Mustafa, the "man"

What I found interesting in the reading so far is that of how women respond to Mustafa. I’m sure we’ve all met a guy who comes off the same as Mustafa, but have that many women committed suicide in today’s world? I can definitely understand women going  into a depression, but three women having the same consequences…not that just doesn’t make sense. Are women that self conscious that they can’t accept themselves for who they are unless their significant other approves of them? Although I don’t understand this concept, I can still see it relate in today’s society. There are women out there who will always strive to be someone who they really are not just to try impress some man. How did society get to the point where women have become completely dissatisfied with themselves that they will go to certain extremes to try and make it different? If Mustafa would have reacted differently, or would have at least tired to care about the women he was with, I think that he might have been able to save some lives and even want to stay in Europe. On the other hand, I think that Mustafa should feel guilty about the deaths of the women and that because of that, it shaped him into the man that he is today. Because the reader doesn’t know how Mustafa died, it could be possible that he did kill himself has a result of everything that he done in past years.

Response to Christine's Post

Here's a response to Christine; I don't know how to post because her blog is different!


I completely agree with you! I think that Irie is a more relateable narrator because of many things. I think that one large aspect of our relatabilty is because she is a female who is struggling with issues that still exist today. She has to battle hidden truths from her parents, which I'm sure many children have to deal with still today. For example, some children aren't told that their parents aren't getting a divorce until after it occurs. I know this may seem like a huge leap of difference, but in reality, it's the same concept. Also, there is the issue of Irie not being comfortable in her own skin. She doesn't feel pretty enough, or thin enough, or even smart enough. Everyone around her seems to be more superior to her, and she sometimes doesn't know how to deal with it. She commonly expresses signs of teens today; she leaves her family to try out new ones, as a crush, and also has to grow up quickly because she ends up getting pregnant out of wedlock. Not to mention, Irie is a woman, and so are we!

The Battle of the Two "M's"

In class today, Jeff initiated a discussion about whether or not we the class thought that if Millat and Magid were to switch places, if the same result would occur. In my opinion, I believe that if Samad would have sent Millat to Bangladesh and would have made Magid stay, I think that the same outcome would occur for Magid, but could go either way for Millat. I say this because it seems as though no matter where he is, Magid would want to do something dealing with law, or have a career that he could use his intellect in. I think that by Samad sending him back to his home only enforced more what Magid had internally wanted to do. On the other hand, I think that if Mallat would have been sent away, that he could have turned out to have either the same outcome as he has by staying in his birth town, or could have a different. I say that he could be the same, by slowly turning more into a real “Muslim” by being sent away because he would be with his native people, and he might be able to conform to their ways. Opposing this idea, I think that Millat could also have a different fate because due to his rebellious ways, he could have chosen to rebel against the natives and have taken a totally different route. I think that Samad’s intentions were good in sending his “good” son to his home, but I think he would have ultimately gotten what he wanted if he would have sent Millat instead.