EngL1401W - Spring 2007: Introduction to "Third World" Literature

I think that the camel story comes back to how boys take care of camels and girls take care of goats. I didn't really understand how this belittled women so much. The camels are important I think because they provide transportation but goats also provide milk and cheese, basically food, which is another thing that is significant for the survival of the nomads.
But getting back to the question, the camel trampling her to death represents her death by man. It is almost like a foreshadowing that they will be the death of her. Her grandfather refusing to come in to give her his last blessing could be a way to show her that her relationship with her grandfather did not end on good terms. The only difference is that in real life, he cursed her and died, not her dying and being refused his blessing.

The epigraph is so wonderful and true to all of life. We always think that when things seem to go wrong all at once our life is falling apart. However, if they were falling apart they would have been broken in some way in the first place.

The story really shows significance to how the world is for Ebla. The townspeople do not understand country people and vise versa. The story gives the book significance to a deeper meaning than just Ebla’s screwed up love life. It really shows why there is such a gap between the people and that what some people understand as logical and others ridiculous. It gives an understanding to how Ebla reacts to her new surroundings.

I think that there is a strong correlation between Somalia's independence and Ebla's freedom. Ebla's confusion about what she wants and how much of the events that surround her are consequences of her actions run parallel with what good independence will do for Somalia, and if the blame for all of its troubles lies in colonialism.

I do think that the epigraph for part III is a jab at Achebe's view of Africa. Whereas Achebe believes that "things fall apart" when the colonizers came in, Farah reasons through Ebla's woes that things weren't that great to begin with, especially for women.

When Ebla says, “Our only refuge lies in indecision,” it may mean that the only control women have of their lives is the fact that they can be indecisive. Ebla may be trying to say that the reason men think women never know what they want or what they are doing is because women are being indecisive on purpose. Women have no other place to go or to gain freedom with. The only thing they can control over is the inner debate they have in their heads. For example, Ebla blames being a woman or heeding to the advice of others as a catch all for her actions and hardships many times in this story. However, she also does a complete reversal and states that she is responsible for her actions and a master of herself. Ebla seems to be in a constant state of indecision, she wants to take responsibility, but then she doesn’t “man-up.” (which is quite an interesting phrase to use in this situation as women are viewed as being indecisive and not able to make up their minds and when someone does not take responsibility or make up his or her mind they are said to not man-up which implies that men are the ones who make choices…very interesting if you ask me)

Anyway, back to Ebla. She seems to understand that her place in life, the role society has given her, leaves her with only one freedom or refuge-to be indecisive. After all, it is not something anyone else can control and if someone forces a woman to make a decision, she can still think about it and wonder if it was the right choice. The only way women can get power or a sense of freedom is through their refuge.

The idea of indecision being a refuge also makes me think that it is in this state that women feel safe and secure. When they have not made up their minds, they are not right or wrong. People can not scorn their choice or complain that women don’t make the right decisions. The state of refuge gives women some peace where they are not controlled by men and society.

Ebla’s brother told her that her grandfather died of shock. Now I am not sure if that is physically possible but if it is then yes, she is responsible for his death. Although I believe she is responsible I think she still should have done what she did for herself.
Many people in class were criticizing Ebla about changing her mind and being hypocritical. She left her village because she didn’t want to marry “just anybody” but in the end that’s what she ended up doing…twice. I think that Ebla left her village as one person and by the end of the story she was an entirely different character with compromised views and values. This is why she contradicts herself throughout the story. In the beginning she is this naïve blank slate by the time she experiences the city she has changed. She matured a great deal throughout the story, not necessarily for the better though. She was a country girl who belonged in the country with the “beasts” as she would say. In the story the only thing she really ever connected with were the cows. She even chose them over Aowralla.

