Things Fall Apart Part III

Since Okonkwo was gone for seven years he lost his place among the men who rule the clan and he could no longer have a strong influence on the decisions the clan made. The church being built in the clan causes confrontations. At first the clansmen just laughed at what the missionaries preached, but when some of their own members and the outcasts of the village started to convert they became very concerned. How could they be expected to fight against their own people? Okonkwo tries to tell the clan that it does not matter, they chose to convert and now they have to pay, because war was the only way to return to the way things were. The new government and church divides the people of the clan through religion and through commerce. The government brought in money to the markets and some people prospered from the increase of money. After Okonkwo returns from the prison with the other men he is determined to make the people see how evil the white men are and inform them that war is the only option. Okonkwo is so enraged that when the District Commissioner's messenger arrives at the meeting, he decapitates the man. He feels that no one will stand with him against these strangers and he is so angry at the motion of letting his life and faith be destroyed, that he lashes out. After Okonkwo murders the man he probably regrets his rash behavior and accepts that now he has endangered the whole clan and condemned himself to death. Okonkwo's choice to hang himself reflects his unbending will to let something foreign destroy what he stood for. His death somewhat signifies the death of the clan and how their old customs are doomed to be overrun by new ideas.

Things Fall Apart Parts I and II

Okonkwo is very cold hearted and vicious. He killed a young man who looked to him as a father, and Okonkwo had even admitted to have liking him. Ikemefuna's death seems to be another hard moment in Okonkwo's life, after he had to make a name for himself by working very hard. When Ezinma gets the fever and the priestess takes her away to the cave, Ekwefi and Okonkwo follow because they are so concerned that the priestess will hurt or possibly kill Enzima because she is believed to be an ogbanje and she is always getting ill. The customs of the clan seem to be very strong within the community. Their system of letting the elders rule seems to be very successful, but their laws seem to be quite cruel. For example, the clan murder's twins and children believed to be ogbanje because they are believed to be evil. Even though the mothers of these poor children are devastated the clan carries on as though it is nothing when in fact they are murdering perfectly healthy babies. The lords of the clan use fear to enforce the laws, claiming that if they do not adhere to the rules the gods will destroy them. When Okonkwo accidentally shoots the boy at the funeral he has to leave for seven years. Okonkwo seems to be a very angry violent man towards everyone even his family sometimes. When Okonkwo is banished for seven years he is devastated because all of his hard work on his farm had been taken away from him and he will have lost seven years that he could have used to earn his way closer to becoming one of the lords of the clan. While he and his family are in Mbaino they hear of the white men that are inhabiting nearby villages and how they savagely murdered one whole clan. The news enrages Okonkwo and he cannot understand why none of the villages are willing to fight the men. When Okonkwo's son Nwoye decides to join a missionary and abandon his clan's faith his father disowns him. Nwoye likes the Christian faith because he disapproves of the practices of his clan.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion chapter 10

I don't really understand why Mizoguchi bought the arsenic pills and the knife. Perhaps the two items were planned evidence to leave at the crime to make it seem as though Mizoguchi was suicidal. It is a perfect convenience when the fire alarm breaks and the repairman doesn't come for several days because it allows Mizoguchi time to execute his plan. Mizoguchi finally feels as though someone has understood him when he speaks to Father Zenkai because Father Zenkai believes that it doesn't matter what kind of acts a person does or who the person chooses to be because all life eventually ends anyhow. When Mizoguchi is by the pond looking at the temple it seems as though he is evaluating its structure, seeing a view of the temple which he had never noticed before. The whole scene where Mizoguchi is viewing the temple and preparing to burn it is very saddening because he is about to destroy something that is so beautiful because it is so full of history and culture. I thought that perhaps Mizoguchi was going to perish in the flames because he could not get the door open in the temple. Once he sets fire to the temple and gets away he is free and he is ready to live life in a way that he never could before. Perhaps this is because he no longer has to become something he did not want to be and or because he no longer has the Golden temple to rule over him.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 9

by giving Mizoguchi the money I think the Superior may be hoping that Mizoguchi will make up for his wrong doings and pay the university or perhaps he know Mizoguchi will not turn in the money, thus giving the Superior reason to expel Mizoguchi once and for all. Mizoguchi spends the money because he wants the Superior to expel him sot that he is pushed to set fire to the temple. Mizoguchi's choice to spend the money on a prostitute is kind of like a slap in the face tot the Superior because the Superior spent the temple's money on prostitutes, so Mizoguchi is spending his money in the same fashion in order to mock the Superior. I am not really sure why Mizoguchi feels he must lose his virginity before he destroys the temple, perhaps he feels it is some sort of right of passage into manhood he must complete before his whole world changes. For the first time Mizoguchi is able to be with a woman and not be bothered with thoughts of the temple because he has finally figured out a way to end his torment which gives him a peace of mind. I think Mizoguchi decides to take that book with him to see Mariko because he wants to somehow signal to Mariko what his plans are without flat out telling her. When he accidentally lets his plan slip in front of Mariko she doesn't believe him and perhaps that is why he doesn't go back. Perhaps the Superior really has sympathy for Mizoguchi and he hates the fact that Mizoguchi chose not to live up to his worth. Instead of understanding the Superior's feelings Mizoguchi chooses to ignore the possibility that his Superior really cares about him and uses this thought to further fuel his reasons for burning the temple.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 8

Mizoguchi feels that by destroying the Golden Temple he will be showing people that it is senseless to suggest that something, in this case the temple, can live on forever because nothing lives forever. When Mizoguchi is with the police officer, he says that he could still refrain from burning down the temple and choose to live live like the young officer, but then he concludes that the only way to start a new life is to burn down the temple. Perhaps Mizoguchi feels this way because he believes that once he burns down the temple his mind will be set free and he will be able to start over. I think Mizoguchi no longer feels any fear or threat from his mother because once he devises his plan to burn the temple he obtains a feeling of strength and power because he alone has the will and plan to destroy something so sacred and beautiful. he starts to be nice to everyone at the temple because he knows that one day they will all be in shock when he destroys the temple. Mizoguchi practically gives up in school because he knows that his education will not alter the outcome of his future because he already knows that he will never be the priest that he set out to be. I think Mizoguchi wants the other school boy to burn down the gate because he wants to be able to relate to someone he suspects deals with the same inner struggles as he does. He is greatly disappointed in the fact that the other boy is only mischievous because he wants to sneak a cigarette. Kashiwagi's plan to go to the superior for the money actually works out very well for Mizoguchi because he is relieved of his debt and of his duties to the temple. Mizoguchi believes that he should have gratitude to Kashiwagi because he made Mizoguchi's plan to burn the temple become more final in that he is forced to set a date to burn the temple before he is thrown out. It was surprising to hear that Tsurukawa committed suicide because he always seemed to be a very happy, positive individual.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 7

