These days we, the youth, seem to think that the only way to make humor is to make someone fall or have an out-n-out joke. But we see in the play The Good Woman of Setzuan by Bertolt Brecht. He uses a form of satire. Irony is the one that I found most repeatedly in the reading up to act 5. For example:
Policeman:(lyrically) We can't pay six months' rent, so what do we do? We marry money.
….
Policeman: Should she put an ad in the paper?(31)
Old Woman:(not eager to commit herself) Well, if she agrees –(31)
Policeman:I'll write it for her. You lend us a hand, and we write an ad for you!(31)
Shui Ta: (slowly) Not a bad idea.(31)
This passage seemed extremely amusing to me and quite ludicrous because these people are discussing a prostitute. They have just said that she did wrong because she used to sell herself for money. Now, these same people are putting an ad in the newspaper to see what the highest bid will be for her. With their plan, she will be selling the rest of her life.
Then along with that, this is a policeman, of all people, who conjure the plan of putting an ad in the paper. Policeman are supposed to be the epitome of justice, while this police officer is doing this deed.
This is not the only place where Brecht uses irony for humor, but this example stood out to me as the most hilarious.
Work Cited
Brecht, Bertolt, and Eric Bentley. The Good Woman of Setzuan. Minneapolis, Minn.: University of Minnesota, 1999. Print.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Chosen by the Gods
Shen Te was chosen by three Gods to change her ways from being a “pauper” (28) to being a good person. She has some money to her advantage to carry about her change, but it is not easy because society is not able to leave Shen Te’s past alone.
Throughout the play, Shen Te shows enthusiasm to achieve what the Gods expect of her. Instead of spending the thousand silver dollars the Gods gave her, Shan Te decided to invest them on a tobacco shop, which makes her an easy target for the people in town who are desperate due to the economy crisis. Before the grand opening of the store, Shan Te already had an entire family begging for hospitality.
Wife: “Shen Te, dear! You’ve come into money, they tell me. And we haven’t a roof over our heads! A tobacco shop. We had one too. But it’s gone. Could we spend the night here, do you think?
Shan Te couldn’t say no. Not too long after, an entire family invaded Shan Te’s tobacco store.
Another case were Shan Te’s kindness was abused was when the carpenter showed up. The carpenter was charging Shen Te for the shelves in the tobacco shop, even though Shan Te claimed to have purchased the tobacco store furnished.
Shan Te told the carpenter: “I took the shop “furnishings included.” (15)
The carpenter replied: " You’re in league with that Mrs. Shin, of course. All right. I demand my hundred silver dollars" (15).
Shan Te was left with no option but to pay the carpenter. Even though Shan Te wasn’t treated the way she was supposed to be, she still felt sympathy for the carpenter. She mentioned to the wife: “He’s done a job, and wants something in return. It’s shameful that I can’t give it to him. What will the God’s say?
Shan Te has changed completely. She takes into consideration the three Gods that have helped her overcome being a prostitute. It seems like these three Gods are the only ones that trust Shan Te can overcome her terrible past because the rest of the people don’t.
work cited: Brecht, Bertolt. The Good Woman of Setzuan. New York: Grove, 1947. Print.
Throughout the play, Shen Te shows enthusiasm to achieve what the Gods expect of her. Instead of spending the thousand silver dollars the Gods gave her, Shan Te decided to invest them on a tobacco shop, which makes her an easy target for the people in town who are desperate due to the economy crisis. Before the grand opening of the store, Shan Te already had an entire family begging for hospitality.
Wife: “Shen Te, dear! You’ve come into money, they tell me. And we haven’t a roof over our heads! A tobacco shop. We had one too. But it’s gone. Could we spend the night here, do you think?
Shan Te couldn’t say no. Not too long after, an entire family invaded Shan Te’s tobacco store.
Another case were Shan Te’s kindness was abused was when the carpenter showed up. The carpenter was charging Shen Te for the shelves in the tobacco shop, even though Shan Te claimed to have purchased the tobacco store furnished.