I would agree and I think the narrator would agree that Ebla is the cause of her grandfathers death. I don't think Ebla should worry so much if it was her fault or not. If she is so worried about her grandfather then she should have listened to him in the first place and married that old guy and lived pissed off for the rest of her life. She is satisfying her needs and she is responsible for her actions no matter what they bring upon herself or others.
Not sure but...Possibly the "refuge in indecision" remark is Ebla's explanation of the effect men's emotional torment have had on the women's life in her society. Since men have such poor attitudes and feelings towards women, this is the way she gets through life without the men affecting her. She seems to never know what she is going to next and her life hinges on how the next male's influence will affect her path of life.

Ebla "falls apart" worse towards the end. She is bits and pieces of an undiscovered part of a whole. What I mean by this is, she is never really "whole" at the beginning. She is an orphan and is traded for camels. She is a Somalia woman within a Somalia society. A woman seeking for freedom and independence.

I didn't really think it is her responsibilty for her grandfather's death to the point she agrees to marry Tiffo, whom she has never seen before. "I love life, and I love to be a wife. I don't care whose." If she loves life, why would she swear upon her grandfather and her brother, who she loves and cares about, for God to kill them if she does not follow through with her actions. If she does not care who she gets marry to, then why doesn't she marry the old guy her grandfather wanted her to marry in the first place? Why does she suddenly want to someone esle's wife when she is the wife of Awill already? She quickly seeks revenge from the assumption that husband is cheating on her. The narrator would agree that she is responsible for her grandfather's death.

Well, I have to say that overall I think that this story is not complex in the sense that it has implications for Somali independance etc. or some hidden meanings.
I think that simply this is a great book about a "comming of age", about growing up and dealing with your society and trying to understand it and the intracacies of life. Of comming to terms with these kinds of things. The book shows a remarkable transition in Ebla as she gains experience and lives life, things aren't that good all the time, but they are sort of shown in a realistic way.
The dream for instance may not mean anything, it's just a dream, an anxiety releasing itself in a wierd dream. We all have those sometimes :]

I think what Shiyao said about things not being that great to begin with is a good observation. Within this story and through Ebla Farrah heavily critiques society. I really liked the book, So much that I cant think of a good essay question!!!

I like the epigraph for part III. I think it’s very true. Our lives are never actually “whole” and perfect. There’s always something going wrong, something happening spontaneously, or something not happening that you wish would happen. Things don’t “fall apart;” we recover from the everyday surprises in life and use them to our advantage most of the time. It was fitting to place that epigraph before part III.

I completely agree with Allison about women being indecisive. When Ebla was most aware of and comfortable with herself and her feelings was when she didn’t know what she was about to do. She thought more clearly when she didn’t decide; she didn’t do anything stupid if she simply didn’t make up her mind. Being indecisive, she found, was a scapegoat, a nice state of mind, free. She figured, rightfully so I think, that if she couldn’t get away from her problems and men were going to control her life no matter where she went or what she did, then so be it—why would she waste her time trying to decide things if it didn’t matter in the end anyway?

I think that when Ebla says she is responsible for her actions, she has finally woken up to reality. Although people tell her what to do, and she just does them...she is responsible for everything because she doesn't stand up and make her own decisions. She is responsible for everything she does because she never opposes anything. I do, however, think that her statement that she is responsible for the death of her grandfather is not entirely true. Although her departure probably attributed to his death, it was not the cause. He was dying while she was still around. His health did not deteriate because she left. However, she is most likely responsible for the death of his spirit. In leaving, she crushed him.

One thing that caught my attention was the whistler that Ebla heard one night. I was wondering what its significance was to the story. I know that the narrator stated that when someone whistled, it was said to bring genies in the night… but I was wondering what the overall meaning of that passage was. It was kind of peculiar. Anyways, I’m sure it has some sort of hidden meaning, but I can’t find it.

This book was really unique... I've never read anything quite like it. I didn't really feel that it had a climax or anything of the sort. I expected the chapter with Ardo to be the climax, but nothing really happened there either. I thought that maybe Ardo would hurt/kill either Ebla or her husband, but nothing like that happened. She just threatened them with her shoe and her little gnag of women. I felt like the book just ended. It didn't seem like an ending really. Is there supposed to be a sequel or something?

