Te will go just to help others. Now she is about to lose her shop because she is too busy giving away products instead of selling the. Now, people also just come in and expect things to be given to them without putting any effort into their work. The question is whether there should be a limit to how nice and helping one person can be?
Works Cited
Brecht, Bertolt, and Eric Bentley. The Good Woman of Setzuan. Minneapolis, Minn.: University of Minnesota, 1999. Print.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Successful Marriage
In Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk, marriage is a topic that is hard to understand, but is all the more intriguing because of it. It's been difficult for the most part, figuring out what makes a successful marriage. Why is it that Amina and Ahmad have been married for 25 years, when Ahmad has proven to not be a husband that many women crave? Ahmad sneaks out on his wife all the time with various women like Zubayda and his next-door neighbor Bahija Ridwan, yet Amina stays right there through it all. In this book, marriage is such a complex part of life that research was necessary to understand what muslims believe to be important in a marriage. According to the Qur'an, Muslims are to believe that “...among [Allah's] signs is this that He created for you spouses of your own kind, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy for one another...” (Qur'an 30:21). As devout Muslims, which is what they characters of the book (especially Ahmad) are, they should base all of their marriages off of this because this is their law for living a truly Muslim lifestyle. This is the basis of their faith and what they should believe as Muslims. Although there are other marriages in the book that are unsuccessful, Ahmad learns that what's important to keep a marriage alive is this verse in the Qur'an. During his first marriage to Haniya, Yasin's mother, he didn't practice that mercy that is mentioned in the Qur'an but he learns to use it during his marriage to Amina, which turns out to be the most successful marriage in Palace Walk.
The short-lived marriage of Yasin and Zaynab is very similar to the ones between Ahmad and Haniya, Yasin's mother. When Ahmad was married to Haniya he admitted to actually enjoying living with her, which is the only true emotion for women Ahmad is rumored to have outside of lust (106). Like Marixa said in her blog, Ahmad and Women, in the book, we haven't really seen much emotion out of Ahmad for women besides lust. Haniya seems to have been the only woman who brought a little of that out of him, that is until he met Amina. But the “love” is short-lived when Haniya shows that she's a woman who won't take just anything from her husband. Ahmad began to beat her when she would leave the house or do anything that he didn't want her to do. Instead of loving her and treating her like a human being instead of a dog that you train, their marriage ends up failing. This marriage, like many other marriages in the book including Ahmad's current marriage to Amina, could be or could've been a lot better if the husband would put his wife first instead of him trying to seem like a masculine guy who can control his wife. It also could've been successful if Ahmad had learned to practice the mercy that the Qur'an speaks on. Had Ahmad shown mercy to his wife and put her needs before his own needs to be fulfilled as a “man”, many things in his life would have been different. Yasin wouldn't have a strained relationship with his own mother, and probably wouldn't have the outlook on women that he has now.
After his marriage to Haniya, Ahmad goes on to marry Amina. Amina is a totally different wife to Ahmad than Haniya is and she proves to be more along the lines of a wife that he wants. She's quiet, meek, obedient, and most importantly, fearful of him. She's scared to do anything that Ahmad might not approve of, and when she does, her worst fear comes true. When she leaves the house and goes outside to visit al-Husayn, Ahmad finds out and kicks her out. Right then, it seems that Ahmad has gone back to the old ways that got him in trouble with his first marriage. He seems to solve his problems with women by putting them out. But, he knew that just putting her out his house would cease to function. Even though it took him until the end of the book to truly realize, he's not all powerful. Like Daniela said in her blog, He's Human After All, he at some point began to realize that he needs help with things and he can't do everything on your own. When he takes her back, he practices what the Qur'an says is important in a successful marriage, and that's mercy. The act of mercy includes showing compassion to someone and forgiving them for something they've done. When Ahmad finally learns the importance of mercy and showing it in his marriage, he admits to not being perfect and needing help in their home.
