1. Notice the way each family wakes up. Choose one of the characters and write about about how they wake up--what they do first or think about or feel--tells us something about that character.
OR
2. Notice the father's approach to prayer. Can you remember the description of how he is with his friends? Is it the same or different? How is he with his wife--the same as when he prays, or different? Comment.
OR
3. What evidence is there of the idea that the characters in the book look at the world in an Islamic way? You may discuss anything that has come up in the first three chapters.
OR
2. Notice the father's approach to prayer. Can you remember the description of how he is with his friends? Is it the same or different? How is he with his wife--the same as when he prays, or different? Comment.
OR
3. What evidence is there of the idea that the characters in the book look at the world in an Islamic way? You may discuss anything that has come up in the first three chapters.
16 comments:
savannah,
question #2,
The father does everything to the extreme. when he prays he is engrossed in the love of his god and of his religion."a spiritual pilgrimage in which he traversed the expansive realms of the master.". He is modest and thankful, the ultimate worshiper. When with his friends he is the ultimate friend, smiling, merry and affectionate and when with his wife and family he is "stern and resolute". all of these emotions and really personalities are extremely different from each other and i think, represent how he believes the ideal person should act when in that sort of relationship.
question #1
1. Notice the way which each family wakes up. Choose one of the characters and write about how they wkae up-- what they do first to think about or feel-- tell us something about that character.
when the morning comes and Amina's family wakes up. All of her childern has different ways of waking up. But, the character that made me get interested was Fahmy. He was one of the family who awakened earliest. Also he was the one who studied laws which requires a lot of knowledge and concentration. So I was able to know that he was a hard working person.
Heather
Question 1
Answer
Mr.Ahmad Abd al-Jawad was the character who interested me the most in the family. He wakes up very early in the moring, no matter how late he went to bad. He fights with his thoght which tells him to go back to bed and sleep. Accoridng to this behavior, it seemed like Ahmad is a a man who is good at controling himself and who has a thoroughgoing personaility. After he wokes up, he takes shower with a cold water which helps him to bring his energy back and make him to start a new day with a clean mind. He prays after his shower. In my opinion, Ahmad seemed like a busy working guy who controls himself well and who follows the rules he made. I'm a person who sometimes breaks the rules I made easily to do the things I want, eventhough I didn't planed. I want to complete the things I planed and become stern to myslef like Ahmad because I believe that it will help me to develop my self in a good way.
"Mr. Ahmad Abd al-Jawad" is Amina's husband. He wakes up angry, as is stated on page 15: "He scowled at once, furious at the sound that had disturbed his sleep."
He wakes up hungover, as is said also on page 15: "Normally his first sensation after regaining consciousness was of his hangover." However, he fights the terrible feeling to start his day properly. I actually admire his ability to accept the consequences of his actions. He knows that because he says out so late drinking and partying, that he will be hungover and feel disgusting the next morning. However, he accepts it and learns to live with it. If anything, it becomes a part of his everyday life. He does not let a little pain in exchange for a lot of fun ruin the next chapter in his life. He knows his duty.
What I found so interesting about the next part of his day was this: "When he went to the bath he inhaled the fragrance of sweet incense and found clean clothes carefully arranged on the chair. He washed in cold water, as he did every morning, summer or winter." I felt that these few sentences illustrated the way Ahmad appreciates beauty. He smells incense, which is usually sweet or just good-smelling, and I can tell he doesn't let clutter into his life because of the carefully arranged clothing. Also, he must like to really be awake for the day. He showers in cold water no matter the season. Well, if he wakes up with a handover every morning it's no surprise, as it most likely helps him to regain his strength and alertness, but it illustrates that he enjoys experiencing things to the fullest.
Also, this section interested me on page 17: "His prayer was based on affection, emotion, and feelings. He performed it with the same enthusiasm as he invested in every aspect of life, pouring himself into each. When he worked, he put his whole heart into it. If he befriended someone, he was exceptionally affectionate. When he fell in love, he was swept off his feet. He did not drink without getting drunk." I find it so interesting how he is "earnest and sincere in everything". What a way to live! What if you could wake up and say "I'm going to experience this day to its absolute fullest possibility!" everyday? I think that Mr. Ahmad Abd al-Jawad is to be admired for his entusiasm for life.
Sang Eun
question #1
To pick one of the characters, it would be Mr.Ahmad Abd al-Jawad. He would wake up at the sound of the kneading. He would get upset about the sound that woke him up from his sleep. However, he soon realizes that he should get up and get ready to go to work, even though he wants to go back to sleep. No matter how late he had been getting into bed, he would wake up early. As getting up from his bed, he would feel dizziness. After that he would drink tea and go to take a bath which are always get prepared for him. Because he is the head in the house, there is no one to wake him up but just the alarm and everything is prepared for him.
hey these are from chapter two, my computer wouldn't let me finish last night.-->
#1
I think that she should stay true to her beliefs about wine and not change them just because of the actions of one man. Anyways, it doesn’t matter how peaceful or talkative he is while intoxicated or afterwards because that is not the real him and if she can’t love him sober then she should not be with him.
#2
Amnia is not completely truthful with herself when she is convincing her mind that her husband’s late night out are acceptable and that of a typical husband, which they are not.
#3
There is definitely much evidence in this chapter of an unbalanced relationship between the two. Especially when it is being explained how she undresses him and tends to his every need. “After his wife finished arranging his clothes she sat beside his extended feet and began to remove his shoes and socks.” Also, a missing toe is not enough of a disability for someone not to be able to fend for themselves.
