Woman (Animals)

In my previous blog, I talked about how Aisha and the rest of the family really feared Ahmad rather than loved him. When Ahmad is considering his daughter's, Aisha, marriage, he denies the request. This really hurts Aisha emotional, but still she looks past her emotions to forgive her father. Why? Following this the narrator refers to Aisha as a “ wild animal”, when talking about her feelings. He says, “They fell back impotently like a wild animal stopped by its trainer, whom it loves and fears” (160-161). This really stuck out to me, because even though women are abused and mistreated throughout the book it is the first time they are referred to as tamed animals. Meaning the men have gained complete control over the women through fear. Further along in the book, Yasin also refers to women as being a domestic animal.

What more does any woman want than a home of her own and sexual gratification? Nothing! Women are just another kind of domestic animal, and must be treated like one. Yes, other pets are not allowed to intrude into our private lives. They stay home until we're free to play with them. For me, being a husband who is faithful to his marriage would be death. (338)

When Yasin is talking about his marriage and how he perceives his wife and women in general, he says a woman doesn't want anything more than a home and sexual pleasure. Is this true? Do woman throughout the book just want pleasure and a place to stay, or is it just what he wants? To me, it is simply what Yasin wants and craves. We have seen his sexual desires when he examines woman in the store and when he tries to have sexual intercourse with the maid, in which he successfully rapes one of the maids further into the book. He also shows no desire to leave his father's house. Then again what more can we expect, he is fairly young and has strong sexual desires, but in many cases he has gone to far.
He also says, “Women are just another kind of domestic animal, and must be treated like one. Yes, other pets are not allowed to intrude into our private lives. They stay home until we're free to play with them” (338). Her refers to them as a domestic animal. Domestication is a process in which a animal is selected to be taken under the rule of a human. Yasin is saying that men in his culture have taken over woman and woman must obey an order from a man at any circumstance. Based on the Iran Chamber Society website, in the religion of Islam, the majority of people see woman as a creature for men and his service. We see this with Amina and the way she is submissive to Ahmad. Based on this novel, we can suggest that woman are there serve the man and to do house duties. The Iran Chamber Society also says that throughout history, women have been used by men as sexual objects. Yasin is a perfect example on how men see woman only as a sexual object. His father Ahmad, basically arranges his marriage because of his sexual urges. Woman also stay at home the majority of the time, waiting for the men of the house to return, so they can serve the men or as Yasin says “until we're free to play with them”(338).
This is the second time in the novel, women are referred to as animals, and from examples they almost relate to animals. Whenever the man says sit or to shut up, they do exactly what is being asked. Women throughout the novel have been manipulated. Men have developed a mind control over women ,and to the Islamic culture there is no wrong doing when men mistreat women because that is exactly how they were brought up. For example, according to the website of World Art Erotica, wife beating has happen so often that housewives see it as a part of marriage of life. The way men degrade women has become a part of their culture.

Is it Love or Fear?

During my discussion topic, I brought up the place of women and how men treat them. The way women are treated throughout the book, is very different than today. Men are in power of the women, and all women must obey their husband at anytime no matter what the situation is. After this we began to discuss the relationship between the children and the fathers and how the children must obey their fathers, no matter if they disagree with the situation or not. When discussing his daughter marriage negotiations Ahmad denies the request and doesn't allow his daughter to marry. The emotions and reaction of his daughter, Aisha, really stuck out to me. In paragraph below the the narrator describes her feelings.

Although she was hurt, angry, and resentful, these emotions could not touch her father. They fell back impotently like a wild animal stopped by its trainer, whom it loves and fears. Aisha was not able to attack her father, not even in the depths of her heart. She continued in her love and devotion for him. She felt sincerely dutiful to him, as though he were a god whose decree could only be received with submission, love, and loyalty. (160-161)

Here we are able to see how much Aisha respects her father even though she strongly disagreed with her father decision of not letting her marry the officer, who she truly fell for. But, we still don't know whether or not she really respects her father, or does she just fear her father. Is it love or fear?

Obviously we can see from this paragraph that Aisha feelings are deeply hurt and that she is heart broken. Aisha is able to look past this pain and hate towards her father, and forgive him. To me she fears her father more than she loves her father. The author uses the metaphor a wild animal. He says, “They fell back impotently like a wild animal stopped by its trainer, whom it loves and fears” (160-161). They meaning emotions were lifted from her and she was able to look past that time. But, in order to tame a wild animal who must put fear in the animals heart in order for the animal to obey you. By taking over the animals, you take control of their life; therefore, to me its more fear than love. An animal knows if he goes against the owner's rule, it would be punish so it is scared to do otherwise.

Aisha is afraid to stand up against her father, because she knows there is no way around it and that she would get punished if she does so. She has been put under his command and rule. Her father has taken over her mind and life; therefore, she lets him control what she does. She has become a tamed “animal”. We have seen how the children are being controlled by Ahmad, but now the narrator is referring to the daughter as an “wild animal”.

At the end of this paragraph, the narrator describes Aisha feeling toward Ahmad by saying, “She felt sincerely dutiful to him, as though he were a god whose decree could only be received with submission, love, and loyalty” (161). The narrator says she looks to her father as a God, which to me is beyond extreme. He also says that the actions he does are done out of love and loyalty. This shows that the family held their father and wouldn't do anything to disobey him.

In the bible it says “fear God”. God is the only person we shall fear, because he can instantly change ones life. The family refer to him as God because he has the power to choose what they do in life and who they marry. By referring to their father as God, shows they fear him more than they love him. Yes, it is natural that we all love our parents because they are the ones who gave us life. But in Aisha case, it seems that she has overlook the love towards her father and has replaced it with fear. The family doesn't really have much love for their father, but are to afraid to against his orders.

Does Ahmad want his family to fear him, or is he just looking out for the best interest for his family?
Does he really love his family, or is he in love more with the power and control he has over them?

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