At first, Ahmad doesn't seem to be capable of loving anyone besides himself. Once he learned to show love to someone besides himself, he begins to have a successful marriage. That love, like the Qur'an stated, is necessary to have a successful marriage but not just in the book but in real life. In Ahmad's first marriage to Haniya, he doesn't truly love her and doesn't practice mercy on her. Love and mercy should go hand in hand with one another. If you truly love someone, then you show them mercy because you can look past the bad things they've done and forgive them. But, if you want to leave them just because they did something you don't agree with, then that's not love. That's why it's obvious that Ahmad loves Amina. He gets angry with her, he cheats on her and sometimes treats her badly, and I'm not saying that all those things are acceptable for a husband to do to his wife. But, at the end of the day, he always thinks of his wife. When he's taken away by the British soldiers, his mind goes to his family, and it's not just the kids but her as well. Even though Ahmad is still a selfish man, he learns to make room for someone else in his life, and apparently Amina was good enough to fit the bill of that person.
Works Cited
1.The Holy Quran. Maulana Muhammad Ali, 2002. Web. 5 Apr. 2010..
2.Barajas, Daniela. "He's Human After All." Web log post. He's Human After All. 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2010..
3.Rodriguez, Marixa. "Ahmad and Women." Web Log post. Digging Even Deeper: Ahmad and Women. 20 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2010..
4.Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy). New York: Anchor, 1990. Print.
The short-lived marriage of Yasin and Zaynab is very similar to the ones between Ahmad and Haniya, Yasin's mother. When Ahmad was married to Haniya he admitted to actually enjoying living with her, which is the only true emotion for women Ahmad is rumored to have outside of lust (106). Like Marixa said in her blog, Ahmad and Women, in the book, we haven't really seen much emotion out of Ahmad for women besides lust. Haniya seems to have been the only woman who brought a little of that out of him, that is until he met Amina. But the “love” is short-lived when Haniya shows that she's a woman who won't take just anything from her husband. Ahmad began to beat her when she would leave the house or do anything that he didn't want her to do. Instead of loving her and treating her like a human being instead of a dog that you train, their marriage ends up failing. This marriage, like many other marriages in the book including Ahmad's current marriage to Amina, could be or could've been a lot better if the husband would put his wife first instead of him trying to seem like a masculine guy who can control his wife. It also could've been successful if Ahmad had learned to practice the mercy that the Qur'an speaks on. Had Ahmad shown mercy to his wife and put her needs before his own needs to be fulfilled as a “man”, many things in his life would have been different. Yasin wouldn't have a strained relationship with his own mother, and probably wouldn't have the outlook on women that he has now.
After his marriage to Haniya, Ahmad goes on to marry Amina. Amina is a totally different wife to Ahmad than Haniya is and she proves to be more along the lines of a wife that he wants. She's quiet, meek, obedient, and most importantly, fearful of him. She's scared to do anything that Ahmad might not approve of, and when she does, her worst fear comes true. When she leaves the house and goes outside to visit al-Husayn, Ahmad finds out and kicks her out. Right then, it seems that Ahmad has gone back to the old ways that got him in trouble with his first marriage. He seems to solve his problems with women by putting them out. But, he knew that just putting her out his house would cease to function. Even though it took him until the end of the book to truly realize, he's not all powerful. Like Daniela said in her blog, He's Human After All, he at some point began to realize that he needs help with things and he can't do everything on your own. When he takes her back, he practices what the Qur'an says is important in a successful marriage, and that's mercy. The act of mercy includes showing compassion to someone and forgiving them for something they've done. When Ahmad finally learns the importance of mercy and showing it in his marriage, he admits to not being perfect and needing help in their home.
At first, Ahmad doesn't seem to be capable of loving anyone besides himself. Once he learned to show love to someone besides himself, he begins to have a successful marriage. That love, like the Qur'an stated, is necessary to have a successful marriage but not just in the book but in real life. In Ahmad's first marriage to Haniya, he doesn't truly love her and doesn't practice mercy on her. Love and mercy should go hand in hand with one another. If you truly love someone, then you show them mercy because you can look past the bad things they've done and forgive them. But, if you want to leave them just because they did something you don't agree with, then that's not love. That's why it's obvious that Ahmad loves Amina. He gets angry with her, he cheats on her and sometimes treats her badly, and I'm not saying that all those things are acceptable for a husband to do to his wife. But, at the end of the day, he always thinks of his wife. When he's taken away by the British soldiers, his mind goes to his family, and it's not just the kids but her as well. Even though Ahmad is still a selfish man, he learns to make room for someone else in his life, and apparently Amina was good enough to fit the bill of that person.
