Outside reading post B

I'm reading Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez.

I love this book so far. One large focus of the book is marriage traditions in Afghanistan. Their traditions are so different from the average American wedding. In America, if you are a virgin when you get married, many people think 'wow'. However being a virgin on your wedding day is expected of you and possibly mandatory in Afghanistan. Another difference is that here, in America, you have the choice of marrying who you want and you date and get to know eachother before becoming engaged. In Afghanistan culture the process which comes before an engagement is that the mother of the groom finds a girl she would like her son to marry and then she contacts that girl's family. The groom's family makes an offer in exchange for their daughter to marry their son. They also promise certain items and money to the bride. At the engagement party the nika-khat (Islamic law document the legally binds them as husband and wife) is signed. The men and the women are not allowed to party, socialize, or rejoice in the same room. The women dress very differently at weddings then their normal gray garments worn on the street. Rodriguez describes the Afghanistan wedding look as a 1950's drag queen. However this look is supposed to symbolize virginity in their culture. Also their dancing is suggestive at weddings, both the men and the women. They do these dances in seperate rooms, divided by gender once again. These dances in America, would never happen at weddings, especially if your grandparents are there.

Outside reading Post A

I've been reading Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez.

VOCABULARY

1. errant (p. 17)- (adj.) straying from a regular or proper course.

2. divulged (p.13)- (v.) to have made something private or secret known.

APPEALS

1. "Whether they shared the fanaticism that had propelled the 9/11 terrorists to kill three thousand people in New York City or whether they feared it even more than we did"(33). This would be a logical appeal because it is more factual and states the date of 9/11 and an estimated number of people that were killed.

2. "I must say that, in all my time in their country, I've never met a rude Afghan. Even when they're pointing a gun at you, they're polite"(33). This is an emotional appeal. People could disagree over this statement. Rodriguez is stating an opinion and it mentions a gun being pointing at you.

3. "A live sheep was tied up next to it. As we rolled by, I imagined that the live sheep was hoping that everyone would fill themselves on his dead, dried up, fly-covered brother"(35). This is an emotional appeal. Here in America, we do not butcher animals on the side of streets in public. This quote gives the sheep feelings and tells the reader more about their culture.

QUOTE
"I wipe my fingers back and forth on the handkerchief, then hand it to her. 'Here's your virginity,' I tell her"(30). In Afghanistan a woman must be a virgin on her wedding night and then must show blood as proof. Rodriguez's friend Roshanna was not a virgin and she saved her friend embarrassment (and possibly death) by clipping down her fingernails and helping her fake her virginity.


THEME

One emerging theme in this novel is culture; the Afghanistan culture is so different from our American culture.