In The Bastard of Istanbul, Auntie Banu was known for her practices as a soothsayer and her ability to tell the future by the use of tarot cards and coffee cups. On Asya’s 19th birthday, Auntie Banu turned over the 3 cards, one of which was The High Priestess, the other The Tower, and finally … Read more
The journey of life is made up of obstacles and beliefs that help us form our identity. An identity is a way of classifying ourselves and conforming into a social unit, or in Darina’s case, rebelling against it. Darina El Joundi, author of her own memoir, The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing, struggles with her … Read more
According to renowned Psychologist Erik Erikson’s theory of development, older teenagers and young adults are in the stage of Identity vs. Role Confusion. During this stage, adolescents have either committed to a set of morals and ideas about themselves that they can relate with others and have thus successfully developed an identity, or are unsatisfied … Read more
Ambiguous Freedom in “The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing” Freedom means different things to different people and people go to various means to find liberation. In “The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing,” Darina Al-Joundi lives her life on the idea that nothing should be forbidden in order to be free, but she is really … Read more
Posted By: Mansi Trivedi In The Naqib’s Daughter Samia Serageldin describes the stories of several Egyptians during the late 18th-century French colonization of Egypt conducted by General Bonaparte. Serageldin’s vivid imagery, character development, and overall historical accuracy and research give the reader a startling image of Egyptian society under French rule. Though most Western societies … Read more
Posted By: Mansi Trivedi Experiences described in novels and memoirs are hard to imagine unless the reader can relate directly to these experiences. While reading I was reading Al Joundi’s memoir it was very difficult to relate to the incidents that occurred in her life due to the drama and pain surrounding each experience. Rape, … Read more
What is personal identity? It is what makes the individual unique. It is an individual’s perception of “self”, which can include gender roles, sexuality, and racial identity. The struggle to discover identity and family heritage is a major theme in The Bastard of Istanbul. Both Armanoush and Asya yearn to feel confident in their identities … Read more
In The Bastard of Istanbul, Elif Shafak uses tea glasses as a strong symbol of Zeliha’s ability to endure. In spite of her refined beauty, Zeliha’s “towering high heels”, bold wardrobe choices, offensive language, public smoking habits, and nose ring (4) all seem to counteract any likeness she could have with a delicate tea glass. … Read more
Caroline Lindberg Female circumcision, female genital cutting (FGC), or female genital mutilation (FGM), is the partial or total removal or cutting away of a woman’s external genitalia is still practiced widely today. It is performed ritually in 28 countries all over the content of Africa as well as several Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, … Read more
Jenna King Every year 600,000 maternal deaths occur in developing countries such as Cambodia, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Resources are limited and it is often is a struggle for a pregnant mother to provide proper nutrition for herself and for her growing baby to survive. Taking action to reduce excessive maternal mortality is a priority … Read more