Perhaps the most unusual story you will read this semester, My World of the Unknown challenges us to understand why a djinn-- a strange being created by Allah (the Muslim word for God)-- would appear in the form of a female snake and form a bond of mysterious love with a female narrator. The author Rifaat is a devout Muslim, so while discussing such a controversial topic as sex is one thing, bringing in sex with an unknown force is quite another.
After reading this story, perhaps you will wonder whether the djinn was evil or good, whether it was deceiving the narrator and leading her down the wrong path, or bringing her the most incredible and passionate pleasure and joy she will ever know. That is, ultimately, up for you to decide.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
My World of the Unknown #8
Will homosexuality ever be just as accepted as heterosexuality? In other words, will people eventually judge homosexuality as equal to heterosexuality, or will there always be a stigma attached to being gay?
My World of the Unknown #6
When the narrator tells the djinn that it would be more appropriate for the djinn to be a man, the djinn replies: "'Perfect beauty is to be found only in woman'" (1140).
Do you agree with the djinn's statement?
Do you agree with the djinn's statement?
My World of the Unknown #5
Rifaat is a Muslim, a member of the religion Islam, which is known, in conservative areas, for its strict view on sexuality, particularly relating to women. Many women are required to wear a burqa, a robe that covers the body from head to toe. Sex is so taboo that even discussing it can lead to censure or punishment. Knowing this, Rifaat decided to write this story anyway. Do you think many people in the Muslim world would be bothered by this story?
My World of the Unknown #4
Why do you suppose Rifaat had the djinn come in the shape of a snake? How would the story have been different if the djinn came as a bird, or a cat, or a dog? What does the snake add to the story?
My World of the Unknown #3
How important of a role does the narrator's husband play in the story? Could this have any relevance to the djinn's importance?
My World of the Unknown #2
Discuss the character of Aneesa. What happens to her because of the snake?
Zaabalawi
The meaning of the story Zaabalawi can feel as elusive as the character about whom the story is named. It appears that many characters within the story have heard about, or have talked with Zaabalawi, yet he is nowhere these days to be found, except with a drunk some nights of the week. As readers, in order to figure out who, or what, or why, Zaabalawi is, we need to piece together various clues layered throughout. By examining how different characters address the existence and importance of Zaabalawi, we can come to a clearer-- although perhaps not perfectly clear-- understanding of Zaabalawi's relevance to the world Mahfouz describes.
Is Mahfouz indicating that the world has become less spiritual? Is Mahfouz intimating that the magical force of divine inspiration is not something we can search out and find, but rather something (or someone) that finds us? Is Mahfouz pointing to the impossible nature of us fully realizing the Answer to the Question within us?
Is Mahfouz indicating that the world has become less spiritual? Is Mahfouz intimating that the magical force of divine inspiration is not something we can search out and find, but rather something (or someone) that finds us? Is Mahfouz pointing to the impossible nature of us fully realizing the Answer to the Question within us?
Zaabalawi #9
Where do you find meaning and purpose for your life? Is there something that you are searching for but have yet to find? Are we all searching for something?
Zaabalawi #7
What happens to the narrator in his dream when he passes out drunk? (810) Was Zaabalawi actually there? What does it indicate that he was only able to experience Zaabalawi while asleep?
Zaabalawi #5
Discuss what Sheikh Gad, the well-known Composer, might reveal about the nature of Zaabalawi (807-809).
Zaabalawi #4
Discuss the importance of the calligrapher Hassanein (806-807). What might he indicate about the nature of Zaabalawi?
Zaabalawi #3
Discuss the importance of the lawyer that the narrator first visits in his search for Zaabalawi (804-805). What might he indicate about Zaabalawi?
The Guest #7
Have you ever done something you believed to be right, only to have it backfire? What does this say about the world?
The Guest #5
What does the final paragraph indicate about Daru's decision to allow the Arab to decide for himself if he should go to the authorities or escape?
The Guest #4
Why does Daru leave the Arab to make up his own decision about going to prison or heading off to the nomads?
The Guest
Albert Camus is an author known for his bleak, cold, often unsettling stories in which characters find themselves largely alone. For Camus, life was ultimately one that we as individuals controlled-- there was no God, or sympathetic nature, or even a brotherhood of men. There were isolated incidences of kindness and generosity, but even those did not always turn out well.
Such is the case in the short story The Guest. Daru attempts to act as he sees fit, yet the results are surprising and seemingly contrary to what he wished. Trying to figure out Camus' purpose for writing such stories is one of the most challenging tasks for a reader.
