“I, The Divine” is a novel written by the author Rabih Alameddine. It is a combination of memoirs & short stories, and therefore lacks a linear storytelling design. Interestingly enough, this style creates a sense of authenticity to Sarah’s tale. In a troubled household, the Nour El-Din family find themselves in a series of compelling moments in their lives where arguments about identity, religion, customs, and tradition ensue. Every time something terrible happens, everyone is out the door, and on their way home. Throughout the novel, it becomes clear that no matter how heinous the wrongdoings of many family members are, everyone forgives and forgets what has been done for the sake of the family. Upon observing Sarah’s story, the reader …show more content…
One example of how the author argued that families should be loyal is through his portrayal of Sarah’s character. When talking about how her father saw her rebelliousness, she says, “He began to see me as a lost cause, an embarrassment to the family.” (Alameddine, 35) Even while feeling like she was resented by her family for all her mistakes, she completely understood that she would always need them. Sarah continued to feel the need to belong to her family, even though she was judged by them for marrying several times outside her religion, and abandoning her son. What the author did in many instances in the book, was ensure the audience appreciated the efforts that everyone put in to make the dysfunctional family work. Ramzi, who was Sarah’s gay half-brother deserted the family to live with his boyfriend in the United States. Despite him being homosexual, and leaving the family, everyone accepted and cherished …show more content…
When Sarah was speaking about Lamia’s murders she stated, “By the time Lamia had succeeded in pulling herself out of our world and was institutionalized, I had come to the realization that I knew little if anything about her.” (146) Fascinatingly, even though Sarah knew her sister was a murderer, she hid incriminating evidence related to the killings. She found letters written by Lamia that describe her murderous intentions. She said, “Only my sister Amal, my stepmother, and I read them. Their presence was kept a secret among the three of us.” (148) Sarah risked a lot for her sister. This idea demonstrates how the author was trying to convey the significance of family values. He suggested that with all the flaws of human nature and our attempts to control situations, we still all want to be connected, especially to our families. Making that connection meaningful, requires one to protect, and be faithful to their
Sarah was the sixth child. Even at a young age she showed great independence and focused many of her efforts on justice. She was very intellectual and because of this, her father paid particular attention to her over the other children. He is said to have frequently declared “if she had been of the other sex she would have made the greatest jurist in the land” (Birney, 1970, p 8). Sarah was also very personable, empathetic and car...
A family either plays a positive role in one’s life leading to their success, or a negative role leading to failure. The love and concern from a family is very important in determining the prosperity in life of its members, and without this support, a person will only face adversity. In Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie McDonald, the Piper family, primarily the father, is responsible for the sorrowful life of the Piper daughters. The disappointment in life of Frances, Kathleen and Mercedes is due to lack of love and nurture, inadequate parenting and over protectiveness.
...ess her husband just so happens to die. Her husband has spent most of his nights with the couple’s personal servant, Sarah, who has conceived the children of this man. Ms. Gaudet also dislikes the children solely for the fact that they remind her much of her husband. Manon is soon granted her freedom when her husband is murdered by African- American rebels.
In the opening paragraph, the author sets a brisk and detailed tone to describe that the relationship between the narrator's family was very closed. For example, they sent the letters every week, and after war was over, they went back to visit them every summer. The author also describes each person’s appearance and personality, such as Aunt J. was thin and she had a romantic figure. Before the narrator's dream came true, her aunts and family gave her much support, such as they took her to visit the Canadian Authors’ Association, and went to visit Ernest Buckler. In the publication of the narrator's first book, she uses her mother and aunts’ scandalizing stories without their permission. Her aunts only said, “it was wonderful−a real book! ” and “here were certain things that were not said and done in her generation, but they could be said and done by mine, and more power to me for doing them”. For the aunts, the story was like a passing of something from one generation to another. Now, this was on the narrator's
...e on her part. Throughout the story, the Mother is portrayed as the dominant figure, which resembled the amount of say that the father and children had on matters. Together, the Father, James, and David strived to maintain equality by helping with the chickens and taking care of Scott; however, despite the effort that they had put in, the Mother refused to be persuaded that Scott was of any value and therefore she felt that selling him would be most beneficial. The Mother’s persona is unsympathetic as she lacks respect and a heart towards her family members. Since the Mother never showed equality, her character had unraveled into the creation of a negative atmosphere in which her family is now cemented in. For the Father, David and James, it is only now the memories of Scott that will hold their bond together.