Works Cited
1.The Holy Quran. Maulana Muhammad Ali, 2002. Web. 5 Apr. 2010.
2.Barajas, Daniela. "He's Human After All." Web log post. He's Human After All. 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2010.
3.Rodriguez, Marixa. "Ahmad and Women." Web Log post. Digging Even Deeper: Ahmad and Women. 20 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2010.
4.Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy). New York: Anchor, 1990. Print.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wake-Up Call
After having everyone regard Ahmad as a hero throughout the entire book, we finally see that Ahamd is human just like everyone else. For one thing, his friend Muhammad Iffat takes a stand and defends his daughter from the injustices that Ahmad and Yasin put women through. After Zaynab finds her husband cheating on her with her maid, Nur, she flees to her father’s home and tells him everything that Yasin has done. Iffat says, “Is my daughter destined to share a husband with her in a polygamous marriage? By the Lord of Heaven, no”.(406) Muhammad Iffat feels that his family’s honor has been disrespected and therefore requests for Zaynab and Yasin to get a divorce. Ahmad reacts as if it is only natural for a man to have other women whenever he pleases and that shows he is a hypocrite and a narcissist. Since Ahamd seems to be only concerned with his honor, he scolds Yasin and for the first time Yasin doesn’t look at his father as a hero, instead he thinks, “Discipline yourself. Give yourself some advice. Have you forgotten Zabuyda? Jalila? The music and the wine? After all that, you appear before us wearing the turban of the most authoritative Muslim legal scholar…”(410) As Lauren describes in her blog, “Ahmad leads a double-life”. According to Dr. Gail Saltz, “secrets can cause people to behave in ways that seem entirely out of character — to go to any desperate length to conceal what simply must be hidden, at all costs”. This is exactly what Ahmad is trying to do with his life because he knows he feels ashamed for the things he has done.
Unfortunately Ahmad only realizes where he has gone wrong when he learns that Fahmy has died while at a demonstration. This is the turning point in Ahmad’s life. It becomes the wake-up call that Ahmad needs to realize that he is not the almighty and that he is human just like everyone else. Ahmad asks, “Won’t you allow me to begin his funeral procession at his home”.(496) This is the first time Ahmad asks for permission to do something. It is incredible to see Ahmad would ask if he could bury his son because before he would usually just do as he pleases. Now he questions, “ How can I have a home without him? How can I be a father if he’s gone?….This really is pain.”(496-497) As Daniela mentions, “he admits….that he is not God”. This is the moment when Ahmad knows that that things have to change.
Works Cited
Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990
Saltz, Gail. “When does a secret become a double life?” MSNBC. April 11, 2006. Web. March 17, 2010. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/12191728/
Barajas, Daniela. “He’s Human After All” Digging Even Deeper. Web. 27 Mar. 2010.
Clemons, Lauren. “Leading a Double Life” Digging Even Deeper. Web. 27 Mar. 2010
Unfortunately Ahmad only realizes where he has gone wrong when he learns that Fahmy has died while at a demonstration. This is the turning point in Ahmad’s life. It becomes the wake-up call that Ahmad needs to realize that he is not the almighty and that he is human just like everyone else. Ahmad asks, “Won’t you allow me to begin his funeral procession at his home”.(496) This is the first time Ahmad asks for permission to do something. It is incredible to see Ahmad would ask if he could bury his son because before he would usually just do as he pleases. Now he questions, “ How can I have a home without him? How can I be a father if he’s gone?….This really is pain.”(496-497) As Daniela mentions, “he admits….that he is not God”. This is the moment when Ahmad knows that that things have to change.
Works Cited
Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990
Saltz, Gail. “When does a secret become a double life?” MSNBC. April 11, 2006. Web. March 17, 2010. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/12191728/
Barajas, Daniela. “He’s Human After All” Digging Even Deeper. Web. 27 Mar. 2010.
Clemons, Lauren. “Leading a Double Life” Digging Even Deeper. Web. 27 Mar. 2010
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