Mizoguchi's thoughts are being captured completely by the Golden Temple. Nothing else in life measures up to the Golden temple and therefore Mizoguchi is never able to enjoy and experience life. The black dog seems to be significant because Mizoguchi says that it wanders through a dark world, much like Mizoguchi feels he does. At first I think Mizoguchi is embarrassed to see his Superior with the geisha because he believes that his Superior wants to keep his actions secret. It was odd that Mizoguchi just laughed at the Superior when he called Mizoguchi a fool. Perhaps Mizoguchi was laughing at the situation because it was so bizarre. Mizoguchi becomes upset with the Superior because the Superior never shows any emotion. I think Mizoguchi is looking for a way to communicate or connect with the Superior, but because he doesn't show any emotion Mizoguchi cannot do so. Perhaps Mizoguchi buys the photo of the geisha because he is trying to get the superior to pay attention to him. When the Superior informs Mizoguchi that he not longer has any intention of one day making him superior of the Golden temple, Mizoguchi is surprised at hearing the actual words from the Superior, yet he realizes that he should have been expecting such news. Mizoguchi's odd behavior and his lacking effort in school lead the Superior to change his mind. Since everyone has become cold and hostile to Mizoguchi he starts to become even more isolated. Mizoguchi wants to leave for a while because he probably feels that he needed to have some time to think, some time away from all of the people and places that he had let down. I'm not really sure why Mizoguchi chooses to go to the sea but while he is there looking into the water the idea of burning the temple occurs to him.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 6

I think Mizoguchi believes that the notice, on a sign regarding the illegality of destruction of the Golden Temple, exists because at one time someone thought of doing such destructive things. The sign had to be created as a physical reminder of the consequence of such actions in order to prevent destruction. When Mizoguchi is with Kashiwagi playing the flute, Mizoguchi is exposed to a softer side of Kashiwagi that Mizoguchi did not know existed. It is Mizoguchi's belief that Kashiwagi only finds things to be beautiful if the objects beauty is only temporary, otherwise they are boring. When Kashiwagi says that "there is more to killing than that, you know," I think he is suggesting that in order to really kill someone you have to destroy their mind and spirit, and that it is not all about the physical kill. Kashiwagi believes that beauty is something that can cause pain and wrongdoing. For example, when he refers to "Nansen kills a Kitten," he says that the kittens beauty made men fight because they all wanted to keep the kitten. Kashiwagi seems to be trying to help Mizoguchi by setting him up with the flower lady, but the reason he believes he must do this is unclear. I don't know why the flower lady felt compelled to expose her chest to Mizoguchi. Mizoguchi thinks that now he has seen the real thing up close, it has lost some of its exciting beauty because her breast is only flesh. And when her breast finally appears beautiful to Mizoguchi again his mind wanders back to the image of the Golden temple. Mizoguchi thinks that the Golden Temple is keeping him from a normal life because it is trying to save him from all of the evil things in the world but in reality this sheltered feeling only drives Mizoguchi to do more evil things than most people.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 5

Kashiwagi is a very sick individual, pretending to be hurt to take advantage of girls. Mizoguchi runs away from Kashiwagi at the girl's house and back to the Golden temple because he is afraid of the unfamiliar. The temple makes him feel safe and calm. It is the place that he can go to in order to escape the terrors of the real world. Tsurukawa doesnt approve of Mizoguchi's relationship with Kashiwagi probably because he knows of his character or he thinks Mizoguchi is settling for a friend who really is not going to be a good influence on him. When Mizoguchi hears about the flower lady he is shocked because that is the same woman he and Tsurukawa saw with the soldier. Mizoguchi thinks that the revealing of such information only makes the event more mysterious. Perhaps he believes there is some link between the flower ladies dead child and the death of the soldier. Somehow Kashiwagi has been able to put a trance on the girl he brings to the park with him because she will do anything to please him, even kiss his feet! The other girl who ignores the whole scene of the other girl kissing Kashiwagi's feet seems to be indifferent because she had come to expect such actions since she herself was once in the same position as the other girl. Mizoguchi's intimate moment with the girl is interrupted by thoughts of the Golden temple. Mizoguchi is devastated to learn of Tsurukawa's death. He doesnt understand how such a bright and positive person could be lost so tragically. Mizoguchi thinks that Tsurukawa was the only thing that kept him from being enveloped in evil darkness and solitude. Mizoguchi envies how Tsurukawa died with no burden of self discovery or unanswered questions that seemed to consume his mind, unlike Mizoguchi himself.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 4

Tsurukawa is almost in tears when he asks Mizoguchi if he really could be so cruel as to step on a woman. I think Tsurukawa wants to believe that Mizoguchi is too kind, when in actuality he is an evil, disturbed individual. Mizoguchi is so conflicted by his actions because he is not sure whether he should admit that he did indeed cause the woman to have a miscarriage or not. When Mizoguchi lies to his friend Tsurukawa he says, "the pleasure of lying openly to my friend for the first time was quite sufficient to make my knees tremble." According to his statement it seems that Mizoguchi honestly seems to experience a feeling of evil pleasure for keeping a secret from his only friend. Mizoguchi's mind is opened to a new way of thinking when he meets Kashiwagi. Kashiwagi seems to accept himself the way that he is and he does not believe in sugar coating anything, he is very straight forward and tells things as they are. Mizoguchi thinks he can become friends with Kashiwagi because they are both social outcasts. In Kashiwagi's story he tells of how some things in life are not all that they are made up to be. For example, love to Kashiwagi was not a real thing. Although his mind set probably developed from his condition, Mizoguchi can relate and sees his thinking as sensible.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 3

I wasnt sure what was happening in the bed when Mizoguchi's father covered his eyes. It was probably what was mentioned on the back of the book. Due to this event, Mizoguchi has a resentment towards his mother. He is surprised to hear that she wants him to become the superior of the Golden Temple, but eventually he accepts that he must do his best to ensure that one day the title of superior be passed to him. Mizoguchi's relationship with the Golden temple changes again when he realizes that the Golden temple will not be destroyed by an air raid. It is as though he believes that the Golden temple is not longer destructive like he is and therefore it is so unlike him that he cannot feel close to the temple's beauty. What Mizoguchi does to the woman who comes to see the temple with the soldier is disgusting. Would a person be that afraid that they would step on a someone like that? And I think Mizoguchi actually enjoyed it. When Mizoguchi gives the cigarettes to his superior and does not immediately react, Mizoguchi starts to become even more hateful minded towards the superior. But just as he is about to leave he finds out that he is going to be going to university which is a high honor, because it increases his chances of becoming priest of the Golden Temple one day.

Temple and the Golden Pavilion Chapter 2

At Mizoguchi's father's funeral it becomes apparent that Mizoguchi lacks the ability to show emotion. His father is dead and all that remains is a physical substance which he feels he should not mourn over. Mizoguchi starts to believe his childhood, if you could call it that, was coming to an end as he begins to learn more at school and the temple. It seems that the more endangered the Golden temple becomes of an air raid, the more beautiful it becomes to Mizoguchi. At first it seems like he is starting to really appreciate and admire the temple, but then he starts to look forward to it being burnt to the ground by an air raid. Perhaps at this point he is not trying to be evil but perhaps he feels that the Golden temple and its everlasting beauty and power will finally be released, no longer stationary, into a world where it wont be subjected to the glares of onlookers day in and day out. Mizoguchi relates to this feeling of always being looked at because that is all people do to him when they cant understand his stutter. The end of the chapter was odd. Im not sure what the significance of the soldier and the woman that the two boy's saw. The fact that Mizoguchi mentions Uiko makes me think that perhaps Uiko is still alive, and the soldier as well. Although Mizoguchi could have been imagining that it was her.