Such is the case in the short story The Guest. Daru attempts to act as he sees fit, yet the results are surprising and seemingly contrary to what he wished. Trying to figure out Camus' purpose for writing such stories is one of the most challenging tasks for a reader.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Man I Killed #5
Why do you suppose Tim imagines the unknown man that he kills as he does? In other words, Tim doesn't know who this man really was, but he conjures up a detailed life story that seems rather convincing. But why this life story and not some other? What is significant about the particular details Tim imagines about this man?
The Man I Killed
Tim O'Brien served as infantry in the Vietnam War, a war known for its often seemingly pointless brutality and overall futility. Much of the civilian population in the United States stood in strong opposition to the U.S. military presence in Vietnam, as they considered the war unjust. Countless soldiers returned from duty permanently scarred by the gruesome scenes of human depravity witnessed in the jungles and elsewhere. One such scene is depicted in The Man I Killed.
All Quiet #4
Why does the narrator, at the end, say "I must be a printer [...] be a printer, printer--" (524)?
All Quiet on the Western Front
Erich Marie Remarque was, like Wilfred Owen, a soldier in WWI. Yet unlike Owen, Remarque fought for the Germans.
Regardless of the politics of the situation, Remarque’s portrayal of WWI is powerfully moving, demanding in its descriptive force that we really consider the profound condition in which these soldiers in the trenches found themselves.
The excerpt from the novel All Quiet on the Western Front depicts the intrinsically chaotic and thus unpredictable nature of trench warfare—at any time you may encounter the enemy right in front of you. As a soldier, you never knew who might appear mere inches beyond your person, and you had to act quickly, ever so quickly, or else you were dead. The expression—“kill or be killed”— applies very well.
Regardless of the politics of the situation, Remarque’s portrayal of WWI is powerfully moving, demanding in its descriptive force that we really consider the profound condition in which these soldiers in the trenches found themselves.
The excerpt from the novel All Quiet on the Western Front depicts the intrinsically chaotic and thus unpredictable nature of trench warfare—at any time you may encounter the enemy right in front of you. As a soldier, you never knew who might appear mere inches beyond your person, and you had to act quickly, ever so quickly, or else you were dead. The expression—“kill or be killed”— applies very well.
Dulce #4
How many soldiers do you suppose suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which was known as shell-shock during WWI? In other words, how many soldiers who have been in battle—who have killed or who have seen someone killed—are so impacted by the event that it haunts them, and are thus limited by this experience from moving forward in their lives?
Dulce et Decorum Est
“Dulce et Decorum Est” is a poem written by a British soldier, Wilfred Owen, who served in World War I. This war is also known as the Great War, since so many were involved and so many were killed. Millions of young men across Europe lost their lives; it was not uncommon after the war, in the 1920s, to walk along streets throughout France, Germany, and England and see almost no men between the ages of 18 and 35. That many young men were killed during the fighting.
World War I (WWI) is particularly well-remembered for the large amount of fighting that occurred in trenches. The trenches were intricate systems of dug pathways usually about five or six feet deep. Soldiers on both sides would hide in the trenches, emerging to mount attacks upon the enemies. Machine guns would cut down soldiers with a terrifying precision, making casualties a certainty. Poison gas was another horrifying aspect of this war, and although technically illegal, it was used regardless. “Dulce et Decorum Est” describes the effects of the unimaginably painful and almost invariably lethal results of inhaling this gas, which was launched in eruptive canisters.
World War I (WWI) is particularly well-remembered for the large amount of fighting that occurred in trenches. The trenches were intricate systems of dug pathways usually about five or six feet deep. Soldiers on both sides would hide in the trenches, emerging to mount attacks upon the enemies. Machine guns would cut down soldiers with a terrifying precision, making casualties a certainty. Poison gas was another horrifying aspect of this war, and although technically illegal, it was used regardless. “Dulce et Decorum Est” describes the effects of the unimaginably painful and almost invariably lethal results of inhaling this gas, which was launched in eruptive canisters.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
A Very Old Man #7
Some people think that we often let our preconceptions get in the way of allowing us to see the magic and mystery of the world. In other words, because we were taught that something should appear a certain way-- for example, an angel should be young and majestic-- we may miss that very thing when it actually arrives and stands directly in front of us.
Do you think many people miss out on certain important aspects of life because of their narrow preconceptions? Because they try to control the world too rigidly, rather than understanding things on their own terms?
Do you think many people miss out on certain important aspects of life because of their narrow preconceptions? Because they try to control the world too rigidly, rather than understanding things on their own terms?
A Very Old Man #5
How do you conceive of an angel? Do you have a certain picture in your head? Where did that picture or conception come from? Is it at all similar to the way the very old man with enormous wings is described?