I think that a lot of the last part of the book is about Ebla struggling with being ok with her position as a woman in their society or not. She sometimes screams "I love life" and on the other hand she is running away from all of her current positions as a woman. One of the parts in the last part of the book that sticks out in my mind is when she claims she is equal with Tiffo because she isn't divorced to Awill yet and Tiffo has a wife. Tiffo disagrees and calls her a prostitute. Do you think that Ebla is more after feeling the power of feeling equal to men, or is this just a way for her to feel better about the fact Tiffo has a wife other than her? Why?

I agree with Allison; when Ebla stated, “Our only refuge lies in indecision,” I think it could mean that the only thing that women can control in their lives is their indecisiveness. Ebla’s thoughts were the only thing that seemed constant with her. Through most of the story, the one steadfast about with her was her indecision and altogether confusion. Towards the end of the novel, I think that she grew out of it in a sense. She started doubting herself less and took responsibility for her actions.

About the "sugar in the river" story on pp. 83...
I had a lot of thoughts on this story. One, was that perhaps this follows the moral "too much of a good thing is a bad thing", meaning that because the tribe had never had sugar and then were exposed to it...they became greedy and the sugar made them selfish and want it all to themselves instead of equally distributing it, so ultimately no one gets anything because it gets dumped in the river. Could the sugar be alluding to money? Also, maybe this story is referring to power in the hands of few. Only one man suggested dumping the sugar into the water (not such a great idea on his part) and everyone followed! Maybe this story is about how to think for yourself and not just follow the crowd and let others make decisions for you. This kind of goes along with Ebla, who is constantly looking to others to decide big decisions in her life. Or...maybe I'm just reading to much into the story? :)

I guess I want to say that I've been thinking about this "comming of age" thing and in a way I think it is but it is kinda a not to romantic comming of age. Not like you might initially imagine, certainly not an excellent adventure.
I do see this novel overall as a story of individuals, simply a well written book. I feek kind of satisfied feeling that way because not everything comming out of Africa needs to be political necessarily, though Farah does critique society pretty heavily, especially female "circumsicion" and gender roles.

I guess I want to say that I've been thinking about this "comming of age" thing and in a way I think it is but it is kinda a not to romantic comming of age. Not like you might initially imagine, certainly not an excellent adventure.
I do see this novel overall as a story of individuals, simply a well written book. I feek kind of satisfied feeling that way because not everything comming out of Africa needs to be political necessarily, though Farah does critique society pretty heavily, especially female "circumsicion" and gender roles.

What Yashkumarie said about the book ending is true, I read the book so fast [because I don't have a real life] :D that it took a few days of digestion to really have th esignificance sink in, I really felt like most people did when we discussed it monday, I was like, "where is this going?"
if anyone has read ' The Grapes of Wrath' by Steinbeck, I thought the paculiar ending remimded me of the way grapes ends. Anyone else think so?

The camel dream seemed to be a metaphor for the overall story. The camel stomping all over her seems like a representation of the marriages Ebla has and has not consented to. At the end, her grandfather refusing to bless her, to me, is the curse he placed on her the day she left.
I am still trying to figure out the sugar dream. It almost seems as though it's saying that if something good comes along and brings conflict, it should be sacraficed for the greater good of the people. Perhaps it is saying that Ebla should sacrafice herself for those she has harmed, like her grandfather and cousin.

I feel that Ebla truly feels responsible for her actoins when she says "i am responosible for the death of my grandfather." Throughout the whole book I was so frustrated with her repeating that everything was someone else's fault, especially when she says "the suggestion to marry Tiffo was Asha's, the one to marry Awill was the widow's, the one to get engaged to an old man in the country was her grandfather's." I do believe that Ebla is responsible for killing her grandfather. she ran away from a life she didnt want and ended up living that life, just somewhere else. she caused her grandfather pain and shock, the reason for his death. i was surprised how upset Ebla was about the death of her grandfather, because she would have never left if she really cared deeply about him.

I also thought it was important when Ebla talked about telling Awill about her marriage to Tiffo. Ebla kept saying i will "tell him tomorrow." I thought that Ebla had finally taken responsibilty in marrying Tiffo, and I wanted to know if she followed through with what she said. It is easier said than done. Does she ever take responsibilty for her actions with Tiffo?

