Girl in the tangerine scarf composed by mohja kahf, the girl in the tangerine scarf informs the tale of khadra shamy, a syrianamerican young woman going back to her home town of indianapolis for the first time in a number of years. In her own eyes, she has not yet reached selfrealization and does not see herself as a fullgrown woman. If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four. Acces pdf the girl in tangerine scarf mohja kahf the girl in tangerine scarf mohja kahf the girl in tangerine scarf girl in the tangerine scarf is a novel, and, as such, is fictional. Aug 22, 2006 mohja kahf presents an insiders loving view of islam through this comingofage immigrant novel, the girl in the tangerine scarf. Along with her brother eyad and her africanamerican friends, hakim and hanifa, she bikes the indianapolis streets exploring the. For the february meetup, well be discussing the girl in the tangerine scarf by mohja kahf about. Oct 04, 2017 by this point in reading, i was in kahfs thrall. Her tangerine scarf represents her connection to teta, syria and her quest to find herself. A cultural translator in mohja kahf s the girl in the tangerine scarf aje vol. Kahf s first book of poetry, emails from scheherazad, was a finalist for the 2004 paterson poetry prize.
A novel by mohja kahf and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Pdf the girl in the tangerine scarf download read online. To dispel this, irfan ahmad proposes the theory of immanent critique in the islamic tradition where doctrines within the islamic tradition itself are used to develop different interpretations of religious understanding. From publishers weekly in comp lit professor kahf s fiction debut, khadra shamy recalls growing up in an immigrant syrian family. Self and identity in the girl in the tangerine scarf femtales. Kahf borrowed details from her own life she moved from syria. What different forms of islamic diversity does kahf incorporated into her novel. An associate professor of comparative literature at the university of arkansas, she is the author of western representations of the muslim woman. Mohja kahf s the girl in the tangerine scarf 2006 narrates the experience of a syrianborn muslim woman, khadra, living in a tightknit muslim community in a small town in indiana. From termagant to odalisque university of texas press, 1999. A novel by mohja kahf syrian immigrant khadra shamy is growing up in a devout, tightly knit muslim family in 1970s indiana, at the crossroads of bad polyester and islamic dress codes. She earned a phd in comparative literature from rutgers university and is the author of the poetry collections hagar poems 2016 and emails from scheherazad. Her family moved to the united states in 1971, and kahf grew up in the midwest. Essay on the girl in the tangerine scarf mohja kahf brand.
Her grandfather, a member of the syrian parliament, was exiled from syria in the late 1960s. The symbol of the veil in mohja kahfs the girl in the. It is set mostly in indianapolis, against recent historical events. I love booksgreat booksmy booksthis bookthe help bookanne ricemarion zimmer bradleyfree epubfree ebooks. Syrian immigrant khadra shamy is growing up in a devout, tightly knit muslim family in 1970s indiana, at the crossroads of bad polyester and islamic dress codes. Download and read free online the girl in the tangerine scarf. Excerpts from the girl in the tangerine scarf, part i.
Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. What other forms of american religious pluralism are represented. In particular, i focus on the jordanianpalestinian american novel, west of the jordan by laila halaby, and the syrian american novel, the girl in the tangerine scarf by mohja kahf. This novel is about a girl who just wants to fit in finding her place in life and learning to. She is the author of a poetry book, emails from scheherazad, and a novel, the girl in the tangerine scarf. Her first book of literary scholarship is western representations of the muslim woman. You dress strangequot said a tenthgrade boy with bright blue hairto the new muslim girl with the headscard in homeroomhis tonguerings clicking on the. A novel by mohja kahf publicaffairs, 2006 paperback. Apr 20, 2010 where could i find spark notes on the girl in the tangerine scarf by mohja kahf. Mohja kahf syrian immigrant khadra shamy is growing up in a devout, tightly knit muslim family in 1970s indiana, at the crossroads of bad polyester and islamic dress codes. The girl in the tangerine scarf by mojha kahf overdrive.
