At the bottom of page 176, Mahfouz writes, Kamal asks the following:
"How could this accident happen after she was blessed with a visit to our master al-Husayn?"
(Remember that Al-Huseyn was a holy man very important to Amina, whose tomb is in the mosque Amina and Kamal had gone to visit that day.)
Umm Hanafi replies, "Who knows what might have befallen her, we take refuge in God, had she not been blessed by visiting her master and ours?"
In your own words, what did Kamal mean? What did Umm Hanafi mean? How would you answer Kamal and Umm Hanafi? How do you think the author would?
31 comments:
I think Kahmal is saying why would such a thing happen if she went to the mosque so maybe he doubting his faith. It may show that he is still just a naive kid. Umm Hanafi was just saying he really doesnt know I kind of don't understand what he is saying .
Kamal is having trouble understanding how his mother could have an accident, when she should have gotten a blessing, and good luck because of her visit to Al-Huseyn. Kamal is grappling to make meaning of this traumatic experience he just went through, and honestly, there is a lot to process there. Kamal feels responsible for Amina’s car accident since he pushed her to go farther than she really wanted to, and also, there is an undertone that Kamal might be processing - that in their family, what Amina did was wrong. Umm Hanafi suggests that something worse may have happened without Al-Huseyn’s blessing, and that she really was lucky. Answering Kamal’s question proves to be difficult, but there are two things that I believe the author is trying to get across. One interpretation is that the car accident is symbolizing a punishment for disobeying the rules of her home. The language describing her pleasure, “intoxication,” and an inability “to drink her full” leads me to another interpretation. Her expedition from her house has such a pleasure, but I think this new experience ends with a crash inside herself, either from realizing what she had done, or that she likely never would experience this again.
Checking in . . . One question that I thought of - how will Kahmal and his brothers and sisters relationships with their father change now that their mother has admitted that she disobeyed his rule? The father's reaction was surprisingly calm and nice - will this change the overall family dynamic or will this only last for a short while?
Kamal is asking why this happened when she was blessed by al-Husayn. Umm Hanafi respods that maybe should WAS blessed and because she is stil alive with minor injuries. I think she is indeed blessed even though in accident happened. If she didn;t go to Al-Husyan then maybe should would ave died....????
Kamal says that Amina went to Al-Husayn to get blessed and she did but right after the blessing, why would such a thing happen to her? He says this because Amina goes to Al-Husayn and expierences the holiness and thinks it was good for her to go to Al-Husayn, but then all of this tragedy(some people might interpret it differently) happens which is why it makes Kamal think that there was no point in going to Al-Husayn. (This last sentence is an inference based on what happens and what he says about it. ) I would say to Kamal that she did earn the blessing because she was able to get an injury which would heal in a very short time. Getting the blessing does not mean that Amina and the others are going to be safe all the time, of course something will happen which was why I thought that Al-Huseyn made it occurs quickly so she does not feel a lot of pain.
Umm Hanafi means that the accident was not anything big. She went to get blessed and she did and when she comes back, she is still safe and only gets an injury. He also means that if she has not gone to the blessing, we do not know what would have happened to her. I would answer Um Hanafi by saying that he is right. As I said before just because you got a blessing does not mean that you are completely safe.
I think the author would say that Kamal is right because he is part of the family and the whole family is thinking of the same thing. There is also a possibility that she will say that both of them are right, because Amina's injury was not that bad as Umm Hanafi said but it was also a bad thing to happen on that day as Kamal said.
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This is Nami if you still don't know.
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Kamal is overrun with a deep sense of guilt. I think he is trying very hard to justify the consequences of his actions. After all, it was Kamal's need for pastry which led to the dreadful finale to an "ill-omened excursion". If I might "fill in" the situation, Kamal says to himself 'it's not my fault 'cause the holy man should have protected her; its his fault...' Kamal is looking to blame others, but can't bear to consider himself. He wouldn't dare blame his mother! She's is hurt in bed. Blame is a dishonorable thing in general. I do agree with Austin that, in his search for blame, he displays childish naivete. Why is it necessary to blame under such circumstaces? This example fleshes out the thirst for answers/closure as part of Kamal's character. Umm Hanafi attempts to bring Kamal that closure by suggesting something much worse might have happened if Amina had NOT visited the al-Husayn Mosque. As house servant, Umm Hanafi is not really entitled to give answers of the nature Kamal is searching, rather try to comfort via vague, positive remarks. If I were answering Kamal, as one closer than a servant, I might venture that the accident was no more than unlucky coincidence, and that other factors held much more weight in the event than a holy visit.
This is my interpretation
Kamal: Why could such a terrible thing happen after she got blessed by visiting Al-Huseyn?
Umm Hanafi: Maybe something even worse would've happened without the blessing. Which is why we should be thankful that she visited the mosque.