Temple of the Golden Pavilion Chapter 1

Mizoguchi is a boy who has a stuttering problem and is always teased at school. He is a longer because he thinks that he cant connect with the outside world due to his stuttering problem. When Mizoguchi meets the soldier in the schoolyard he relates the man to having power. Mizoguchi has a desire to have power, to be in control of the lives of everyone who tormented him and in control of the world. The event with Uiko in the early morning, I think, was Mizoguchi's attempt to communicate with someone that intrigued him, and when he fails to communicate he is disappointed and feels foolish. When Uiko and the desterter die, Mizoguchi doenst show any sort of emotion. He says, "all that remained was the chill," referring to the night air. Before Mizoguchi ever sees the Golden temple he has a picture in his mind of how beautiful it is, based off of all the stories his father had told him. But when he finally sees the temple he is not impressed. Maybe he sees beauty in a too material, physical manner that he fails to see the historical beauty along with the temples architectural beauty. After he visits the temple it seems as though he starts to realize the beauty of the temple because he is consumed with its image.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (paragraph 11)

At the beginning of the final chapter the boys are burning the books one by one. This part is so saddening because they are destroying all of the wonderful things that brought such happiness to them. They are destroying the characters who they had grown to love and admire, as well as the incredible worlds and adventures that the books held. Prior to the burning of the books the seamstress began to change the way that she dressed and spoke to sound and look more like a city girl. Luo of course is very happy with her change because all along he wanted her to be more modern. But then the two boys start to realize that the had perhaps influenced the seamstress too much especially with the literature. For now she wanted to be someone other than the beautiful mountain girl. Luo says, "She said she had learnt one thing from Balzac: that a woman's beauty is a treasure beyond price." I think that the seamstress finally admits to how beautiful she is and decides to leave behind her old life and take advantage of being beautiful. Even after all that the narrator had done for her with her abortion and how in love she seemed to be with Luo she just up and left the two behind. In a way the two boy's plan to modernize the seamstress backfired because the result was not anything they had been expecting. As a result I believe that the boy's burn the books because a part of their lives, the seamstress, had died in them and without her the books were no longer as good, or perhaps the books reminded them so much of the seamstress that they could not bare keeping them any longer.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (paragraph 10)

I couldnt believe that the little seamstress got pregnant. It was very sad that she would never be able to have the child and be with Luo because of government regulations. It was also very brave of the narrator to accept his resposiblity and do everything that he possibly could to help the seamstress. At the hospital, it seemed as though the narrator was never going to be able to speak to the doctor because of the long lines of patients. The narrator hopes that the gynecologist knew his father because he wants to be able to use such a relationship to his advantage. If the gynecologist knew the narrator's father, then maybe the doctor will have some respect and willingness to help the narrator with his dilemma. It seemed strange that the narrator would think to ask an old preacher where the best place to get an abortion was. I dont know if he thought that the preacher would not judge him or the seamstress and be understanding or what. Either way his idea to go and visit the preacher paid off in the end because if he hadn't gone to see the preacher he would never have had the opportunity to speak with the doctor. By trading Balzac for help for the seamstress, the narrator successfully arranges an abortion. I guess that the desire for a banned piece of literature was great, especially to those who may miss the old culture they could be free to experience before the cultural revolution.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (paragraph 9)

I think that when the seamstress gets bitten by the snake it is like she is being bitten by the hand that feeds her. Luo keeps throwing the keys into the water for her, and because she listens to him so much she ends up being bitten by the snake. The snake bite may also be a sign of bad luck for her, or a reminder that life is not as carefree and safe as she may imagine it to be. I think that by being responsible for looking after the seamstress while Luo is away, the narrator takes on an air of duty and determination to successfully carry out his mission for his dear friend. The way that the narrator and the seamstress share there time together it almost seems as though they could be falling for one another, but the narrator is determined not to let such a thing happen. I was worried that the bullies would seriously injure the narrator, and I thought that the narrator would surely get turned in for having the book. I think that the narrators world becomes so bleek after that moment because his treasured secret has been exposed and he feels as though a part of himself has been emotionally attacked.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (paragraph 8)

When the old miller sees Luo and the seamstress at the pond swimming it seems that he is comparing the seamstress to a bird in that she is free and graceful diving off of the rocks. At the end of his section he says that Luo is lucky that only he, the old miller, had seen him. The old miller doesnt care that Luo lied in order to get the songs out of him because he is a more considerate, kind, old man than the authorities. It is different how the author chose to write the story this way, I think he did it because he wanted the reader to know what was happening in the lives of the other main characters, even though the narrator was not witnessing the same events. In Luo's section he seems to be very proud of himself for making the little seamstress more modern by teaching her how to swim properly and not doggy paddle. I think his role as the modernizer is going to his head and he is not considering the consequences of these changes that he is making to the seamstress. Luo's key ring is the only piece of his past in the city that he still has, like a link to modern culture. It is like Luo has the seamstress trained to fetch the key, like he is training her to think and behave more modern. I think when they loose the keys in the pond, it symbolizes change. Immediately following the incident he finds that his mother has become ill and he has to go see her.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (paragraph 7)

When Luo and the narrator are crossing the ravine it is ironic how Luo who is afraid of heights can cross the ravine and the narrator who usually never has any problem freezes in the middle of the ravine and must go back to the beginning. After Luo has continued on his way to see the little seamstress, the narrator mentions that he is suddenly apprehensive about how Luo's journey with Balzac and the Little seamstress would end. Maybe he is picking up on something that has changed between him and Luo, perhaps this is some sort of foreshadow for the future. Also I think that the nightmare that the narrator has further supports the idea that something bad is going to happen to Luo and the seamstress. I am not sure what the signifigance, if any, of the raven is. Perhaps it symbolizes bad luck or an omen of some sort. I thought for sure that the narrator was going to be taken to the authorities by the headman. If it wasn't for Luo's courage, the narrator would have likely gone to some sort of prison. When Luo is drilling the headman's tooth, I was not expecting the narrator to take on such an evil and vengeful attitude towards the headman. It was as though all of the hate and anger inside of him finally broke out and he became something other than his usual self because he wanted to cause the headman pain as revenge for all of the pain he had felt.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (paragraph 6)

It seems as though the headman keeps sending the boys to go see films not only to tell stories to the village but because he likes to be in possession of the boy's little clock. I am not sure what his fascination with the clock is, maybe he feels like he is in control of time. While in Yong Jing the narrator, Luo and the little seamstress learn that Four Eye's mother has come to get him and take him back to the city because he has gotten a job. I wasn't really sure why the narrator pretended to be Luo when he was talking with Four Eye's mother, but it is a good thing that he did otherwise she might not have spoke to him as much. I don't think she really like the narrator based on what her son had told her. The mother tells the narrator that there is no hope of getting the suitcase and he is very dissapointed by this idea. When he goes and tells Luo and the seamstress, the Little Seamstress says, "About those books of his - what if we stole them?" It was odd to hear this from the Seamstress, I thought she liked the stories but not as much as the boys. I guess it showed that she was determined to get to read more stories. The three characters come up with a plan to steal the books. When Luo and the narrator are inside the house hiding under the beds it was very suspensful, I thought for sure they would get caught. In the end it turned out that they got away easily, they never heard from Four Eyes again. When the boy's finally have the suitcase they say that they hate everyone who kept the books away from them. I was surprised by this reaction but I can understand why they would feel this way. All their lives they never got to experience the magic and the adventures of literature because there was always someone forbidding it.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (paragraph 5)

