Monday, May 23, 2011

Rabbi's Cat


The graphic novel the Rabbi’s Cat written by Joann Sfar, was a very interesting and entertaining read. Before I started to read this novel I read the back to see what others had to say about the book. I saw a comment made by Marjane Satrapi, the author of one of my favorite books, Persepolis.Once I began reading I notice that this book was different from Persepolis, The Rabbi’s Cat pictures were color for one, and most importantly number two, the entire story is from a cat perspective. The entire book was about the Cat’s master the Rabbi exploring his faith, and how colonization led him to do so. When the cat was able to speak at the beginning of the novel and stared asking the Rabbi question about the Jewish faith, the Rabbi himself even mention how the cats views and question were very western; however, it was the cats questions that really got the Rabbi to think and explore his faith; I was able to relate to this. I was brought up in a very Christian family but my family wasn’t the stricken and crazy Christians that we commonly see today. My mother never forced her beliefs on me in fact she didn’t have too. Since I was a kid I have always had strong connections with God and took time to give back, not because I had too but because I wanted too. I looked forward helping out at the homeless shelters while many dwell on it or was forced to do so. I felt like the experienced I had doing the many different volunteer work I have done gave a me a better understanding on life, and my own faith. I have met so many people that called this self’s Christians but were the most close minded and ignorant people I knew. Many of these people are those who just do what their church tells them to do, or parents and don’t go out and explore it themselves. While many of these so called Christians refused to have anything to do with those to don't believe, I was friends with them. I didn’t care if my best friend didn’t believe in God , just like how the Rabbi didn’t care that the gentlemen he met on the road, and made friends with, was a Arab (page 83). Im glad that the Rabbi went out and did some exploring to find him self, and finally met his son in law parents. I hope this book can make other go out and explore their faith, and answer their own questions and just accept people for who they are no matter what they believe.


PS. I hope the cat gets his bar mitzvah

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Tsitsi Dangarembga

In novel Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga the character that really stood out to me was Nyshia. Throughout the novel the expected role of woman was pretty obvious and depressing. Many of the charterers were trapped by these rolls, but out of them all I felt Nyshia was the one that was the most trapped. The poor girl couldn’t speak her mind without being skulled or put in her place by her father, BabaMuku. She even admitted to her feeling trapped on page 232 after her mother Left, “sometimes I feel I’m trapped by that man, just like she did…buy it’s not that simple, you know, really it isn’t. It’s not really him you know. I mean not really the person, it’s everything, it’s everywhere. So where do you break out to? ..” Even something as simple as a book (page 102) was censored from her. The one time she stayed out late just learning a dance from a friend, that just so happened to be a boy, BabaMuku became upset and started to beat his own daughter. He also felt the need to repeatedly call Nyshia a whore, which something no daughter should ever hear from her father. Nyshia was so trapped that the only way she felt come control was throwing up her food and hiding in her studies.

I felt Nyshia frustration and couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be her. Since her brother is away at school she was pretty much the only child, therefore all the focus was on her and her actions. In BabaMuku eyes the education of a female was not as imparted as the education for a mal since they will eventually get married and have no use to the family. Also having a father that cared very much about his image towards other people, every little thing is taken to drastic measures. I come from a family where I was able to express myself, so it is hard for me to understand how it would feel to feel so trapped like Nyshia.