6. The author of “A House for Us” switches between present and past tense half way in the story to emphasize that the narrator is now recalling a memory. The change in tenses represents when the narrator begins explaining his last memory of when Rami is alive and delivers clarification to the conclusion of the story. The shift between past and present brings clarification to the story to give the reader an idea of the bigger picture. The break occurs midway in a deep conversation between the young boys, “The words take me by surprise-as if I have forgotten that you, like the seabirds, come from far away. You go on, as if to assure me with further words….I was sitting next to you on…” (Osman 152). The switch of tenses is also followed
…show more content…
The children in “A House for Us” are often in conflict and this conflict reflects issues that are common in newly-made countries. One of the issues of new countries that is displayed in the young men is that of not knowing what to do with freedom. In the story, once Rami is gone the narrator can be considered lost without him, “Rami went. And for many days thereafter I felt angry with the balcony and the sea and refused to go near them, and I forgot Rami.” (Osman 153). This is not dissimilar to new countries because these countries as well attempt to distance themselves from the culture that they leave behind. However, in many cases these countries manage to possess traces of culture from the land they succeed from. This is shown in the example of the young boys when the narrator illustrates Rami’s vision after Rami is gone, “...which I drew a hill and a house made of large stones; a house that had five steps.” (Osman 153). The children’s conflict and separation is comparable to that of new nations in the sense of how they react to …show more content…
Egypt’s struggle might have affected the way Osman wrote “A House for Us” through political bias and symbolism. In the story, it states that Rami’s father is murdered at the hands of Israeli cruelty, “I saw our house turn into a heap of rubble, and my father was underneath it, still holding his mauser rifle.” (Osman 153). This quote posses’ many symbols linked to Osman’s political bias. The first being Rami’s house being turned into a heap of rubble with his father still inside. The death of his father emphasizes how Israel often destroys Palestinian homes. Another symbol linked to Osman’s bias is the fact that Rami’s father was bearing a firearm when he dies. This exalts Rami’s paternal figure as being a martyr for the cause of independence. Osman attempts to touch the reader with the death of a young character, who is a casualty in the struggle of independence overseas. This is displayed in the narrator's thoughts of Rami’s death, “I still don’t know, how to draw a calm masculine voice, coming from the depths, the voice of a youth who never grew old.” (Osman 153). The struggle that occurs in the author’s home country affects her writing style through subtle political bias and
The children in “A House for Us” are often in conflict and this conflict reflects issues that are common in newly-made countries. One of the issues of new countries that is displayed in the young men is that of not knowing what to do with freedom. In the story, once Rami is gone the narrator can be considered lost without him, “Rami went. And for many days thereafter I felt angry with the balcony and the sea and refused to go near them, and I forgot Rami.” (Osman 153). This is not dissimilar to new countries because these countries as well attempt to distance themselves from the culture that they leave behind. However, in many cases these countries manage to possess traces of culture from the land they succeed from. This is shown in the example of the young boys when the narrator illustrates Rami’s vision after Rami is gone, “...which I drew a hill and a house made of large stones; a house that had five steps.” (Osman 153). The children’s conflict and separation is comparable to that of new nations in the sense of how they react to …show more content…
Egypt’s struggle might have affected the way Osman wrote “A House for Us” through political bias and symbolism. In the story, it states that Rami’s father is murdered at the hands of Israeli cruelty, “I saw our house turn into a heap of rubble, and my father was underneath it, still holding his mauser rifle.” (Osman 153). This quote posses’ many symbols linked to Osman’s political bias. The first being Rami’s house being turned into a heap of rubble with his father still inside. The death of his father emphasizes how Israel often destroys Palestinian homes. Another symbol linked to Osman’s bias is the fact that Rami’s father was bearing a firearm when he dies. This exalts Rami’s paternal figure as being a martyr for the cause of independence. Osman attempts to touch the reader with the death of a young character, who is a casualty in the struggle of independence overseas. This is displayed in the narrator's thoughts of Rami’s death, “I still don’t know, how to draw a calm masculine voice, coming from the depths, the voice of a youth who never grew old.” (Osman 153). The struggle that occurs in the author’s home country affects her writing style through subtle political bias and