I believe that to understand when Ebla says "Our only refuge lies in indecision" we have to know how she sees her own life. i think she realized that she didnt make her own decisions and lived off of what other peope told her. she claims this happens because she was a woman, when in reality, it could have happened to anyone.

Another perspective I have on the story about the sugar is somewhat similar to the second one Jen wrote about. I see the story as a metaphor for the country’s political struggles and sugar as a possible representation of independence. Many people taste the sweetness that independence brings but then end up fighting over it. Maybe it’s a fight over how independence can best be used or an issue of power and who gets the “sugar”. The two are fighting so much that another older and wiser person, (country…authority figure) makes a suggestion and everyone follows, throwing the sugar into the river. The idea blows up in their face and no one gets to enjoy the sweetness of the sugar. So maybe the story is saying that by following what one says no one can reap the benefits of what was originally a gift. Dictatorship or freedom… Or I could be looking at this from a much too political angle and its meaning is not meant to be so metaphorical.
In regard to Ebla addressing that she is responsible for her actions I feel to be mostly true. It’s a combination of the circumstance and her decisions. She reacted to most of these situations by running away and for most of the book blamed it on everyone else. There is no doubt that different people were responsible for putting her in aversive situations, and with limitations on her opportunities she chose to do what she thought was best at the time, mainly to avoid what she presumed to be a more aversive situation than the next. I can’t really blame her for running away to avoid those first two marriages, I may have done the same, but marrying Tiffo out of rage and because Asha told her two was a decision she most definitely should have thought through more and taken responsibility earlier on. She does show signs that she is going to start thinking and deciding things for herself which is I feel is a major accomplishment and change in her character from the beginning of the book.

The epigraph to part three corresponds to Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. The epigraph states that why would anyone think of things falling apart if they were never together in the first place. This quote corresponds to imperialism and the role of women. The ‘things fall apart’ part is relating back to Achebe’s book when he talks about how African culture was being destroyed by the colonists. However when ‘were they ever whole?’ is asked, it corresponds to the role of women and the lower class in Africa. African society was falling apart when colonists came, however within African society the women were still powerless. They are seen as unequal to men, there it could be said that things have already fallen apart for them. Even when Africa is able to regain control, the women will still not be in control of themselves. In his story, Farah shows the journey of a young woman who seeks to be free and in control of herself. He is saying that women have always been trying to gain control of themselves, whether or not colonialism has taken control of Africa.

Responsibility in the book was what I found most interesting. THe whole time I was reading the book I kept asking myself where it was going and what was going to be the climax of the book. Where the book really turned around for me was when Ebla is talking about how life is circular. I didn't think much of this until the end of the book came and we finally see everything come full circle for most of the characters. Ebla's conflict with her brother, which doesn't get any better, is finally resolved, Tiffo gets a good whopping from his wife and so forth. The point that this seems to make is that when the story came full circle Ebla had taken responsibility for something; her baby, even though she still doesn't understand that life experience is the most important thing in figuring oneself out.

Ebla most definetely was responsible for her actions. Every decision she made was made with an outside influence, but ultimately it came down to Ebla saying yes or no. She just is not a strong, aggressive personality. Her passiveness puts her in sticky and undesirable situations. Ebla I feel is not totally responsible for her grandfather's death. Old people die, it is a harsh realization but true none the less. Sure Ebla leaving make have made life a little tougher for him, but he died the very next day. To me it seems that it was just a shame of a coincidence.

I think Ebla is responsible for the death of her grandfather. She kind of
forsook mutual relationships after leaving her village, and the death of her grandfather seemed symbolic of the death of Ebla's desire to maintain these relationships. In saying "I am responsible for the death of my grandfather," Ebla is acknowledging and embracing this new way of simply letting people use her to fulfill their own needs. But not only that, when she says she's "responsible" I think she's second guessing herself. Ebla knows that she needs peoples' dependence on her in order to practice her escapism. She needs people to depend on her body as a tool so that she can detach, letting others do the work for her. So by claiming responsibility, Ebla is reminding herself that she's just as tied to the mutual relationship as she ever was.

