"Then, returning to my lies, I gave her such a terryfing description of how I had lost my parents that I saw the tears well up in her eyes. I told her I was six years old at the time when my parents were drowned with thirty other people in a boat taking them from one bank of the Nile to the other," -p. 33. This passage fits the assignment because it tells a compelling story but it also undermines another story.
What is it telling? The story this passage is telling is how Mustafa lost his parents at a young age and grew up pretty much on his own. This is compelling (definition: interesting, captivating, or requiring attention) because the death of one's parents is a big deal and has a large impact on one's life.
What is it opposing? It opposes/undermines the true story of his parents. In truth, his father died weeks before he was born, not in a boating accident. For all we know, his mother is still alive. Mustafa left his mother and his home when he was very young (12, if I am correct) to finish his schooling in Cairo and has never seen her since.
How does it function to oppose the other story (how does it work)? It opposes the other (true) story because it is a lie. Lying opposes the truth. What makes it effective in doing so? I think it is effective because it arouses pity and empathy in the listener (the girl- Jean Morris). He is trying to make her feel sorry for him, I think, and he does this by telling her a sad story about his his parents and lying about the details to make it seem worse. Telling such a story to a girl is a good way to make her feel pity, and that was probably his motive because he likes this girl and wants a connection with her.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
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This is the exact quote I commented on, and I agree with you even though I talked about something different. His lie does oppose the true story of what happened to his parents. As I said in my post, what makes this quote so effective is that Mustafa successfully evokes pity into Jean because tears start to build up in her eyes. It's also effective because his lie is something that could possibly happen, so it isn't an unbelievable story that is impossible. If this quote was not effective, she would have felt no emotions at all towards his lie.
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