The boy's disguise themselves as city men who come to get folk songs from the old miller. By being polite and enjoying the company of the old miller the boys are able to get the old miller to sing the songs. It is surprising how much fun they actually have at the miller's home, playing music, singing songs and laughing. I guess that goes to show that no matter how poor a person is, they can still laugh and be fun to visit with. When Luo and the narrator return to Four Eyes with the songs written down on paper, Four Eyes is unhappy with the material. He doesn't think the songs are appropriate for the commune authorities because the material, he thought, was too erotic. I can understand how important the songs are to Four Eyes because they are his ticket off of the mountain and back to the city where he could have a job. But it is ironic to take a piece of his countries real culture and change it just to fit the ideal culture for the commune authorities. Four eyes doesnt give the boys any books because he claims that the material is useless and that he has to change them all. As a result the boys are furious. Four Eyes seems to be very selfish and not a good friend.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (paragraph 4)

The book the boys earn by a man named Balzac teaches them of love, passion and desire. All the things that they had never before experienced. The book is like an opening into a far off world, it is an escape from their harsh lives. Even though the narrator had never been to France where the story takes place, he is still able to relate to the feelings and emotions of the characters in the story. The narrator loves the words of the story so much that he copies them into his coat. Luo goes to tell the story to the seamstress and she is so inspired by the story that she and Luo make love for the first time. The boys eventually give the book back to Four Eyes regretfully. Luo wishes that he could have read the story to the Seamstress to make her more modern and more cultured. I think he wants her to experience as much culture as he has while he was living in the city. The next time the boys go to visit Four Eyes he tells them that he had tried to get the old miller who lived up on the mountain to sing him some folk songs for a writer who offered him a job in the city. He failed his attempt and the boys see it as an opportunity to try to get a hold of another book. The boy's attempts to get another book seems to be turning into some sort of game, they are willing to do almost anything to get a hold of the books. The narrator and Luo say that they will go see the old miller and get the songs if Four Eyes promises to give them another book.

Balzac and the Little Seamstress (paragraph 3)

The two boys travel down the mountain to the Little seamtresses village like they were asked. But Luo had a big attack of malaria and the Little Seamstress puts him to bed as soon as they arrive. That night four old women come to sit around Luo, one with a bow and arrow. The bow and arrow was to keep evil spirits away. I think the women were supposed to be scorcerors or something that were supposed to magically cure Luo. They start to fall asleep and the narrator has to tell a story to keep their eyes open. It was surprising when Luo, being as sick as he was, says the closing line to the story and adds so much emotion to the story. I think that Luo and the Little Seamstress were really falling for one another because in the end the narrator says that he thought he saw the seamstress kiss Luo. In the sixth chapter four eyes, the two boy's old friend, is introduced as well as a secret suitcase that he has. Four eyes seems to be a very flighty and frightened individual, and when he is asked about the suitcase he tries to disuade his friends of their interest in its contents. The two boys eventually guess the contents of the suitcase are in fact banned books. I think Four Eyes is so afraid because he is terrified of the Red Guards and the punishments that follow from possessing banned material. The two boys carry Four Eye's load of hod down the mountain for him and in return they get a small book by Balzac. Now they are making deals with Four Eyes to try to get their hands on some books.

Balzac and the Little Seamstress (paragraph 2)

In the third chapter the seamstress is introduced as the "princess of Pheonix Mountain." I dont think that she is really the princess but because she is considered to be wealthier than most on the mountain and she is so beautiful, she is referred to as a princess. It was pretty comical when the boys ran into the seamstresses father the tailor on the mountain side. He kept calling out violin in a weird accent. At the end of the third chapter it seems as though there is an attraction between Luo and the Little Seamstress. But Luo says, "She's not civilised, at least not enough for me!" This line threw me off because it seemed as though he might not really be interested but he could also be denying his feelings as well. In the fourth chapter the boys are working in the little coal mine that is very dangerous. Each boy is afraid of the coal mines but have no choice but to work in them if they ever wish to possibly go back to the city. The boys think that one day one of them might die in the coal mine, and each day they are thankful to be alive. I couldn't imagine working in such conditions and I was afraid for the characters. Then Luo catches malaria. Back at their cabin, the narrator finds a letter from the Little Seamstress to Luo. In it she tells them that they will get two days off to come to her village to tell a film to them. In the letter there seems to be a hint of fondness for the two boys.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Paragraph 1)

When the story first opens, the reader finds that the setting is in the mountains. Shortly after, there is a paragraph or two explaining the idea of reeducation and why the two teenage boys, Luo and the narrator, are in the mountains. It is nice that the author chose to add the part on reeducation because it provides background information to the setting. It seemed strange that Mao, the ruler, wanted to send the youth to be reeducated with the poor laborers. Usually a wants its people to be the smartest and most educated. Perhaps Mao was afraid that if the young generation were exposed to western ideas that they would revolt against him. I am not sure what it is they are supposed to learn in the mountains, maybe how to work with their hands and forget modern teachings. Or maybe it is a way to keep them occupied and out of the major cities where Mao is trying to form his perfect society. It is sad when the narrator discusses Luo's father the dentist and his public humiliation. I dont think that the dentist really slept with the nurse like he was being accused of. I think that that served as a way to prosecute the father on legitimate grounds. It sounds like the boys are 18 and 19 years old and live in a house on stilts above a pigsty on the mountain. The two have to work very hard and the narrator believes they have a minimal chance of ever going back to the city. The people of the mountain are so impressed by the boy's pocket watch alarm clock and the narrator's violin that it is obvious how behind the times and old fashioned the people in the mountains are.

Small Sun

Abu Fahd was given the opportunity to have a rich life and he destroyed his chance. When he is at first offered the jars of gold he is too consumed with the idea of having meat to eat that he is not fast enough to accept the black sheeps offer before he disappears. When Abu Fahd tells his wife about the black sheep under the bridge she and Abu Fahd begin to brainstorm all of the fancy material objects they could buy and how wonderful a life their unborn child would have if they were rich. Their son would never be hungry and have nice clothes, and be able to attend a prestigious school. It is as though they both became overwhelmed with hope and greed at the same time. If it was me being offered such wealth I would undoubtedly act the same way, I believe it is human nature to want more out of life. However, instead of waiting until the next night to search for the sheep like his wife advised him to, Abu Fahd had to get up immediately to return to the bridge, fearful that he would lose his chance. In other words, Abu Fahd’s greed got the better of him and in the end it destroyed hope of his family ever having any of the things that they had dreamed of. When Abu Fahd reaches the bridge he is confronted by a drunk man, and Abu Fahd being so anxious to find the black sheep, becomes furious when the drunk man doesn’t leave him alone. The two men get into a scuffle and Abu Fahd is stabbed many times and left to die. Because Abu Fahd couldn’t wait and succumbed to his greed he sacrificed any hope for himself, his wife, and for his unborn child of living a rich and happy life. Even if he never found the black sheep, if he wouldn’t have been in such a hurry he would have lived to see his unborn son and to be with his family. Now his wife and son will probably be worse off than they would, had Abu Fahd not been killed. Thus the theme seems to be that greed is a very destructive thing.

The Trial of the Small Black Woman

This story is about the case of the murder of a small black woman who never did anything wrong in the first place. The narrator of the story is the one that I thought had killed the woman. The narrator has a bundle of money that he accidentally drops in an alley and he blames the small black woman of stealing the parcel. The narrator goes to the priest and tells him what had happened. The mandal, who is like a magical medium, seeks out the small black woman and places some sort of curse on her saying that the guilty individual will blow up like the inflated animal carcass that they have, and die. Later the narrator finds that he never lost the money and that it was in his pocket the whole time. When he makes such a discovery he is at a loss of what to do. He already told everyone that the small black woman had stolen the money and if he said that he was wrong then he will look like the idiot. Furthermore, if he says that he was wrong it makes the mandal look like a fake and therefore creates this image of weakness of the church. So instead of telling the truth, I think the narrator murders the small black woman to make it appear as though she received her just punishment for stealing, like the mandal and priest said she would. In the end the narrator goes to the woman’s funeral but leaves in a hurry to avoid his guilty conscience regarding the matter. The story shows how even innocent, good people can be wrongfully accused of a crime. It just goes to show how imperfect society functions.