The little stories that Farah throws in throughout the book, at first seem kind of random, like all of Ebla’s thoughts, but when I look back at them I can see a meaning behind them. The sugar in the river story helped show me the lifestyle and values of the Somali cattle herders. It shows that that culture likes to avoid confrontation and jealousy, as was made evident when they obtained a valuable/rare product and instead of trying to divvy it out to the members of the group, they dump it in the river so as not to have confrontations. This could be good or bad, it good in the sense that there is no animosity between members of the group and everyone is equal, but it’s bad because it shows that the cattle herders are afraid of change – which is why Ebla left.

Ebla is such a flakey character, she’s constantly contradicting herself and changing her mind, which helps me connect with her more because I tend to do that also, but sometimes it’s just annoying. She’s constantly going back and forth on whether or not she is responsible for her actions and on page 145 she says she’s responsible for her grandfather’s death – which I don’t entirely agree with because he was probably going to die soon anyways, but even if she is I was surprised that she didn’t retract that statement and blame somebody else within the next ten pages of the book. I don’t think Farah truly wanted Ebla to be responsible for it, or think that she was responsible; otherwise he would have made her a little more decisive.

I hate so much how Ebla is treated. It really makes me angry that she literally is treated like a cow. She is a human being with a soul and with feelings. Awill seems all nice at first but after they get to Mogadiscio and rent a room to rest he pretty much attacks her and forces her to sleep with him even though she is totally against it and uncomfortable with it until they are officially married. Maybe he could justify sleeping with her, but the fact that he did not respect her feelings and desires to wait was inhumane and how he forced himself upon her was rude and degrading. I think that after that the only reasons she decided to marry him was to not become an old spinster and because he had forcibly slept with her. Before that she had not been totally committed or convinced she would marry him. She just wanted a free ride to another city where she could be “free”. She wants to be free but it seems like an impossible dream to her. Also she wants to be genuinely loved and by someone who respects her feelings and she doesn’t know if that kind of love is possible other than fairy tales.

As Shalinda said in the beginning, the camel story I think is a representation of how she feels about men, that they smother her freedom and confine her to the role they want for her and force her to have. It is very impersonal and insincere of men but that is how she feels about them. Because of this, she is viewing them no differently than they view her. She is treated like cattle and in return she treats them like they are beasts with little concern for her. They are just out for personal gain.

The line about indecision reflects the nomadic social state of women in Somali culture. throughout the whole novel, Ebla is struggling to find her place in a world that really doesn't have a unique place for her. As she goes about from town to town and husband to husband, she is still basically alone. Indecision isn't really solace or a empowering tactic for Ebla, its pretty much all she has. No matter how hard she tries, Ebla will always going to be underscored by someone else. I think the criticism of Ebla as contradictory and flakey is kind of weakened when you realize that Ebla herself is never allowed to stand up for herself in the first place.

I'm going to tackle the question on why Elba said that "Our women only refuge lies on indecision." Honestly, this quotation makes the most sense to me. I think that everyday women are face with so many tasks, decisions, priorities to make that they are in constant motion and therefore, tend to be fickle. This was evident in the novel because Elba was faced with many decisions to make; which men to marry, to live her life, to abandon her grandfather, and so forth. The only time she felt comfortable was when she wasn’t making decisions. She felt at peace with herself and the world. This example was evident during her bonding with the animals. She didn’t have to make decisions and she was the most happiest.

I don't think Ebla is selfish at all. She's just confused and unsure what to do about the way she feels. Ebla wants to set herself apart from the other women because she views herself as being superior. The widow is someone who Ebla learns from throughout the book. She represents someone to guide Ebla through her decisions. She's very crucial to Ebla and her role in Ebla's life influences the choices she makes. I think because the widow had no husband she tended to push Ebla towards marrying anyone for the sake that she didn't want Ebla to turn out like her.