Along with her brother eyad and her africanamerican. Khadras growth as a person through her multiple identities as a woman, an arab, a muslim, an american, a student, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and so on, highlights the complexities that entangle first generation americans who are caught in an eastwest. The story of khadra in the book the girl in the tangerine scarf exposes to us how it is like growing up in america as an islam. Along with her brother eyad and her africanamerican friends, hakim and hanifa, she bikes the indianapolis streets exploring the faultlines between muslim and. Pdf and epub files are available to readers via institutions. Buy the girl in the tangerine scarf book online at low. Kahf is the author of the novel the girl in the tangerine scarf and emails from scheherazad. Muslimerican literatures and cultures reading questions on mohja khafs the girl in the tangerine scarf part one 1. At this time, american muslims living in a traditional village in the midwest were looked at as. Ive just finished reading mohja kahfs book the girl in the tangerine scarf. A novel enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app.
Through a close reading of arab american novelist mohja kahf. Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download. A cultural translator in mohja kahfs the girl in the tangerine scarf aje vol. This thesis adopts a transnational and postcolonial feminist approach in exploring arab american womens literature. Mohja kahf author of the girl in the tangerine scarf. The girl in the tangerine scarf reading questions lucy. Aug 18, 2010 mohja kahf reads an excerpt from her novel, the girl in the tangerine scarf at the levantine cultural center on july 14, 2010. Mohja kahf was born in damascus, syria, and came to the u. A study of mohja kahf s emails from scheherazad and the girl in the tangerine scarf article pdf available january 2017 with 1,031 reads how we measure reads. In particular, i focus on the jordanianpalestinian american novel, west of the.
The girl in the tangerine scarf mohja kahf, author. Our hypothesis in this article is that in mohja kahf s the girl in the tangerine scarf the main character negotiates her subjectivity in the space of diaspora and she does so through her choice of clothes, as we will show below. The plot of mohja kahf s 2006a the girl in the tangerine scarf covers the early days of muslim diasporic communities in america in the 1970s to the more troubled days of muslimamerican relationship of the 1980s and 1990s. Syrian immigrant khadra shamy is growing up in a devout, tightly knit muslim family in 1970s indiana, at the crossroads.
Arab american women s identity crises in mohja kahf s the girl in the tangerine scarf and laila halaby s west of the jordan book summary. The girl in the tangerine scarf charts the spiritual and social landscape of muslims in middle america, from five daily prayers to the indy 500 car race. The girl in the tangerine scarf, a new novel by mohja kahf, is about a syrian girl transplanted to the american midwest in the 1970s. An awkwardly written novel that becomes more compelling as it gathers steam, the girl in the tangerine scarf is worth reading for content, though not for style. Negotiating liminal identities in mohja kahfs the girl in. This article discusses how this theory is applied in the novel, the girl in the tangerine scarf by mohja kahf 2006. In this article, an interview with muslim author mohja kahf is presented. The girl in the tangerine scarf by mohja kahf dissertation essay help find an example of cultural tension that relates to khadras friendships with people outside her community. Mohja kahf s the girl in the tangerine scarf am not saying that islam does not permit polygyny.
The author is a syrian muslim immigrant, now a professor at a us university. Self and identity in the girl in the tangerine scarf. Kahf provides a look at muslim communities in the midwest and elsewhere, racism and sexism directed both to and from muslims, and the immigrants dislocation. Mohja kahf s 2006 the girl in the tangerine scarf was celebrated in the new york times and on national public radio the novel introduced, they said, the voice of arab, muslim women to the american literary canon. Okay, youre probably wondering what im talking about if you havent noticed the title of the post. From termagant to odalisque, and winner of an arkansas arts council award.
