The Arab of the Future
This week, we embarked on another intriguing journey with new and exciting characters. This graphic memoir depicts the author's father, Abdel-Razak Sattouf, go through the transition of living in a young, hopeful state of mind, to realizing that his country was not bound to catch up to freedom and falling into the negativity surrounding him. Essentially, it is the loss of innocence that Abdel-Razak experiences when he realizes that the world around him isn't changing.
My question for you all is to discuss why you think Abdel-Razak was portrayed the way he was. It wasn't exactly a flattering portrayal, and his character was not highly likable. Being that this is a memoir, does that portray how the author feels about his father? Or is it something else entirely? How does racism come into play in this novel?
I think an important thing to consider while reading this memoir was Riad's fascination with his father. Though his father isn't depicted as flawless, I wouldn't say he was a negative influence by any means. I think any unflattering shadows that are cast on his fathers actions are done retrospectively as it is obvious that Riad admires his father very much in the way he tells his story. There are several scenes that come to mind where his father is just like most peoples' despite his father growing up a part of a religion and culture that is often to the outside world "extreme" in nature. Even his father says that with Arabic people you have to be stern, that a dictator is the only way that you can get his people to listen. I think the biggest thing is that His father struggles between what he knows as an educator and what he was taught as a child.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this is essentially coming from a child's perspective, I would say it is his opinion of his father, Abdel-Razakk. And as you said before this is memoir, so it is all about perspective. But this is a fascinating question you are asking... Where is the line drawn with memoirs- opinion or reality? I LOVE IT! So thought provoking. This book draws on racism in a different perspective that we saw in American Born Chinese. This one is less in your face and subtle. It is in the art, and tone of the novel.
ReplyDeleteThe only positive element of Riad’s relationship to his father I can think of is the scene with the toutes. Negative elements include his oppression and suppression of healthy relationships with his family and an inability to reflect critically on his own hypocrisy. He is the agent which propels misfortune and conflict in this book and in a sense is the books antagonist. Critiquing Abu Riad is easy because the narrative is filtered through the childhood Riad. The author’s adult reflection is embodied in a mere child. This typically inferior position intensifies the critique. The effect is: it’s so obvious that x is ridiculous even a child can see it.
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