Register to read the introduction…
Salma who narrates the novel speaks perfect English. This is necessary since Fadia Faqir decides to “creat an ‘Arab book’ in the language of the other.” ( Al-Maleh 238) Diya Abdo, while investigating “double agence” in Faqir’s Pillars of Salt , discusses the hybridity of the language Faqir uses to sustain a “transcultural/translinguistic position” (A-Maleh 238). This position creates ambiguity in its relation with the reader. Abdo argues that Faqir’s texts are presented to a western reader since they are written for the British and American markets. On the other hand her language justifies knowledge of the Arabic language and Arabic Culture specially when she “intersperses the narrative with literary translated phrases and expressions” ( Al-Maleh 238). Therefore, Salma, the narrator, is the voice of Faqir the writer who tells the “other” the story, plights and predicaments of Salma the protagonist. As stated above, the author puts in literary translated phrases in her text and lets Salma speaks broken English to give liveliness to her text, as if the reader sees a foreigner in front of him/her speaking broken English and trying to break the silence the lack of language puts on the character. Salma’s weak English language is expressed when she converses with other characters in the text not when she narrates as mentioned before. Language stands as an obstacle on the way of the protagonist and hampers her from fully mingling with the adopted society. She soliloquizes, “ Now Salma the dark black iris of Hima must try to turn into a Sally, and English rose, white, confident, with an elegant English accent, and a pony” (Faqir 9). I SEE THAT YOU USE AL-MALEH ALOT. HERE IS A TRICK: USE HER REFERENCES AND IGNORE HER. THAT WAY YOUR WRITING IS IS SAID TO BE DIVERSE DUE TO THE WIDE VARIETY OF SOURCES USED. YOU COULD STILL USE
…show more content…
They decide our identity and control it from the first hour or maybe the first day we arrive to life. H.Edward Deluzain states, in his article “ Behind the Name”, that “ in cultures with a keen sense of ancestry. Children get their names from the totems and family trees of their parents. In some cultures, names are taken from events which happen during the pregnancy of the mother or shortly after the birth of the child, and in others, names are divined through magic and incarnation” (1). Salma, whose mother bestowed her with this Arab name, means tender hands and feet; “Salma as fragrant as white jasmine flowers and as pure as honey in its glass jars” (34). This Arab name, as many other names, reflects the Arab culture anticipates from a woman; women must be pure, tender and honorable. Ironically, Salma doesn’t mirror, reflects, or holds the meaning of her name. She gets pregnant out of wedlock and stains her family’s forehead with
They decide our identity and control it from the first hour or maybe the first day we arrive to life. H.Edward Deluzain states, in his article “ Behind the Name”, that “ in cultures with a keen sense of ancestry. Children get their names from the totems and family trees of their parents. In some cultures, names are taken from events which happen during the pregnancy of the mother or shortly after the birth of the child, and in others, names are divined through magic and incarnation” (1). Salma, whose mother bestowed her with this Arab name, means tender hands and feet; “Salma as fragrant as white jasmine flowers and as pure as honey in its glass jars” (34). This Arab name, as many other names, reflects the Arab culture anticipates from a woman; women must be pure, tender and honorable. Ironically, Salma doesn’t mirror, reflects, or holds the meaning of her name. She gets pregnant out of wedlock and stains her family’s forehead with