Books are my ADVIL

Text: “Damascus the Golden” by Houda Naamani

 

Plot description: This short story is about a young girl’s life as a member of the ruling party of Syria in the 1930’s. Her life, one of privilege, was a happy and peaceful one until the death of her father. Naamani relates her memories of her upbringing by eliciting beautiful imagery of Syria, from its sights to its sounds and smells. noting that she didn’t understand why other Syrians were unhappy with their lives.

 

Theme description:  Themes of the story range from conflict between classes, memories versus reality, and death. The author is teaching that young people in positions of power often do not realize that they have been given privilege, that what one remembers is not always a clear picture of the truth, and how death affects those around it.

 

Reason for appropriateness: Naamani’s story is about Syria, and as a Muslim country is relevant for my students.  It connects well with our privilege lens, as Naamani relates how she felt as a privileged child who was unaware of the privilege she had. Often stories we read can be viewed from the less privileged viewpoint, but here we can see a first-hand account of how it feels to be in the position of authority. Students who are privileged may connect with the author, while those who are not can begin to understand how a person from a privileged background arrives at certain conclusions.

 

Link to critical article: http://vufind.carli.illinois.edu/vf-aru/Record/aru_127670/Description