Posts
Maryam defines herself as an outsider. She attributes this to being a foreigner in the U.S., but does she try to belong? Does she purposefully isolate herself from others?
I think many of the characters might feel like outsiders. Dave, as a widower, is trying to find his new place in the family. I'm sure Bitsy feels alone with her ideas and plans sometimes. As Jin Ho and Susan grow, there will probably be times when they feel out of place.
And yet they all try to fit in and belong in different ways. Perhaps Ziba's way of belonging is by not challenging Bitsy's criticisms. Other examples might be Sami's refusal to speak Farsi as a child and Maryam not wanting to associate with other Iranians.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I feel that Maryam not wanting to associate with other Iranians, and at the same time keeping distance with Americans, could be some kind of self-defense mechanism.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is easier to be an outsider; nobody can judge you because they don’t know, since you are different, from another culture, another “world”.
I am listening to the book on cd's and just wanted to comment on the conversation between Dave and Maryam during the 3rd arrival party. I just thought it was very poignant and sweet that these two found a connection in the losses of their spouses to cancer. I thought that Maryam did a great job of engaging Dave in a non-threatening manner, and then practicing the true art of active listening. It struck me as being very real.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Macarena. In some ways it's easier for Maryam to separate herself from others. It seems like it takes a lot of work for her to maintain her relationship with Ziba, she's always second guessing herself. I don't blame her from pulling back.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anonymous - Maryam always seems to know the right thing to say. She gets to the heart of the matter in her forthright and gentle manner, and she always seems to know how to smooth over an awkward situation.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your perspectives on Maryam. She is indeed an elegant and kind lady. Maryam holds much inside of her! I would like to guess it was because she has not had an intimate partner to talk with after her husband died.
ReplyDeleteI just have another thought about "outsider and belonging": America is a country of immigrants; nobody can really point to others, i.e., immigrants come later, as outsiders :-)
Very true Claudia - we are a country of immigrants. At times we take pride in our diversity, but at others, we struggle to accept newcomers and worry about our "American" culture becoming diluted by too many immigrants. Somehow we never seem to make peace with it.
ReplyDelete