Shan Te told the carpenter: “I took the shop “furnishings included.” (15)
The carpenter replied: " You’re in league with that Mrs. Shin, of course. All right. I demand my hundred silver dollars" (15).
Shan Te was left with no option but to pay the carpenter. Even though Shan Te wasn’t treated the way she was supposed to be, she still felt sympathy for the carpenter. She mentioned to the wife: “He’s done a job, and wants something in return. It’s shameful that I can’t give it to him. What will the God’s say?
Shan Te has changed completely. She takes into consideration the three Gods that have helped her overcome being a prostitute. It seems like these three Gods are the only ones that trust Shan Te can overcome her terrible past because the rest of the people don’t.
work cited: Brecht, Bertolt. The Good Woman of Setzuan. New York: Grove, 1947. Print.
Ahmad's Achilles Heel
Omnipotent. This is how Naguib Mahfouz presents al-Sayyid Ahmad in the beginning of his novel Palace Walk. Ahmad is the father of five, Yasin, Khadija, Aisha, Fhamy, and Kamal, and the husband of Amina. In his household, like in most Islamic households, he was king and whatever he said went. What was different in his house was that he didn’t follow any rules, not even the rules in the Koran. He would stay out partying and drinking until really late, and possibly having extramarital relationships with other women, which are both unacceptable in the Muslim world. His family wasn’t really comfortable with his behavior but they couldn’t say anything because if they did, Ahmad could have gone berserk, and nobody wanted that, so they just put up with it. At one point his oldest, Yasin, begins to follow in Ahmad’s footsteps. He becomes a man crazy about women and Ahmad doesn’t think much of it. And as the rest of his children grew, Ahmad began to lose his omnipotence.
When a child becomes a teenager, takes school more seriously, and makes more friends, he develops his own ideas and becomes interdependent. He still needs his parents for economic and emotional support, but he no longer needs them for decision-making, at least that’s what he thinks. We’ve all gone through it. Ahmad had five, and they would all go through it. When asked what the worst part of being a parent is, McKennasmom03 answered, “…When [your kids] are hurt or sick and there isn't a thing you can do. Watching them go off to Kindergarten... Watching them take the keys to the car and drive off. Watching them leave home when they [have] ‘grown’. (McKennasmom03)” Ahmad would have to see his five children leave one day, and he did. Once his two daughters were married, Ahmad was left with only boys and his little girls didn’t need him any longer. But before they left him, Ahmad showed some weakness. When the possibility of his youngest daughter, Aisha, getting married before her older sister, Khadija, came up, Ahmad became concerned with the possibility of Khadija getting depressed because her younger sister married before her. Mahfouz says,
Ahmad's kindness is exposed and a small window into his sensitivity is opened.
Daniela mentions this in her blog, Hiding Behind the Wall. The way to get to his weak side is through his children, and this isn't the only example of this in the novel.
The next time that we see Ahmad's sensitivity, it is in a much more extreme manner. It isn't about hurting one of his children, it is about one of his hurting, or no longer hurting, children.“The young man said with obvious sorrow, 'We are sad to inform you of the death of our brother freedom fighter Fahmy Ahmad'… (495)” Ahmad goes crazy. If seeing your children leave once they're grown up hurts, imagine how much knowing that you will never get to see your child again hurts. But he doesn't only show his sensitivity by going crazy and crying because his son died, but he also worries about Amina's feelings. As Tianna puts it in her blog Death in the End, “He does not know how to break the news to his wife.” How would she react to finding out that her son had died. He had never really seemed to care about what Amina felt or thought, but this time it was different, very different. Her feelings were one of his main preoccupations. He couldn't believe that his son had died. He always thought that Fahmy was a nice kid that never went to any rallies or things of that matter. In actuality, Fahmy was constantly attending rallies. But this was unknown to Ahmad, and even if he did know, the loss of his son would still hurt.
By the end of the novel, Mahfouz has taken us through Ahmad's transformation from an “omnipotent” tyrant, to a sensitive person similar to everyone else. By the end of the novel we discover that Ahmad's Achilles heel is his children.