A Very Old Man #4
How does the very old man with enormous wings affect the people he lives with? How do they perceive him?
A Very Old Man #3
Is the old man with enormous wings an angel? Or is he just an old man with enormous wings?
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings #1
Why does Father Gonzaga have his doubts that the old man is an angel? Do you get the sense that Marquez is viewing the priest-- and perhaps, by extension, the Church-- in a certain way?
Work We Hate #3
What should we consider more important-- a career that makes a great deal of money, or a career that betters the world?
Work We Hate #2
Explain the following lines regarding Meiyo's apparent transformation while sawing wood. What happens to Meiyo?
inside his veins another world
in full color etches
a blue sky on his bones,
a man following a bison herd,
and suddenly his hammer becomes a spear
he tosses to the ground
uttering a sound we do not understand. (12-18)
inside his veins another world
in full color etches
a blue sky on his bones,
a man following a bison herd,
and suddenly his hammer becomes a spear
he tosses to the ground
uttering a sound we do not understand. (12-18)
Work We Hate #1
Poets often include symbols (check glossary if you are unsure what a symbol is) in order to help us understand the profound nature of certain situations. Do you see any symbolism in the following lines?
Every morning
Meiyo revs his truck up
and lets it idle. (1-3)
Every morning
Meiyo revs his truck up
and lets it idle. (1-3)
Work We Hate and Dreams We Love
This other poem by Baca is, on the surface at least, far simpler to understand than "What We Don't Tell the Children." Yet in its simplicity may be hidden deep truths about the current situation in which some of us find ourselves as human beings.
The title may be something many of you can relate to; after all, how many of us have-- or have had-- jobs we have hated, work we have done only because we need to make ends meet. Dreams, on the other hand, are always with us, if we so choose. No one can take our dreams away from us but ourselves. For if one dream fails, another can just as easily take its place.
One of the trickiest things to do nowadays is to find a Dream Job-- the sort of job that we absolutely love going to, and that also pays enough for our needs (and, for many of us, our wants). The poem may be bringing up ideas along those lines; it may also be bringing up more profound ideas about the very nature of our existences: Are we doing, day to day, what our Inner Selves really yearn to be doing? In the modern world, can we be living as we truly wish? As some mysterious part of us desires? As our ancestors before us have lived? How many of us wish we could go back and live in a less hectic, technology-driven world?
The title may be something many of you can relate to; after all, how many of us have-- or have had-- jobs we have hated, work we have done only because we need to make ends meet. Dreams, on the other hand, are always with us, if we so choose. No one can take our dreams away from us but ourselves. For if one dream fails, another can just as easily take its place.
One of the trickiest things to do nowadays is to find a Dream Job-- the sort of job that we absolutely love going to, and that also pays enough for our needs (and, for many of us, our wants). The poem may be bringing up ideas along those lines; it may also be bringing up more profound ideas about the very nature of our existences: Are we doing, day to day, what our Inner Selves really yearn to be doing? In the modern world, can we be living as we truly wish? As some mysterious part of us desires? As our ancestors before us have lived? How many of us wish we could go back and live in a less hectic, technology-driven world?
What We Don't Tell the Children #5
How important do you think socio-economics are to this story? To this society? Are people generally treated differently depending on how much money they have?
What We Don't Tell the Children #4
What is the "What" from the title that the adults don't tell the children?
What We Don't Tell the Children #3
Explain the importance of this stanza:
"Tufts of rabbit fur
in backfield weeds, shred of meat
still warm on bones,
blood drops in warm earth." (10-13)
"Tufts of rabbit fur
in backfield weeds, shred of meat
still warm on bones,
blood drops in warm earth." (10-13)
What We Don't Tell the Children Prompt #2
Describe the artist couple.
Who are they? Why are they there? How do they act? Why do they leave one month after moving in?
Who are they? Why are they there? How do they act? Why do they leave one month after moving in?
What We Don't Tell the Children Prompt #1
Why does the poet italicize the words "primitive place" (16)?
What We Don't Tell the Children
In Baca's poem "What We Don't Tell the Children," it is often what is left unsaid that provides the deepest meaning. While deliberate ambiguity is the norm for most well-respected poetry, the underlying purpose of this poem may be even more difficult to ascertain than for other poems you may be familiar with. To really understand this poem, it's important to consider place-- where is the poem set? What does it look like outside? What is the community like? You may need to research New Mexico a little to get a grasp of the scenery.
Also, consider the title carefully. No author is careless with a title, but this one is particularly interesting for its intentional lack of specifics.
Also, consider the title carefully. No author is careless with a title, but this one is particularly interesting for its intentional lack of specifics.
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