Blog 4: ???

Why does the author incorporate Suleiman's thoughts which are completely unrelated to the context? (For example he starts talking about Scheherazade when he hears Moosa offering the Revolutionary Committee members cigarettes.

Week Four

Welcome to Week Four!

For this week's blog you will post a thought-provoking question that does not have only one answer. Remember that you must make 10 comments this week, not 5. Please do not leave this until the last minute, you have the whole week to get it done.

Literary Elements

Hisham Matar brilliantly expresses the mind of a child during tough times. After Suleiman's mom tells him not to play with Kareem so much, Suleiman is disheartened to see the way Kareem acts when he does play with him. As Kareem sulks around when he is playing with Suleiman, it makes Suleiman realize how much Kareem has lost. Matar repeats the word "quiet" to show how Kareem has changed, "He became quieter--he was always quiet, but not this quiet". Suleiman, no realizing how much his father means to him, ignorantly thinks "I wished the Revolutionary Committee would return and this time take my father so that we would be equal". The bond between the two children is so great, Suleiman does not want something his best friend doesn't have. Then, Suleiman seems mature beyond his age, "Sorry we didn't all stand arm in arm to block the way". This touched me the most, to think that a nine-year old would say something so deep. Then in a moment of recognition, Suleiman realizes he was behaving the same way earlier. He says he was mad at Kareem, just like the way his mother must have felt. The level of maturity given to Suleiman creates a power story.

Week Three

Welcome to Week Three of the Discussion! This weeks discussion will run from Monday, March 9 to Sunday, March 15.

This week's discussion will be on figurative language and literary elements in your book. Please find an example of these in your book and POST a 10-sentence comment on it. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, please don't wait until the last minute.

Discussion #2

At first I (ignorantly) imagined the setting to be a small African village in the middle of the Sahara. I thought this because the Suleiman and his mom take midday naps and seem like the don't have anything better to do. As I continued to read, I realized that they lived in a very modern town, on the outskirts of Tripoli. The author had mentioned that they lived in Tripoli, and the year was 1979, but I hadn't realized it was a city then. The setting impacts Suleiman, because he often goes swimming in the sea, at his will. Also, since his mom takes afternoon naps, he is able to go and walk around his neighborhood without supervision. To me, the book would still make sense even if it wasn't in Libya. The perspective of Suleiman, leads the reader to believe that Tripoli is just an ordinary city. If thee story was narrated by an outsider, a different mood would be set. Tripoli could be in the middle of Mexico, and the story would be exactly the same. Suleiman and those he knows are shaped by their surroundings: he gains a view of the outside world by Calzoni. Calzoni's restaurant, which is located by the sea, always reminds the owner of his hometown of Italy.

Week Two

Welcome to Week Two of our discussion. This discussion will last from Monday, March 2nd to Sunday, March 9th.

This week's discussion is on Setting. Please POST a 10-sentence comment on setting. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, but waiting is not recommended!

Discussion #1

Suleiman, the main character in the book is a very dynamic character. At times he acts mature beyond his age. He supports his mother when she needs help, and is able to comfort her. He is the soothing presence his mom needs. I like how easy-going he makes his live seem...although there is turmoil in his life, and problems with his mother's life, Suleiman is able to make the best of it and act like a kid. His parents have influenced him a lot; his dad has made him strong (he tells him that he is the "man of the house" and that he needs to take care of his mother). His mother has brought out the supportive side; her need for constant aid has made Suleiman gentle and caring. I can slightly relate to him, although not on a very deep level. Like Suleiman, I used to spend time in the summer exploring my neighborhood, trying to find something new to amuse myself. But I also cannot relate to him, because I never faced the problems he did. My parents were never sick, and my dad would always come home at 5:30, not like Suleiman's, randomly appearing and disappearing. Suleiman seems like he will change a lot during the book, and will be presented by challenges because of his mom, dad, and the revolutionaries.