Works Cited
Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990. Print.
McKennasmom03. "What Do You Think the Worst Part of Being a Parent Is? - CafeMom." CafeMom - Moms Connecting About Pregnancy, Babies, Home, Health, and More. 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2010..
Bruno, Tianna M. "Death in the End." Web log post. Digging Even Deeper. 26 May 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2010..
Barajas, Guadalupe D. “Hiding Behind The Wall.” Web log post. Digging Even Deeper. 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2010..
When a child becomes a teenager, takes school more seriously, and makes more friends, he develops his own ideas and becomes interdependent. He still needs his parents for economic and emotional support, but he no longer needs them for decision-making, at least that’s what he thinks. We’ve all gone through it. Ahmad had five, and they would all go through it. When asked what the worst part of being a parent is, McKennasmom03 answered, “…When [your kids] are hurt or sick and there isn't a thing you can do. Watching them go off to Kindergarten... Watching them take the keys to the car and drive off. Watching them leave home when they [have] ‘grown’. (McKennasmom03)” Ahmad would have to see his five children leave one day, and he did. Once his two daughters were married, Ahmad was left with only boys and his little girls didn’t need him any longer. But before they left him, Ahmad showed some weakness. When the possibility of his youngest daughter, Aisha, getting married before her older sister, Khadija, came up, Ahmad became concerned with the possibility of Khadija getting depressed because her younger sister married before her. Mahfouz says,
When he could at last sit down again, he was breathing heavily. He was distressed and dejected. He had a sensitive heart, more sensitive than most people would have suspected. In fact, it was too sensitive. How could anyone believe that who had only seen him grinning, bellowing, or laughing sarcastically?... Sorrow was going to scorch his flesh and blood in a way that could spoil his whole life, making it seem ugly to him... Each of [his daughters] was a vital part of him (Mahfouz, 229).
Ahmad's kindness is exposed and a small window into his sensitivity is opened.
Daniela mentions this in her blog, Hiding Behind the Wall. The way to get to his weak side is through his children, and this isn't the only example of this in the novel.
The next time that we see Ahmad's sensitivity, it is in a much more extreme manner. It isn't about hurting one of his children, it is about one of his hurting, or no longer hurting, children.“The young man said with obvious sorrow, 'We are sad to inform you of the death of our brother freedom fighter Fahmy Ahmad'… (495)” Ahmad goes crazy. If seeing your children leave once they're grown up hurts, imagine how much knowing that you will never get to see your child again hurts. But he doesn't only show his sensitivity by going crazy and crying because his son died, but he also worries about Amina's feelings. As Tianna puts it in her blog Death in the End, “He does not know how to break the news to his wife.” How would she react to finding out that her son had died. He had never really seemed to care about what Amina felt or thought, but this time it was different, very different. Her feelings were one of his main preoccupations. He couldn't believe that his son had died. He always thought that Fahmy was a nice kid that never went to any rallies or things of that matter. In actuality, Fahmy was constantly attending rallies. But this was unknown to Ahmad, and even if he did know, the loss of his son would still hurt.
By the end of the novel, Mahfouz has taken us through Ahmad's transformation from an “omnipotent” tyrant, to a sensitive person similar to everyone else. By the end of the novel we discover that Ahmad's Achilles heel is his children.
Works Cited
Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990. Print.
McKennasmom03. "What Do You Think the Worst Part of Being a Parent Is? - CafeMom." CafeMom - Moms Connecting About Pregnancy, Babies, Home, Health, and More. 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2010.
Bruno, Tianna M. "Death in the End." Web log post. Digging Even Deeper. 26 May 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2010.
Barajas, Guadalupe D. “Hiding Behind The Wall.” Web log post. Digging Even Deeper. 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2010.
