The First Two Chapters of "Aunt Safiyya and the Monastery"

Ahhlan wa sahhlan!  That means "Welcome" in Arabic.  I have never blogged before this class, so bear with me!  But I have really enjoyed this class so far.  And I have really enjoyed reading Aunt Safiyya well as!

  The first two chapters of Aunt Safiyya were intriguing, enlightening, and saddening.  The story is intriguing because of both its structure and its content.  I thought it was very interesting how Bahaa' Taher opens the book by introducing the monastery, of which we do not yet see the full importance, instead of developing Aunt Safiyya's character first.  Most American authors start by introducing the main (s) and/or circumstances first, whereas in much of the Arabic literature that I have studied so far, the main character is not confirmed until the middle or end of the story.  The content is also intriguing in that the author intertwines different religions (Coptic Christianity and Islam), different social classes, and different beliefs towards women in the Middle East, all into his own life in a small village.

The first two chapters were also enlightening, in that I realized even more the importance of words and language to the Arabic people.  There are many different phrases that have been used so far, such as "may God have mercy on us all," "son of my father," and "there is no strength or power except in God."  The middle phrase was a term of address to someone, and the other two were used as replies.  I found the dramatic use of language to be quite fascinating.

  Finally, I found the first two chapters to be saddening, as did everyone else, I am sure.  It was very sad to watch Aunt Safiyya grow into a beautiful, sweet, and innocent young woman, and then see her disintegrate into a wrinkly, stern, and even "scary" old woman.  The fact that both of these processes happened within a single chapter amazed me.

I cannot wait to see how Bahaa' Taher brings the monastery and Aunt Safiyya together, and how Aunt Safiyya's character is developed even more fully...