It seems odd that an only child, from an intact family, would have the insight to write so detailed about the feelings of loss and a blended family. When asked “Do you think a family means a mother, and a father, and a child? Surprisingly, MacLachlan replied, “No, I don’t think that. And I never had.” MacLachlan went through a time when her own mother had Alzheimer’s disease and was losing her memory. MacLachlan stated, “In a sense, she was leaving me, though not because she wanted to. (Author Information; teachers@ran-dom.com) Her characters Anna and Caleb feel that same sense of loss as they remember their mother and learn to accept Sarah. MacLachlan felt there were extended people who became your “kind of; parents. For a lot of children she was their mother/grandmother surrogate. We (MacLachlan’s family) are very strongly connected, my children, myself and even my nieces and nephews. What I am most concerned about is who we are as family and how we effect each other. I didn’t have brothers or sisters, and this may be where it came from”. (“Author Information” teachers@-random.com). It is now easier to see how Anna and Caleb are so willing to take Sarah into their own family. The characters in the book don’t cling to who was a part of their original family, but instead like MacLachlan, focus on how each character effects each other.
Whether it is because of the obligation, out of love, pity or kindness, Jane believes she visit Mrs. Reed and fulfill her last wishes. “Forgive me for my passionate language; I was a child then; eight, nine years have passed since that day.” (253) Putting the hardships behind her Jane gives her full apologies to Mrs.
She is loyal because she cares for her students who are in her class. Ms. Lemry stands by Sarah at all times and is there for her. Sarah is a girl who got abused by her dad when she was younger. Sarah’s father when she was younger, out her face on the stove. Sarah was always scared of her father and she still is because she is afraid of her dad coming back and killing her.
...d longs for her elder sister and mother. Frances is a good person – at heart – and is always looking out for her younger sister. Moreover, even though she has different views that her father and will always do the opposite of what is expected of her, it is seen that this insecurity is caused by James indeed. Frances feels that in order to gain security in her life, she must perform these actions. She feels compelled to live her life the way she does. Frances’s naughty and mischievous behaviour can be viewed as a weakness she possesses, and she longs to correct these weaknesses by her actions. She is not a role model by any means, but she is by no means the Devil’s advocate. A sincere heart – compelled by circumstances – does its best to make the situation turn out for the better than the worse, and Frances, through her love for her mother, inevitably does just that.
Additionally, when the narrator attends Joseph’s memorial service she discovers that she has more in common with his former wives than with his other patients, whom she calls “crazies.” Her past conversations with him now make more sense to her as she realizes that she never really needed him. She recognizes that he was a weak man who needed these women, manipulated them, and devoured their hearts and souls, rather than their
tragedies that befell her. She is an example of a melancholic character that is not able to let go of her loss and therefore lets it t...
In her passage she imagines what it may have been like had William Shakespeare had a sister. She notices how difficult it would be even given...
...and Miss Temple had a relationship that can be compared to a mother and a daughter. Each of them cares deeply about their futures and thinking of Miss Temple not being in Jane’s makes are felt lost. Mothers instill a sense of morals to their daughters and set the standard for the rest of their lives. "I had imbibed from her something of her nature and much of her habits" (353).
When her father passed away she had nobody to tell her what to do and how to act. This was very devastating and she had a hard time dealing with change. So much so that she wouldn't let the police take the body of her father out of the house for three days after his death. The only thing that was constant in her house was the slave that was bound to serve her.
Marry stayed Hartford, Connecticut and attended Bulkeley High School. Her parents were Bill and Sue Cary. She stayed in a small area where everyone was close, but didn’t always get along, so family always meant so much to her. Growing up in a household where family is close and siblings are closer does so much to a person. Marry was the youngest of two daughters so her older sister was not only her sister, but her best friend, idol, and hero. Marry had few friends, but always relied