Love or servitude
In classic books that have and a woman the story is always the same. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, and boy and girl get married and stay together forever because of their strong love. But this is not the case in Naguib Mahfouz’s book, Palace Walk. In this book there is no great romance between the man and the woman. What happens here is more like the boy finds girl, boy ask parents to have girl marriage, and boy goes out with friends while girl stays home and takes care of the house. This is clearly the opposite case of the usual romance novels. But what the couples have in this book is not love, but servitude.
Most relationships these days are based on the fact the woman and the man chose to be with one another because they love each other. These couples are the exception.
The first couple seen in this story is Amina and Ahmad. Amina is not allowed to leave the house at anytime of the day and if any man gazes upon her from the windows of the house this could lead to scolding from her husband. She is allowed to cook, clean, and take care of the children and her husband but nothing more. Ahmad, on the other hand, is allowed to go out and do his business then he can stay out with his friends drink and fornicating with strange women, but if he gets home and his “wife” Amina is not awake to clean him up when he gets there that is another step that could lead Amina to a grave punishment. “ … If only for the moment she was not his servant but also a partner in his life”. (pg 11) This is what Amina thinks every night when Ahmad comes home from his nightly outings with the boys. Ahmad comes home drunk and Amina pleasantly undresses him and washes his feet like a servant would. But the reason she likes these times at night is because these are the only times when Ahmad will talk to her and tell her things about the outside world. This is the first time talks to her like a person who is his equal instead of like a slave who he thinks is beneath him and should just do what he says. But when morning comes for the next day he treats her like trash yet again. From the quote above it seems as if Ahmad is not married because he has any love for Amina but for the fact that she can be a great life long servant for him. It seems like love doesn’t matter anymore, that it is not even taken into any consideration in these marriages.
Hear and obey … hear and obey” ( pg 198) This is what Amina keeps repeating to herself after Ahmad kicks her out of the house for being disobedient and going into town. She says it as if this is what Ahmad has instilled in her to constantly follow, kind of like how the army brainwashes its solider. In her mind she has done something wrong because she has upset Ahmad and the servant is always there to please and make sure that the master is taken care of. If this is called love it is not the love that is seen today. In relationships today both people are servants to one another in a sense it’s not just one does all the work and the other gets to sit back and enjoy the benefits of the other shard work.
The servitude is clearly seen and explained in Abigail’s blog. She writes, “Young Amina, having been raised in a culture where women have always been seen as inferior to men, has been serving her husband for a quarter of a century. She has taken good care of her household, her husband, her stepson, Yasin, and her children since the age of 14.” Abigail’s words show that there is not love in between the marriages here but only the fact of servitude. It shows that the women aren’t seen as the love of the man life, but that they are seen only as a servant, a tool that is to be used regularly but never treated any better than just a tool. In her blog she goes on to write, “Mahfouz, as Amina's memory of Mr. Amad's words, writes, "'I'm a man. I'm the one who commands and forbids. I will not accept any criticism of my behavior. All I ask of you is to obey me. Don't force me to discipline you" (4). These words were the words that taught Amina to adapt to her new life.” The quote in this part of Abigail’s blog shows how Ahmad also sees his wife’s role. He doesn’t see her as a friend or a partner just some one who must obey him like a dog must obey their master. Aby also writes that Amina begins to learn how to love her new life. Well of course she does, she has no choice but to lover her new life. As a servant to her “master” she has to love what she does so that she will be able to do well so that Ahmad will not punish her.
In Rykeem’s blog on Woman worth he writes, “Growing up, I was always taught that women, like a diamond, are to be cherished and treated with respect. But when and where did that become the accepted view? As we see from observing the treatment of women in Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk, not to long ago, women where no more than objects, a mere possession of a gentlemen. A general characteristic of property or an object is the essence of being controlled or used for the benefit of someone else. The word “object” has an implication the entity, object, has no ability to choose, a right given to every human by God”. The words he writes are so true to the story. The women are treated just like objects, something that is to be had but not treated like she is a person. This is exactly what Ahmad thinks of Amina as a possession. She is to do what she is told and to serve him because she is his to have and control.
Work cited
Hackett, Rykeem D. "A Woman's Worth." Web log post. Web. 13 Apr. 2010..