Dreams Seen by a Blind Boy

This boy believes in the Qur’an very passionately. It is ironic that he as well as everyone else in his neighborhood is preached to follow the teachings of the Qur’an and yet when the boy dwells too much on one specific area of the Qur’an he is punished. It seems like the boy is being torn, because if he follows what it is he believes the Qur’an is telling him, which is to follow his heart, men are equal, and a person can follow there own will and do as they wish, then he is misbehaving according to societies standards. Perhaps, since the boy is blind, and he has not actually seen the bad things that occur everyday, he is naïve in the sense that he does not really know how poorly the religious teachings of the Qur’an are followed in real life. But in a way the boy is blessed because he did not have to see the horrors of the world, he could imagine it based on the images that he created in his mind from reading the Qur’an. Those who can see should open their eyes to the world and evaluate how things are run and make changes to those things that aren’t so good.

Clocks Like Horses

In the story Clocks like Horses the main character takes his pocket watch to an old watch repairman who used to be a sailor. When the main character reaches his hotel room he meets a boy who asks the man if he is Indian and denies that he himself (the boy) is Indian. I am not sure why being Indian would be such a special thing. Perhaps this was a time where everyone was labeled based on their nationality. When the man takes his watch to the repairman he is told the story of the repairman’s life as a sailor. The old man used to be a syce, or a stable boy and groom, and he told the man about his travels from port to port trading horses and having to sneak behind the eyes of the Turks who wanted the horses for war. He also tells of the tragic end of his horse trading days, when the ship wrecked on rocks and the horses all drowned. I think that the significance of the clocks being set to times around the world represents a unique rhythm that reminds the old man of the horses and the noises from his sailing days. The rhythms of the clocks might create a sense of peace for the old man. The end of the story was difficult to understand because it repeats exactly what is said in the first paragraph of the story. I do not know if the repetition of the paragraph is supposed to prove that his prediction was correct or if it was somehow tied in with the clock theme. Perhaps the mechanical operations of the clocks is supposed to represent how society functioned, it was always predictable. In the story society is always predictable in that people expect it to label everyone.

Flower Crazy

This story was a little hard to follow. I was not sure why the woman is vomiting in the beginning. I thought that maybe she was pregnant or maybe she just had an illness. It seems like the woman lives in a poor neighborhood where there are a lot of immoral, flashy individuals. The man who is known as the poet and said to be flower crazy seems to be a womanizer, he gives flowers to the women that he likes and has affairs with. I could not figure out the relationship between the woman and the poet, it seemed as though the poet admired the woman and I thought that maybe the woman was the handkerchief woman that the poet kept referring to. It was strange how the woman would get dressed into nicer clothes and go into the nicer parts of the town. Maybe by going into the city she felt as though she escaped from the squwaller of the poor place that she lives. But in the end she finds that even squwaller lives in the nice part of the city.

Life by Instalments

This story had me a little confused. The narrator(s) keep referring to themselves as we, I couldn't figure out if it was two young boys or two older boys or if they were girls or what. But the narrator(s) seem to be ill and they are taking medicine and just trying to live their day to day lives as much as possible. They have a conversation with a religious man and a boy, asking the religious man about his personal life and just imagining how the two go about living their lives. The narrator(s) might be writing a story consisting of short instalments based on little everyday events and that is where the narrator finds his/her purpose. Or maybe the narrator(s) know that they will soon die and they are just trying to take note of the little pieces that occur in everyday life.

Voices from near and far

I interpreted this story as being about a mother of several young men who are soldiers. The mother always listens to a radio to hear the names of the soldiers and she is always feeling worried about her sons. She is telling a message carrier what to write to her sons. She says to write that she is worried and that she wants her sons to write back to her as soon as she gets her message. The note taker never rereads what it is that he has written and that makes me suspicious that he was not actually writing what the woman asked him to. In the end the mother may have become suspicious too because she asks the message taker to repeat what it is that he has written down. The mother describes the soldiers that her sons are a part of as if they have one voice together, which is what I think she keeps hearing on the radio, and she is waiting for one of her sons' own unique voices to break away from the mass and reach out to her to let her know that they are alright.

The Persian Carpet

This story is about a little girl whose mother just divorced her father to marry a man that she had loved since before she was arranged to marry the little girl's father. The little girl, her sister, and a relative of her father's named Maryam sneak out of the father's house to go and visit the mother at her new home. Before the little girl actually sees her mother again she imagines how the meeting will go and she thinks that she is going to act shy and have to pretend her happy emotions. But when the girl actually sees her mother again she is surprised that she is overcome with joy and hugs her mother tightly. That is until she sees a persian rug of her mothers on the floor in one of the rooms of her new home. The little girl remembers all of the times her mother would bring out the rugs in the fall. She suddenly becomes infuriated at her mother when she sees the rug because the mother lied and said that the rug had been stolen and the mother blamed it on the grounds keeper or servant. The little girl was upset that the mother had blamed it on the servant because it made him sad. I think that the mother lied about the rug being stolen because she wanted to take the rug to her boyfriends house. I think the story shows how when a person lies in order to meet their own wants they are being selfish and inconsiderate.

Cairo is a Small City

Adil Salim is an engineer who becomes infatuated with a young woman that passes by his home with her mother and their flock of sheep often. As a means to get the beautiful woman’s attention he offers her and her mother bread for her sheep. Adil becomes convinced that the young woman named Salma is attracted to him as well. One day he is invited to meet her family at her camp in an oasis outside of town. The oasis is the last beautiful thing he sees because he is convicted of murdering someone that belongs to the girl’s clan. Adil’s throat is cut and he is left to die. I think the message of this story is that beauty can be deceiving. Maybe the girl Salma knew that Adil was wanted for murder, maybe she used her looks as a means to lure Adil to her home. Perhaps she kept looking at Adil in a frightened manner because she had heard what a dangerous man Adil was, since he had killed a man before. The story also shows how quickly one’s life can be taken from them. Adil was only thinking about his building that he was working on and wooing the beautiful Salma, I don’t think that he even thought about possibly being in danger when he was going to Salma’s home.

The Drumming Sands

This story is about a man named Misbah who discovers the control and corruption that the government unleashes on people and how wrong it is for them to do such a thing. A man named Jabbour is traveling with Misbah in the beginning. Jabbour is a rebel, he is against the government body that currently runs what I believe is a town in the southwestern part of Libya called Ghat. He uses the desert to explain to Misbah how the people feel about being controlled by the government which I think is from Europe. Jabbour says, about the desert, “It promises you everything, it promises you water and when you look for the water all you find in front of you is a mirage- mirages and mirages, a sea of mirages. They dance in front of you and stick their tongue out at you in mockery, leading you on without purpose.” I think Jabbour is hinting to Misbah that the foreign government does much of the same thing as the desert. The government promises the people opportunities and a fruitful life, but it is all just one big lie used to cover up their desire to rule the land and people. They tease the citizens by leading them to believe that they, the government, can provide great things to them, but in the end, these promises are nothing but figments of their imaginations. The lieutenant kills Jabbour and tries to make Misbah think that he perished in the desert because he went mad. Eventually Misbah figures out that the lieutenant had murdered him because the lieutenant knew that the man was a rebel and was trying to form an uprising amongst the people. At the end of the story it almost seems like Misbah is not really mad at the lieutenant for killing Jabbour because he sees that he cannot stand up against the law and try to make sure that the lieutenant receive just punishment. All in all I think that this story is about the importance of not letting someone or something stop you from obtaining freedom. You cannot give in to what you are told and become blind to the truth no matter how hard it may be to prevent such an occurrence.

