Night Job And Mother's Inheritance

A wise man once said, “Parents must lead by example. Don't use the cliche; do as I say and not as I do. We are our children's first and most important role models” (Lee Haney). In both “It’s a Night Job” and “Mother's Inheritance” the patriarchal society, and the idea that the world is one that a man runs is ever present in both stories.The second person point of view present in both stories allows the reader to grasp a deeper understanding of the story as the perspective involves the reader in the story. There is a difference in tone as the author of “It’s a Night Job” takes a neutral tone and the author of “Mother’s inheritance” takes a tone of intense anger. There is a similar theme with small discrepancies as both shows the effect of figures

The daughter is speaking to the reader as if she were talking to her mother, thus creating a deeper connection the literary piece.The theme is revealed to be a cry of anger against the Patriarchal Islamic society and of the mistreatment inflicted upon Muslim women. In this story, the author also utilizes metaphors for the female body parts with the lines “the primal fruit of The Fertile Crescent: My Womb.”(Abu-Khalid 142) and “glistening silk that nestles the twin doves in my breast.”(Abu-Khalid 143) which is also meant to symbolize the milk in her body and both utilize vivid imagery. In the beginning of this poem, it can be told that the mother of the poet is dead because it's her inheritance. She goes through everything that she received from her mother, "Mother, You did not leave me an inheritance of necklaces for a wedding but a neck that towers above a guillotine” (Abu-Khalid 142). These things are not things that she tangibly saved for her but that she received from learning and being close to the mother. She keeps going on what she got from her mother and then starts talking about people trying to take her inheritance from her "They searched my pockets, took off my clothes, peeled my skin..." (Abu-Khalid 143-144) but they couldn't take her inheritance from her "But they failed to reach, the glistening silk that nestles, the twin doves, in my breast." Her mother gave her self-respect, knowledge, strength and power. The narrator is left with a guillotine over her head due to the strong will left to her from her mother. In most cases, a strong will would be a good thing, however, in this of a patriarchal Islamic society, it is one of a death