I agree with Jake's 2nd interpretation of what is happening in this chapter. I am also very curious to see how long the family stays calm like this...and I also wonder if maybe the father is acting calm because he is actually thankful that his wife is ok, and maybe he cares for her more than we think...
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I think Kamal is confused and wondering how Amina could have gotten hurt when she had been blessed. I think Umm Hanafi means that maybe she would have died had she not been blassed earlier and that the blessing is what saved her. I think he's thinking that possibly the blessing didn't make anything better but instead stopped something bad, which is on some level the same thing.
I would answer Kamal how Umm Hanafi did. I actually did in my mind as I read this. I think that he brings up a good point in his question.
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I believe Kamal did not understand why Amina was in an accident after going to the mosque. Kamal is young and he was confused about the fact that they left to visit their master, Al-Huseyn and they came across the misfortune that happened. He believed that they would be protected. Umm Hanafi meant that she doesn’t know how this could have happened to her because they go to God for protection. Umm Hanafi was wondering why if she was blessed by visiting her master or not. My answer to them would be that she just had something bad happen to her. Maybe Al-Huseyn had this happen to her to show that by telling her husband what really happened so that there would be a chance to show his understanding, the fact that he cares about her health, and the fact that he was not mad. I believe that the author could give a response similar to mine.
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It seems that Kamal is very confused by the events that took place due to the major contrast between what "shouldn't" have happened and what did. He believes that his mother's visit to the mosque should have been something that would help her, yet she gets hit by a car following the trip. How can a 10 year old boy explain that? I think what even more interesting if that her getting hit by a car is because she broke a rule of her husband, than does that mean her husband's rule is more powerful than praying at the mosque? I think that getting hit by a car is bad enough for breaking a simple boundary rule, let alone something worse. The way the author is describing this culture so far is starting to disturb me a bit.
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Kamal, since he is very religious and places great trust and love in al-Huseyn, is shocked that an accident like that could of happened to his mother when the main reason she went out was to visit the shrine of al-Huseyn and honor him. I think what Umm Hanafi is saying is that, although Amina did indeed have a bad accident, it would have been much worse if she hadn't received the blessing of al-Huseyn by taking a visit to his shrine. If I were to answer Kamal's question, I would tell him that it was basically just bad luck, and that no one was to blame for it happening. I'm honestly not really sure as to how I would answer Umm Hanafi, since we both have a different outlook on religion.
By the way, this is Sofia.
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Basically since Amina visited Al-Huseyn they exppectd her to get a reward rather than get hit by a car because he is very and sacred and is thought to bles those who visit him and such. It was a shock because now what Kamal has been believing in has failed him because his mother got the opposite of luck. I wonder how this will affct what Kamal believes in the future and if he will trust things such as luck to work.
i agree with turner. amina could have died, she is lucky that she is only hurt. it is also possible that because of this kamal will stop believing in his religion but it is very unlikly. i think that it makes sense that kamal is very confused. he is expressing this by what he said. it is probably very upsetting that Al-huseyn failed to keep his mother safe.
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I think that Kamal is surprised that this accident happened "after she was blessed with a visit to our master al-Husayn." He is almost questioning Khadija and firing back attitude at her as well. This is reasonable, however, because he is worried. I think that Umm Hanafi was means that anything could happen and that they are protected by God even if she was blessed by their "master." I would answer Kamal by saying anything can happen. I am not quite sure how I would answer Umm Hanafi, however. And I think the author would have similar answers.
Like Rachael, I'm also wondering why the father is acting so calm. Does he feel sympathy for Amina? Will he become angry with her later, perhaps when her injury as healed?
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I also am wondering the same as Rachel because the father reacted earlier in the book about the mother being to close with her children but now she disobeyed him and he was calm. WHY?
I agree with everyone about Kamal's feelings- he is confused that his mother's first visit to the shrine of Al Husayn was concluded by her injury. This should have been a happy event, right?
In response to what people are questioning at the end of the thread (Rachel, Sophia, etc.) I think the father's calm response is sort of a hidden reward for Amina's honesty. She believes up until she actually opens her mouth that she is going to lie to her husband. She tells him the absolute truth, and he responds with kindness. Had she lied to him about her accident and waited for him to find out later? (which there are many ways he can. i.e. the doctor, the maid, anyone letting something slip.) Same tender response?
I doubt it.
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A question along the line if Jake's... What does Ahmad's disturbing yet exciting out-of-character action signal about him as a person? Has something happened inside Ahmad to cool him down? Is this the realization of true love as readers we were all waiting for? What consequences will his actions have on the family as a unit? I'm interested...
I agree with rosamund that the father's calm response has something to do with her honesty...but I still think that it also has to do with his caring for her. I think he also might feel that Amina is being punished enough for her wrong by being hurt and he feels that that's enough...
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I think Kamal is thinking like, "okay, so she went to this really like important religious guy which is supposed to help her. Than why did this happen to her?" I agree that he is kind of doubting his religion. He is thinking, well if this is what they say, than why would she have gotten into an accident
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