Glimpses from the Life of Maugoud Abdul Maugoud and Two Postscripts

Maugoud starts off as a college student. He doesnt fit in with his fellow students and is somewhat reserved and quiet. When he finds his own apartment to live in he meets Madeeha and Madeeha's daughter, Zeinab. Maugoud is fascinated by Madeeha and has an affair with her. Meanwhile he agrees to marry Zeinab. Zeinab eventually discovers Maugoud and Madeeha and is so distraught that she commits suicide. When this happens the mother, Madeeha becomes consumed with regret and sadness. She shuns Maugoud, but she kept something that Maugoud wanted, Zeinab's red slippers. Maugoud wants them back and one night he goes to Madeeha's flat to try and get them and they end up struggling and he knocks Madeeha unconscious. The next day she is found dead. Now Maugoud starts to become very fearful and paranoid that he will be suspected and he starts to live in constant fear. He fears social environments, he fears staying in one place too long, and he fears the night because that is when all of his nightmares haunt him. Maugoud takes on a mind set where he thinks that if he is not fearful then he will let himself slip and risk his discovery in the death of his wife and lover. It doesnt seem like he ever really becomes very sad about the deaths of the two women because he is constantly worrying about his freedom and safety. In the end he sits in his little room which has become like a prison of guilt and paranoya, because that is the only place he feels safe from prying eyes and judegement by people. Maugoud starts telling himself that this could be his last moments, I think he is preparing himself for what he knows is his fate, a horrible death. The story teaches that even if a person is not actually convicted of a crime by the justice system, they still can be convicted by their consciounce. Maugoud spends the rest of his life trapped in this circle of guilt and fear because he knows what he did was wrong and that will haunt him always.

The Cypriot Man

At first it seemed like the cypriot man was just some womanizer who was just having a conversation with the main character. Then it seemed like the cypriot man could be the main character and maybe the main character had a multiple personality. But then at the end when the main character experiences "a slight numbness at the tips of the toes which gradually began to advance upwards until it was as though terrible claws were tearing at my stomach, chest, back and head: the fires of hell had all at once broken out," I think that he is having a stroke or something. But instead of him dying his father dies and that is what the Cypriot man tells him in the end, that next time he will die. I think the Cypriot man is like the devil, or that he represents death. He says that "the term of life is designated, but we take into consideration the skill shown in playing the game. Beware for you are now ascending towards the mountain peak." The cypriot man talks about "playing the game," I think that just means the game of life and how well one can meander there way through life. The story also has this moral of dont take life for granted because it can be taken away from you in a flash, people dont always get a second chance at life.

Another Evening at the Club

This young girl marries a man that her parents choose for her. He is wealthy and handsome. The girl loses her emerald ring that her husband bought for her and she blames it on their servant, who is consequently taken to jail and beaten until she confesses. The next day the girl finds her ring behind her dresser and tells her husband. But instead of calling the police to release the girl the husband takes the emerald ring and says that he will pawn it off for something else the next time that he travels. He does this because he is afraid that the town will find out that they had actually made a mistake, and that will make them appear foolish. At first the girl is uncomfortable with their choice, but as soon as her husband reminds her of her care free happy little rich world, she is back to being happy. She too gives in to the luxuries of being wealthy and loses her integrity like her husband.

Advice from a Sensible Young Man

Uncle Khalil is an old man who is a drug addict. He goes to Adil to ask him for money. At first he says it is for his family to help them along until Khalil starts his job, then it is for doctors fees, and then for a taxi cab. Uncle Khalil has become so addicted to drugs that he would through away his families future just to get another high. He comes to the point of begging Adil to help him, kissing Adil's hands and holding his arm and running after him. Adil keeps trying to tell Khalil that he needs to go and see a doctor and get cleaned up, but Khalil will not listen because he is so far gone from reality. It is ironic that Adil says that Khalil would be better off dead, because just after that moment Khalil is hit by a car and dies. I think Adil decides not to go back just because the man who was killed in the accident, Khalil, did not matter to him anymore, perhaps because it was not the same Khalil he used to know. Khalil became a low life because of his dependency on drugs and Adil treated him that way.

At a womans house

This story was confusing to me. There is a man sitting in a dark room which I am assuming is the house of the woman who comes in at the end of the story. He is there looking after a young child he guesses is about seven months old. He keeps referring to the city Taizz as beautiful and great. He also keeps mentioning the neighbors, the wife is cheating on the husband and she has thrown out her husband who sits on the front steps smoking tobacco. It sounds as though the baby may be ill because the man keeps saying how pale or yellowish the skin of the infant is. When the woman comes in at the end of the story it sounds like the man is just figuring out that he is actually in love with her.

My Brother

This story is about a boy who lives with his mom and brother in a hut near a canal. The boy's brother, I believe, had some sort of mental problem, which would explain why he could not talk and why he had such odd behavior. The boy and his brother always used to go and play across the canal on the hill but as they grow older they do not have as much fun. The boy seems to be growing apart from his brother, he is tired of him coming into his room unexpectedly in the middle of the night and he is tired of his now large brother man handling him. Because of his brothers disability, I think that the boy has remorse against his brother because it makes life so much harder for him and his mother. Also, since the boy's father passed away he has had to take over the role of the father of the house by obtaining a job and helping his mother take care of his brother. The older the two boys get the less the boy seems to care for his brother because he feels the hard work and pain that he and his mother must face in taking care of his mentally challenged sibling.

The Gap in Kaltouma's Fence

This story was difficult for me to follow. From what I figured out, Kaltouma is a fiesty woman who is a widow. She is not old but she thinks that she should act older for some reason. Like when she is frozen in thought in the gap between her and her neighbor's yard. In that moment she cannot decide how to behave because she didnt know at what point in her life she belonged. She didnt feel like a child anymore but she wasnt sure if she would be considered older. In the end she marries Faki al-Baseer because that is what her family decides is best for her. I dont think Kaltouma knows what it is she wants or who she really is. A person should act as young or old as they want to but they should not let their age be the deciding factor.

The Chair Carrier

I think that the man carrying the chair, carries it because it is the only living that he has come to know. He feels like it is his responsibility to handle and carry the chair until he is released from the job by someone of authority. It is strange that the chair has the sign that tells the chair carrier to take it to a safe place and sit upon it and that the man who has been carrying the chair for the whole time cannot read. The man carrying the chair reminds me of someone who is stubborn, stuck in their own ways, and who is unwilling to change. No matter how the crowd member tries to make the man see what damage the chair has done to him, or how easy it would be to just put down the chair and walk away from it forever, the chair carrier persists in his ways. Maybe the man feels that if he does not continue to carry the chair no one else will, kind of like an obligation. Lots of people in the real world feel obligated to do things that they dont enjoy, but they do them any way because they dont think that anyone else will do it.