Cisneros, Abigail V. "What Not To Judge." Web log post. Web. 13 Apr. 2010..
Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. Toronto: First American Edition, 1991. Print.
Most relationships these days are based on the fact the woman and the man chose to be with one another because they love each other. These couples are the exception.
The first couple seen in this story is Amina and Ahmad. Amina is not allowed to leave the house at anytime of the day and if any man gazes upon her from the windows of the house this could lead to scolding from her husband. She is allowed to cook, clean, and take care of the children and her husband but nothing more. Ahmad, on the other hand, is allowed to go out and do his business then he can stay out with his friends drink and fornicating with strange women, but if he gets home and his “wife” Amina is not awake to clean him up when he gets there that is another step that could lead Amina to a grave punishment. “ … If only for the moment she was not his servant but also a partner in his life”. (pg 11) This is what Amina thinks every night when Ahmad comes home from his nightly outings with the boys. Ahmad comes home drunk and Amina pleasantly undresses him and washes his feet like a servant would. But the reason she likes these times at night is because these are the only times when Ahmad will talk to her and tell her things about the outside world. This is the first time talks to her like a person who is his equal instead of like a slave who he thinks is beneath him and should just do what he says. But when morning comes for the next day he treats her like trash yet again. From the quote above it seems as if Ahmad is not married because he has any love for Amina but for the fact that she can be a great life long servant for him. It seems like love doesn’t matter anymore, that it is not even taken into any consideration in these marriages.
Hear and obey … hear and obey” ( pg 198) This is what Amina keeps repeating to herself after Ahmad kicks her out of the house for being disobedient and going into town. She says it as if this is what Ahmad has instilled in her to constantly follow, kind of like how the army brainwashes its solider. In her mind she has done something wrong because she has upset Ahmad and the servant is always there to please and make sure that the master is taken care of. If this is called love it is not the love that is seen today. In relationships today both people are servants to one another in a sense it’s not just one does all the work and the other gets to sit back and enjoy the benefits of the other shard work.
The servitude is clearly seen and explained in Abigail’s blog. She writes, “Young Amina, having been raised in a culture where women have always been seen as inferior to men, has been serving her husband for a quarter of a century. She has taken good care of her household, her husband, her stepson, Yasin, and her children since the age of 14.” Abigail’s words show that there is not love in between the marriages here but only the fact of servitude. It shows that the women aren’t seen as the love of the man life, but that they are seen only as a servant, a tool that is to be used regularly but never treated any better than just a tool. In her blog she goes on to write, “Mahfouz, as Amina's memory of Mr. Amad's words, writes, "'I'm a man. I'm the one who commands and forbids. I will not accept any criticism of my behavior. All I ask of you is to obey me. Don't force me to discipline you" (4). These words were the words that taught Amina to adapt to her new life.” The quote in this part of Abigail’s blog shows how Ahmad also sees his wife’s role. He doesn’t see her as a friend or a partner just some one who must obey him like a dog must obey their master. Aby also writes that Amina begins to learn how to love her new life. Well of course she does, she has no choice but to lover her new life. As a servant to her “master” she has to love what she does so that she will be able to do well so that Ahmad will not punish her.
In Rykeem’s blog on Woman worth he writes, “Growing up, I was always taught that women, like a diamond, are to be cherished and treated with respect. But when and where did that become the accepted view? As we see from observing the treatment of women in Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk, not to long ago, women where no more than objects, a mere possession of a gentlemen. A general characteristic of property or an object is the essence of being controlled or used for the benefit of someone else. The word “object” has an implication the entity, object, has no ability to choose, a right given to every human by God”. The words he writes are so true to the story. The women are treated just like objects, something that is to be had but not treated like she is a person. This is exactly what Ahmad thinks of Amina as a possession. She is to do what she is told and to serve him because she is his to have and control.
Work cited
Hackett, Rykeem D. "A Woman's Worth." Web log post. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.
Cisneros, Abigail V. "What Not To Judge." Web log post. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.
Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. Toronto: First American Edition, 1991. Print.
The satire of love
On page 45 after Mr. Shu Fu hurts the man's hand he happens to gaze upon Miss. Shen Te as she passes by. He looks at her and then turns to his audience and says, “ It surprises me how beautiful Miss. Shen Te is looking today! I never gave her a passing thought before. But now I’ve been gazing upon her comely form for three minutes! I begin to suspect I am in love with her. She is overpoweringly attractive! Be off with you, rascal!” What I found funny was the fact that he has just met the women for the first time really and he already thinks that he is in love with her after 3 minutes. That kind of love is not even shown in the movies.
Right before Mr. Shu Fu is another interesting part. It starts at the bottom of page 44 and continues at the top of page 45. Here Shen Te is talking about her day and going into to town she says, “How wonderful to see Setzuan in the early morning!....Good morning, Wong, I’m quite lightheaded today. On my way over, I looked at myself in all the shop windows. I’d love to be beautiful”. This is not the first thing that we would suspect for a person to say when they say they looked in all the shop windows. You would think they would say they saw something that they wanted to buy or a cute pair or shoes something closer to that. Instead she says how she wishes that she was beautiful, and what’s even more interesting is that right after that Mr. Shu Fu says how Shen Te’s is so beautiful looking and that he has fallen in love with her in the first 3 minutes of seeing her.
Right before Mr. Shu Fu is another interesting part. It starts at the bottom of page 44 and continues at the top of page 45. Here Shen Te is talking about her day and going into to town she says, “How wonderful to see Setzuan in the early morning!....Good morning, Wong, I’m quite lightheaded today. On my way over, I looked at myself in all the shop windows. I’d love to be beautiful”. This is not the first thing that we would suspect for a person to say when they say they looked in all the shop windows. You would think they would say they saw something that they wanted to buy or a cute pair or shoes something closer to that. Instead she says how she wishes that she was beautiful, and what’s even more interesting is that right after that Mr. Shu Fu says how Shen Te’s is so beautiful looking and that he has fallen in love with her in the first 3 minutes of seeing her.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Good vs. Bad
Second God: And above all: be good! Farewell!
First God: Farewell
Third God: Farewell
Shen Te: But everything is so expensive, I don’t feel sure I can do it!
Second God: That’s not in our sphere. We never meddle with economics (11).
Usually Gods give a lot of freedom and leeway to sticky situations because they can make anything happen but not too much in this play. There is satire in the fact that the Gods do not “meddle” in economics. Why not? Why can’t the Gods end Shen Te’s troubles then and there and make her rich. The Gods do repay her for her hospitality and she is able to open a shop but later we see that being good is bad business. The shop could never be successful in the way she does business. Shen Te herself wonders why the Gods are so helpless when she sings “The Song of the Defenseless”:
The Good can’t defend themselves and
Even the Gods are Defenseless…
Oh, why don’t the Gods have their own ammunition
And launch against badness their own expedition…
Oh, why don’t the Gods do the buying and selling
Injustice forbidding, starvation dispelling…
You can only help one of your luckless brothers
By trampling down a dozen others (51).
Why are the God’s in Brecht play so helpless when usually Gods have the power to free people from any situation? The Gods are helpless because Bertolt wants the power to be in the people’s hands. What would a person do or more specifically what would a good person do to help a friend? How far would a good person go to help and provide? The audience would not be able to answer these questions if the Gods solved all the problems. Are the Gods naïve to suggest that everything would work out if you just be good. On page 46 there is hope for this idealism. The old couple gives Shen Te money so she may pay her rent and keep her shop because they see and admire all the good she does. Shen Te gets overwhelmingly happy not only because she can keep her shop but because maybe she can keep it and continue to be good. This brings up the question whether you have to be bad and cunning in order to help yourself or others financially? The hope dies when Shen Te must once again put on her mask to be the mean business man to help out her lover. She apparently sees no other way. In her song she realizes the Gods will not make everything just and that she must be reasonable. If she does not alter her good ways then it would not only be the end to her but to all she is trying to help. She must be bad to do good.