#4
I think her husband’s possible positive quality is his openness with his wife. I say possible because he is this way when intoxicated. His negative qualities are his late nights out, flirting, drinking and the way he sees his status with his wife.
Yeena Sung
2. Notice the father's approach to prayer. Can you remember the description of how he is with his friends? Is it the same or different? How is he with his wife--the same as when he prays, or different?
“He did not pray in a mechanical way limited to recitation, standing, and prostration. His prayer was based on affection, emotion, and feelings.”
When Mr.Ahmad Abd al-Jawad prayed he was not the same as he were to neither his friends nor his family. When he was with his friends he would be the person who is smiling and very cheerful. He didn’t have a face with no emotion like he did to his family including his wife, Anima. Instead he was very humble and cal. He put all of himself when he was praying and he wasn’t praying with a mechanical way but was based on emotions and feelings and enthusiasm towards many things. He would seek for forgiveness and blessings and still after the prayer he would sit in a way to praise God. I realized, despite the way he actually lived( all the partying and no respect to her wife, etc.), he was very serious when it comes to religion.
Christy Martin
Question 1
The character that interested me the most would be Amina. She is one of the earliest to wake up. She starts her day by preparing breakfast for the family in the oven room. She finds great delight in the oven room, it is the only place where she is in control and does not have to take demands from anyone. She is the queen of the oven room. After she prepares breakfast she wakes the rest of the house and prepares them for the day.
Amina takes pride in what she does. She feels accomplished making a perfect meal for her family and helping them with the start of their day. It is her job. This says that Amina is a good wife and wants what is best for her family.
Emily Lee:)
QUESTION #3
3. What evidence is there of the idea that the characters in the book look at the world in an Islamic way? You may discuss anything that has come up in the first three chapters.
In the first few chapters, Amina always says may it bless us and things that are always positive. And the way how this family function is that when they wake up people or greeting even their own family, they are so nice and gentle with smiles. Being and thinking positive relates to Islamic way.
Ka Yeon Nam
Question #1
Notice the way each family wakes up. Choose one of the characters and write about about how they wake up--what they do first or think about or feel--tells us something about that character.
I chose the character Mr. Ahmad Abd al-Jawad. He wakes up every morning by the sound of kneading the dough. He becomes kind of frustrated but holds back his frustration becuase he knows he need to wake up. The first thing he remebers is his hangover from the night before. However, he never forgets his work. This tells me that authogh he likes partying, he always does his duties well.
Finally chapter 3
#1
I found the waking up and nightly routine of Mr.Ahamad Abd al-Jawad the most interesting of the characters. Mr. Ahamad is a man who has crazy nights out which involve heavy drinking, therefore he never the less wakes up with the sensation of a hangover. He gets very annoyed by the kneading of the dough, which the text says works as a type of an alarm clock, because he always wants to go back to bed. However “he never forgets his daytime duties” and always awakes at this early time no matter when he went to sleep.
#2
When the father prays he is not merry as he is with his friends nor is he stern like his is with his family. When he prays his face is very relaxed and he had the same enthusiasm he has in the aspects of life. He asked “God to watch over him carefully, forgive him, and bless his offspring and business.
#3
I think that the two point that I have seen in the book from which you can clearly infer that at least two of the characters (Amina and her husband) look at the world in an Islamic way. The first is when Amina is reading the Qur’an around the house and also recites it to wake her child. The second is with the husband daily prayer. “Thus for him the mandatory prayer became a spiritual pilgrimage in which he traversed the expansive realms of the Master.”
Q.2
Sung Kun Kim
When the father is with his friends, he was exceptionally affectionate and had smiling merry face. Also he was stern and resolute in front of his family and his wife. But, when praying to God, he is very different. He was always humble and had responsible face. He didn't do it just because he had to, but with affection, emotion, and feelings. But he is always passionate with all the things that he do.
1. Notice the way each family wakes up. Choose one of the characters and write about about how they wake up--what they do first or think about or feel--tells us something about that character.
Ahmad Abd al-Jaward wakes up slowly by "rolling over on his side and opened his eyes." He is very disturbed by anyone who disrupts his sleep. Ahmad although a smart man will over pass his feelings of anger in the morning knowing this will not help him to rise out of bed. Since he wants to show no signs of weakness he always overcomes his pain of hangovers, anger, and being tired. Ahmad has this characteristic of desire to over achieve. He shows this trait everyday even by the simplest of tasks such as getting out of bed. When he wakens, the first thing that comes to his mind are his daytime requirements and how they should be done. Ahmad woke an hour early everyday which shows his commitment.
-Brianna Malavenda
Answer to #2 (agreeing with Savannah)
"Piety, love and hope shone from its relaxed features...He did not pray in a mechanical way limited to recitation, standing and prostration"
The father is a sincere and honest man, true to his beliefs. His ultimate complacency in prayer is contrasted with his jovial nature with his friends, and his strict ruling over his family. This is, I believe very culturally influenced - a society trait. I think he is being portrayed as a stereotypical Islamic man, hard with his family, cheerful with his friends, and stoic with his religion and prayer. He is clearly a true person, human.
1. Notice the way each family wakes up. Choose one of the characters and write about about how they wake up--what they do first or think about or feel--tells us something about that character.
Some of the characters are glad to be getting up and they get up very early. Others hate it when they get up. Ahmad for example hates it when he gets up and you can tell because in the morning he's always groaning and doesn't want to get out of bed. Unlike Amina who gets up very early and doesn't mind.
Post a Comment