Papa, Snake and I

When a young boy finds one of the deadliest snakes in his families chicken house, he is for some reason, captivated by the creature. The snake seems to represent great power. The snake causes fear in everyone, even the dogs. The significance of the dog, Wolf, being bitten by the snake is that the world is a dangerous, competitive place and those who are the toughest will win in the end. When the father says, "Yet when a horse goes wild it gets shot down, and its all finished. But tame horses die every day," I think he is saying that not only do the wild and crazy creatures in life get punished but even innocent beings are punished. The snake was seen as an evil, deadly, murderous being that deserved to be killed, and the dog was just innocent. It was not a really big deal that the dog also had to die because every day innocent lives are lost. A person has to have hope in order to live day to day and still find some sort of fulfillment to keep them from giving up. The father seems to believe in this message a lot. Perhaps it is the fact that he doesnt really agree or get along with his wife and that he does not enjoy his job, that causes him to think that God is the only hope he has to live his life somewhat happily.

The Coffee Cart Girl

A girl named Zodwa (aka Pinkie) operates a coffee cart selling pancakes and coffee. She meets a man named Ruben (aka China) when he is on the street outside of a factory on strike. Ruben and Zodwa paticipate in a sort of courtship, visiting with eachother over pancakes and coffee almost everyday. When Ruben finally gets a new job he takes Zodwa to a shop to buy her a gift. Ruben buys Zodwa a few small accessories, amongst them a fancy brooch. While they are in the store the store owner, Naidoo, compliments Zodwa of her beautiful complexion and figure while she is trying on the accessories. For the next few days Naidoo visits Zodwa at her coffee cart, and he offers Zodwa a ring to pay for pancakes. When Ruben sees Naidoo and the ring on Zodwa's hand his jealousy erupts. He threatens Zodwa with his knife, swearing that he loved her the moment he saw her the day of the strike and how dare she think Naidoo felt the same. Ruben does not cause any harm to Zodwa and apologizes. After a few days when Ruben tries to see Zodwa again he learns that the coffee cart had been removed from the streets because the white government said that the cart made the city look dirty. Ruben just sits at an abondoned cart thinking of all the moments he shared with Zodwa. In the end, Ruben's jealousy and lack of trust ruined something that made him happy, and he will likely never see the woman he cared about again.

Snapshots of a Wedding

This story is about a man named Kegoletile, who is the bridegroom. He is going to marry Neo, because she is well educated and not Mathata because Mathata is not well educated. Both women are pregnant with Kegoletile's child and when he must choose which woman to marry he chooses Neo because of her education. With her good education, Neo will have the opportunity to earn a lot of money. Kegoletile seems like he is blaming his choice on the expectations of society. As the author says, "They all wanted as wives, women who were big money-earners and they were so ruthless about it! And yet it was as though society itself stamped each of its individuals with its own particular brand of wealth and Kegoletile had not yet escaped it." Neo is rude and stuck up, and even her family says so, while Mathata is kind and beautiful. Yet Kegoletile still chooses Neo just because of the issue of money. When Neo's aunt warns Neo about how she has been misbehaving and not using manners and that her husband will not like her, Neo finally gets a clue and starts reserving herself. Sometimes a little sense has to be knocked into a person. When Neo is threatened with the idea of her husband rejecting her because of her poor behavior, she snaps out of her daze of arrogence. When a person is faced with losing something that is very important to them they will often be willing to change in order to keep from losing that something.

Protista

The main character of the story is a man who I believe has been exiled to the middle of nowhere. His wife, Maria has left him there alone because she is tired of sharing his burden of exile. The man feels depressed and lonely without her there. I think the man links his youth and happiness directly to Maria. The circle on the wall serves as a constant reminder of Maria and causes the man much grief because he feels like the rest of his life has been wasted. Since there is longer no Maria there is no happiness and meaning to life for him. When the man says that he has become a manfish at the end, I think he is referring to himself as deceased. Maria's skeleton that he describes when he is in the form of a tree seems to represent that Maria is sad and lonely, and she holds onto the silver button as a last hope or connection to her husband. I think that when he is in the form of the tree and he says that he has become rooted to the land, he is saying that he has become tied down to the land, there is nowhere for him to go and there is nothing happy left in his life.

The Betrayal

Dr. Kamal is the president of an Indian organization called the Orient Front. Dr. Kamal is also the founder of the Fordsburg Youth League, an organization of young men who support the same issues as the Orient front. Dr. Kamal and his Orient Front are in danger of losing their prestige and power to another, new political group from the area. To ensure that the new political group doesn't gain support, Dr. Kamal betrays his religious beliefs and morals. Dr. Kamal recruits the Youth League to stand by the Orient Front and challenge any other political entity. At the inaugaral meeting of the new political group a fight breaks out between the Youth League and the new political group, because the new group wanted to change the political system. In the end Kamal's inner turmoil weakens and he feels that a new time is approaching. He did not feel that it was right to be power hungry and be so threatened by someone else that he would stoop to such a low level in order to insure his political power but he did it, he betrayed everything that he preached to everyone else.

The Bridegroom

Located at a desert roadside camp, this story tells about a man's routine and his hopes for the future with his soon to be wife. He is a white man in charge of African workers, I think they are responsible for repairing and building roads. The white man doesn't speak the same language as the Africans, he must have Piet translate for him. Because of this language barrier, the white man is somewhat of a loner, he spends his free time in his tent and alone by his campfire. It is the night before he is to return to his hometown, Francistown, to marry his fiance. The man's last night in camp seems to be joyous and special compared to how the man described his usual routine. The men play music and there is laughter and talking. The campfires are warm and welcoming, and dinner is a special dish that everyone really likes. I think the significance of all of the nights events reflect the joy of the man who is very excited about getting married. There is promise in the atmosphere that the rest of his life with his wife is going to be as comfortable and happy as that night.

A Conversation from the Third Floor

This story is somewhat perplexing. Aziza visits her husband Ashour at a prison. I'm not sure what the soldier on the horse represents. Maybe the soldier was just a part of the scenery, a way to represent the setting of a prison. I think that the husband asked Aziza to send him cigars to celebrate the birth of their son. I dont think that there was any significance to the date palms and the wall. Perhaps the husband was just making sure that things were being taken care of while he was away. Aziza seemed to be very lonely by her quiet behavior. She was also very obedient to her husbands wishes, trying her best to get him whatever he wanted.

A Handful of Dates

In the beginning of the story, the main character, a young boy, views his grandfather with high esteem. The boy's grandfather is his friend with whom he shares many special moments. The boy's view of his grandfather doesn't start to change until the day he learns that his grandfather disliked his neighbour Masood and that his grandfather was slowly buying Masood's land. Masood's land was full of date trees that Masood always said were living beings. The boy disagrees with any type of ownership over the land because in his mind it should be a place for his free imagination. The dates represent the wealth of the land and the boy probably wanted to spit them out because he realized that the dates were the same as money to the men who divided up the harvested dates. The boy did not want to be a part of the greedy group who did not even regard the living trees but only wanted the dates.

An Incident in the Ghobashi Household

It was very touching that Zeinat was willing to pretend to have a child to protect her daughter's reputation. Instead of rejecting her daughter, Zeinat is willin gto help her by offering her daughter, Ni'ma, her life savings and the opportunity to maintain her reputation. The relationship Zeinat has with Ni'ma exemplifies the powerful bond between a mother and daughter. Zeinat feels the need to protect her child in any way that she can because she wants the best life for her daughter. Zeinat was willing to lie to her husband and take on the job of raising Ni'ma's child in order to protect Ni'ma from her father's rejection. Zeinat didn't even need to think twice about helping Ni'ma and that shows the most incredible love a mother and daughter can share.