Work Cited
Brecht, Bertolt. The Good Woman of Setzuan. Trans. Eric Bentley. Minneapolis, Minn.: University of Minnesota, 1999.
First God: Farewell
Third God: Farewell
Shen Te: But everything is so expensive, I don’t feel sure I can do it!
Second God: That’s not in our sphere. We never meddle with economics (11).
Usually Gods give a lot of freedom and leeway to sticky situations because they can make anything happen but not too much in this play. There is satire in the fact that the Gods do not “meddle” in economics. Why not? Why can’t the Gods end Shen Te’s troubles then and there and make her rich. The Gods do repay her for her hospitality and she is able to open a shop but later we see that being good is bad business. The shop could never be successful in the way she does business. Shen Te herself wonders why the Gods are so helpless when she sings “The Song of the Defenseless”:
The Good can’t defend themselves and
Even the Gods are Defenseless…
Oh, why don’t the Gods have their own ammunition
And launch against badness their own expedition…
Oh, why don’t the Gods do the buying and selling
Injustice forbidding, starvation dispelling…
You can only help one of your luckless brothers
By trampling down a dozen others (51).
Why are the God’s in Brecht play so helpless when usually Gods have the power to free people from any situation? The Gods are helpless because Bertolt wants the power to be in the people’s hands. What would a person do or more specifically what would a good person do to help a friend? How far would a good person go to help and provide? The audience would not be able to answer these questions if the Gods solved all the problems. Are the Gods naïve to suggest that everything would work out if you just be good. On page 46 there is hope for this idealism. The old couple gives Shen Te money so she may pay her rent and keep her shop because they see and admire all the good she does. Shen Te gets overwhelmingly happy not only because she can keep her shop but because maybe she can keep it and continue to be good. This brings up the question whether you have to be bad and cunning in order to help yourself or others financially? The hope dies when Shen Te must once again put on her mask to be the mean business man to help out her lover. She apparently sees no other way. In her song she realizes the Gods will not make everything just and that she must be reasonable. If she does not alter her good ways then it would not only be the end to her but to all she is trying to help. She must be bad to do good.
Work Cited
Brecht, Bertolt. The Good Woman of Setzuan. Trans. Eric Bentley. Minneapolis, Minn.: University of Minnesota, 1999.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Love and Marriage
Naguib Mahfouz is able to give the reader a taste of the fear that Amina feels in chapter twenty-nine of Palace Walk, after the accident (her being hit by a car) has taken place. Since the novel is written in third person, we are given a description of the fear that everyone in the house feels when the question of how they will confront Ahmad is brought about. To her surprise, however, Ahmad did not resort to anger, as predicted. Instead he told her to “‘Stay in bed till God heals you’” (184). When he leaves the room, Mahfouz describes Aisha’s reaction. “Her pale face blushed when she remembered the affection he had showered on her when she had been expecting nothing but his overwhelming anger that would blow her and her future away. Yes, she felt both pride and embarrassment when she started to talk about their father’s sympathy for her in her time of need and how he had forgotten his anger because of the affection and pity that had seized hold of him” (185). “Pride” and “embarrassment” are words that do not go hand in hand. Amina seems to be lying to herself about Ahmad’s affection for her. It is as if she wishes that it were really affection that Ahmad felt instead of an obligation to their marriage.
As I have mentioned in my previous response “Love, Lust, and Custom,” in Islamic culture, marriage is something that everyone must do. Love does not necessarily play a role in every marriage. With Amina and Ahmad's marriage, as Westerners, we find ourselves scrutinizing their marriage and declaring that there is no love involved. Perhaps this is true; maybe Amina is attempting to find love in the littlest things. As human beings, we strive for love, especially women. But who are we to judge or define love? In Islamic culture, I have noticed that marriage is love. We believe that love comes before marriage, and sometimes this holds true for Islamic culture as well, but usually marriage comes first in Islamic culture and the two newlyweds must learn to love one another because divorce is frowned down upon.
