Interview with Diana Abu Jaber Reflection

 Having now read both of the books Crescent and Fencing with the King, it was an absolute joy to get the chance to chat with Diana Abu Jaber, the author of both of these books. I loved both of her books that we've read in class, she writes like a poet. There is so much fluidity, atmosphere, and mystery in all of her stories. Because of this element of mystery that is often presented in her novels, it was incredibly enlightening to talk to Abu Jaber. She was a very gracious person to converse with. She gave extremely elaborate and thoughtful answers to each of the questions asked by the students. My favorite part was when she told us the real story of her own uncle that lived in a cave in Jordan. It was so exciting to learn about how, in her book Fencing with the King, the character of Musa was inspired by this personal story of hers. From talking with Abu Jaber, I was fascinated to discover just how much her stories and novels, especially Fencing with the King, pull from her own life and experiences. So many of the main plot points and details are from her life, such as her father being the King of Jordan's favorite Fencing partner and having an uncle who is obsessed with regaining the family knife. Despite Fencing with the King having the most story references to her actual life, Abu Jaber confessed that the character that she connects with the most out of all her novels is Sirine, the main character in her book Crescent. She said this was because Sirine is a cook and that is something she herself has a passion for as well. It almost seems she feels that cooking takes up a larger part of her being than writing. It was such a pleasure to get to chat with such a talented and accomplished writer like Diana Abu Jaber.  (324)

A Woman is No Man

 

Etaf Rum’s debut novel, A Woman is No Man, is a story of female oppression particularly in the Arab societies. Isra, Deya, and Sarah all experience this innate inequality for their simple crime of being born a woman. Sarah is kept from going to college, Deya is pushed towards marriage, and Isra is forced to keep having children and when they are not boys, she is beaten until she ultimately dies. None of these events would happen to a man in the same situation. The title A Woman is No Man perfectly represents this sentiment. Men and women are not equal. Just because they both have the word man in them does not mean they are the same. A woman is no man. They have different expectations and pressures. They have different obstacles and adversaries. I often talk to men who wholeheartedly believe that men have it harder in the world than women. A man told me recently that it is easier to be a woman because she does not have to work, she can just sell pictures of her naked body online, while men are expected to work and they get no appreciation. A woman is no man. Arab women are meant to be revered but instead they are policed. As seen in this book, the people around the main women control nearly every aspect of their lives. Their education is controlled, their hair and clothing are controlled, even their romantic lives are controlled. There are so few choices that the women are given the freedom to make for themselves. The book holds up a mirror to the patriarchy in the Arab world and takes a red marker to circle every nasty bit. Obviously this is not equivalent to every Arab home but the issues are prevalent enough for the story to resonate widely. (305)