Minutes of Glory

Since Beatrice has become a barmaid she has only wanted to be lusted over by many men and offered many gifts. But for some reason unknown to her, men are indifferent about her and she is invisible to them. She is always feeling poorly about her appearance and failure to make any money. One day she finally thinks she has found someone to share her feelings with, a man who actually talks to her and pays her. The only problem is that when she finally shares her thoughts with the man, she makes him fall asleep. She is so angry, because she thought that this man would understand and be willing to listen to her because he would be able to relate. In vengeance Beatrice steals the man's money and goes to town to buy new clothes and jewelry.
Beatrice also learns that one of the other barmaids admired Beatrice, when all this time Beatrice had admired the other barmaids. Finally Beatrice is happy, and with her glowing persona and her new look, men stare at her everywhere she goes. Finally Beatrice is wanted by many men and gifts are offered to her constantly. But Beatrice turns them down because she feels happy with everything she has. Just knowing that these men feel this way makes her feel content with who she is. Even though her moment of glory is soon damaged when she is arrested for stealing she had her dream come true.

The Spider's Web

Change is like a spiders web. One changing event continues to grow like a spiders web. Ngotho notices how people who were once brave and heroic have lost their integrity and their respect for one another. Maybe the spider's web symbolizes a trap of hatred and greed. All of the people around Ngotho seem to be trapped in this web and have forgotten to be kind and stand up for what is righteous. For example, the "queen", Mrs. Njogu used to stand up for what she believed was right, she wasnt greedy, and she was a role model to a lot of people. Now she is consumed with greed and the need for power. Ngotho's dislike for the change in people leads him to become trapped in the web of hatred and disrespect like everyone else and it ultimatly consumes him.

The Green Leaves

When three thieves steal from a village, a whole whirlwind of events take place. Nyagar became curious and greedy when he went back to the thief's body to look for money. Apparently he was considered to have wealth, but that was not enough for him. Money can lead people to act in ways that are not always the most responsible. In the end, Nyagar's will to find money in the thief's pocket lead him to his death. The village people thought they had killed the thief, but the thief was actually unconsious and when Nyagar was looking for any money, the thief came to and murdered Nyagar. The village people were wrong for attempting to kill the thief without a trial first, according to the police. If the people would have just caught the thieves instead of trying to kill them they would have been able to avoid the whole situation. The village people were set in their traditional ways that clashed with what modern society believed was right. Perhaps Nyagar deserved to be murdered for being curious. It was his greediness that got him into trouble in the first place.

The Gentlemen of the Jungle

The way that the man is treated by the animals seems to resemble the issues of prejudice in real life. An example of this prejudice is when the animals say that the man's ideas are backwards and they never let him speak at the trial. The members of the commission behave like politicians in that they help eachother get what they want, no matter the impact on others. Greed consumed the members of the commission and it ultimately lead them to fighting with one another for the best hut space. The commission is like a government that mistreats its people, in this case the man, and in the end the man becomes tired of being walked on so he revolts by destroying the cause of the greed and those who were corrupt, much like a society would overthrow a government.

Civil Peace

The family in this story worked very hard to earn money. Jonathan, the father and husband, used his bicycle to taxi soldiers around, he ran a bar, and his children picked mangoes for the soldier's wives. Jonathan was also a luck man because his house, wife, and four of his five children survived the war. Jonathan even recieved twenty pounds for turning in rebel money to the treasury. The fact that Jonathan and his family were willing to be creative and work hard to make a living, shows that they are not greedy people that expect everything to just be given to them. Throughout the story the idea that nothing puzzles god keeps being presented. Since Jonathan and his family are good honest people it seems fair that they got to keep thier home and earn the extra twenty pounds. Even when Jonathan is faced with theives that are after his twenty pounds, he does not endanger his family by challenging the thieves. Instead he hands over the money to spare what is most important to him, his family. The moral is that hard work pays off and that money is not everything.

The Will of Allah

This story is about two criminals named Sule and Dogo. Sule seems to be a self assured, religious individual who accepts who he is as a person. Dogo on the other hand, appears to be a man who chooses to think very little, he is arrogent and rude. The irony within this story is capturing. It is ironic that a criminal would have such a high appreciation for his religion, as Sule had. Also, the way in which Sule and his partner in crime, Dogo, die in the end is somewhat ironic because they believed to be filled with riches when it actually contained a lethal snake. In the end when Dogo doesnt inform Sule about the Cobra in the gourd, and lets Sule reach inside and be bitten, shows how much Dogo really mistrusted Sule. The calm manner in which Sule accepts the fact that he is about to die reflects his belief in Allah. Sule feels that his death is Allah's will, sort of like his death was supposed to happen in such a way. Perhaps a message within the story regards the idea of fate, or that everything happens for a reason.

The Apprentice

This story is about a boy who is troubled by his current situation as an apprentice for a black smith. His name is ogunmola and he comes from a historically famous family of rulers which he greatly admires. Not wishing to go to school he decides to become an apprentice. The two different smith masters that ogunmola works for at different times, who happen to be quarreling brothers, accuse ogunmola of creating work resembling the other masters work. Ogunmola is at a loss, all he wishes for is a job as a black smith where he can create his own work and dream of his great family. Maybe if Ogunmola had gone to school, he would have been able to fulfill such a wish, however he ignored such advise. In a sense this situation is another hopeful reason to seek a higher education. Perhaps the story teaches that dissapointment is a part of life that should be expected by everyone. Ogunmola was disappointed when his family was removed from rule and he was disappointed with his career, but even with such disappointments he would not be stopped from dreaming and that perhaps, is the most important aspect.

Certain Winds from the South

In the beginning of the story it was difficult to figure out the setting and the characters. A mother named Asana is told by her son in law that he must go south so that he can earn money to provide for Asana's daughter, Hawa, and Hawa's newborn son. When Asana's son in law leaves she must tell Hawa where her husband has gone, and although Hawa is heartbroken, her mother tells her to have hope for a better happier future. The idea of faith seems to play a role in this story, in that the daughter Hawa must have faith that her husband will return and they will be happy and have food. Sometimes one must do what is required of them in order to take care of the people that they love. Even though some things are hard to do they can not always be avoided. Hawa's husband leaves because he knows that if he goes south he can create a better quality of life for his wife and son. Assana also shares the story about how Hawa's father had left for the south too. She tells her that it is important to be strong for your child. In life there are challenges, those who are strong will bounce back from those challenges and succeed in the end.

The False Prophet

At first the character Mahmoud Fall comes across as very mysterious. Mahmoud's selfishness and guiltlessness of pretending to be a preacher present him as a shady, self absorbed individual. One can accumulate the idea that some people will do anything for wealth, just as Mahmoud pretended he was a preacher in order to steal from people who believed in him. Also, the fact that his "followers" believed him so readily shows how easily persuaded people can be when they are promised good things. The theme of the story almost seems as though it revolves around the idea of karma, what goes around comes around. Since Mahmoud took advantage of god and people who believed in god, he was mistreated just as he had mistreated those people. The story reminds its readers that choices must be made everyday, and depending on what choice is made, there will be a consequence. Mahmoud chose to use religion as a means to fool people and in the end he lost all that he worked for, and suffered embarrasment from losing his hair. Sometimes a lesson must be learned the hard way.