In the case of Amina and Ahmad, Amina feels that Ahmad must feel some kind of affection toward her since he did not get angry at her venture outside. But there is also a feeling lingering in her private thoughts that this may not be enough. “Privately she might have wished he would complete his kind treatment of her by renouncing his night out, as was appropriate for a husband whose wife had suffered what she had. Since she knew his temperament well, though, she fabricated an excuse for him ... She would justify his departure with the excuse she had already invented...” (188). It is clear that Amina wishes for Ahmad to be more caring about her fragile situation, but in the end she gives in and accepts that she will receive no more affection from him.
In the article,“Marriage in Islam,” there is a section that discusses love and how it is viewed in Islamic culture. Love is something that does not last, it is a feeling that can end; whereas marriage is a commitment that is necessary in Islamic society. “Love blinds people to potential problems in the relationship. Arranged marriages on the other hand, are based not on physical attraction or romantic notions but rather on critical evaluation of the compatibility of the couple. This is why they often prove successful.” This article makes a valid point: successful marriages are successful only if those married are compatible. Love waivers, but if two people meet each others needs, then there would be no reason for them to part. It is somewhat of a convenience factor. So although Amina desires to be loved, this is not necessarily the case in her marriage. When Ahmad summons her to return home after dismissing her, it is not he who comes to get her from her mother's house, but her sons. The reason for summoning her must have had to do with the fact that he needs her in his life, not for love, but to carry out her duties as his wife; he needs her for the convenience.
Works Cited
1.Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990. Print.
2."Marriage in Islam." Jannah.Org :: Islam the Eternal Path to Peace. Web. 20 Mar. 2010..
As I have mentioned in my previous response “Love, Lust, and Custom,” in Islamic culture, marriage is something that everyone must do. Love does not necessarily play a role in every marriage. With Amina and Ahmad's marriage, as Westerners, we find ourselves scrutinizing their marriage and declaring that there is no love involved. Perhaps this is true; maybe Amina is attempting to find love in the littlest things. As human beings, we strive for love, especially women. But who are we to judge or define love? In Islamic culture, I have noticed that marriage is love. We believe that love comes before marriage, and sometimes this holds true for Islamic culture as well, but usually marriage comes first in Islamic culture and the two newlyweds must learn to love one another because divorce is frowned down upon.
In the case of Amina and Ahmad, Amina feels that Ahmad must feel some kind of affection toward her since he did not get angry at her venture outside. But there is also a feeling lingering in her private thoughts that this may not be enough. “Privately she might have wished he would complete his kind treatment of her by renouncing his night out, as was appropriate for a husband whose wife had suffered what she had. Since she knew his temperament well, though, she fabricated an excuse for him ... She would justify his departure with the excuse she had already invented...” (188). It is clear that Amina wishes for Ahmad to be more caring about her fragile situation, but in the end she gives in and accepts that she will receive no more affection from him.
In the article,“Marriage in Islam,” there is a section that discusses love and how it is viewed in Islamic culture. Love is something that does not last, it is a feeling that can end; whereas marriage is a commitment that is necessary in Islamic society. “Love blinds people to potential problems in the relationship. Arranged marriages on the other hand, are based not on physical attraction or romantic notions but rather on critical evaluation of the compatibility of the couple. This is why they often prove successful.” This article makes a valid point: successful marriages are successful only if those married are compatible. Love waivers, but if two people meet each others needs, then there would be no reason for them to part. It is somewhat of a convenience factor. So although Amina desires to be loved, this is not necessarily the case in her marriage. When Ahmad summons her to return home after dismissing her, it is not he who comes to get her from her mother's house, but her sons. The reason for summoning her must have had to do with the fact that he needs her in his life, not for love, but to carry out her duties as his wife; he needs her for the convenience.
Works Cited
1.Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990. Print.
2."Marriage in Islam." Jannah.Org :: Islam the Eternal Path to Peace. Web. 20 Mar. 2010.
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