From publishers weekly in comp lit professor kahfs fiction debut, khadra shamy recalls growing up in an immigrant syrian family. In particular, i focus on the jordanianpalestinian american novel, west of the jordan by laila halaby, and the syrian american. Read the girl in the tangerine scarf a novel by mojha kahf available from rakuten kobo. Mohja kahfs the girl in the tangerine scarf openedition journals. Buy a cheap copy of the girl in the tangerine scarf. F download the viking portable library poets of the english language, vol. Girl in the tangerine scarf is a novel, and, as such, is fictional. The process of faith development in mohja kahfs the girl in.
Beautifully written and featuring an exuberant cast of characters, the girl in the tangerine scarf charts the spiritual and social landscape of muslims in middle america, from five daily prayers to the indy 500 car race. By making use of such a recurring pattern, kahf questions the view which holds identity. Khadra sees herself as a girl for she has not yet completed her journey of selfdiscovery. The author, mohja kahf, portrays this character in many ways. Kahf explains the ups and downs of growing up in a tightknit muslim community and tries to portray a certain type of characteristics of these american muslims.
The girl in the tangerine scarf was published in 2006, and it tells the story of khadra. Her family has been involved in syrian opposition politics, a theme reflected in the life of her character khadra of the girl in the tangerine scarf. Its about khadra shamy, the daughter of syrian immigrants to indianapolis, whose parents become heavily involved with the dawah centre. In the girl in the tangerine scarf mohja kahf vividly describes the tumultuous life of a muslim in america with all imaginable hardships and shows the possibility of equilibrium attaining with society, god and personal identity on the example of a syrian immigrant khadra who comes into cultural clashes with the rest of the american world. The story chronicles syrian immigrant khadra shamy, a young woman growing up in a devout, tightly knit muslim family in 1970s indiana, at the crossroads of bad polyester and islamic dress codes.
If she had asked me to read the title of a poem and then stand on my head for 45 seconds, i likely would have participated. Mohja kahf born 1967, damascus, syria is an arabamerican poet and author. Negotiating liminal identities in mohja kahfs the girl in the tangerine scarf susan taha alkarawi, ida. The girl in the tangerine scarf is a novel written by american author mohja kahf and published in 2006. It is a riveting debut from an important new voice. Arabamerican contemporary fiction, feminism, mohja kahf, muslim women, postcolonialism, veil. Muslim women, fiction, syrian americans, social conditions, muslims, ethnic relations. She has a storytelling knack, but the subject matter is where she pours heart and soul. During the interview, kahf talked about how her religion has become the foremost factor in bringing her to her voice. What is interesting to me about kahfs poems is the fact that she built on the notion of resistance through storytelling by crafting poems that exist on the page. Mohja kahf presents an insiders loving view of islam through this comingofage immigrant novel, the girl in the tangerine scarf.
In each chapter i examine the hyphenated identities of these novels protagonists, hala. In her only novel to date, the girl in the tangerine scarf, she draws on her. She successfully wrote about one of these women in her novel, the girl in the tangerine scarf. Her novel the girl in the tangerine scarf was a one book. A study of the journey motif in kahfs the girl in the tangerine scarf and aboulelas the translator. Kahf is an associate professor of comparative literature at rutgers. Hum english letters department faculty of humanities.
The story chronicles syrian immigrant khadra shamy. The girl in the tangerine scarf ebook by mojha kahf. Gerges 2003 pointed out that the 1970s saw the growing numbers of muslim migration to america. In the book, the girl in the tangerine scarf, by mohja kahf, it shows the life of a daughter, khadra shamy, of two syrian parents. Khadras growth as a person through her multiple identities as a woman, an arab, a muslim, an american, a student, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and so on, highlights the complexities that entangle first. Mohja kahfs the girl in the tangerine scarf am not saying that islam does not permit polygyny. Click here if your download doesnt start automatically. Ive just finished reading mohja kahf s book the girl in the tangerine scarf. Mohja kahf s reading at the levantine center on july 14th.
Spirituality in mohja kahfs the girl in the tangerine scarf, 30th annual meeting of southwest texas popular culture and american culture associations, february 2528, 2009. Poet and scholar mohja kahf was born in damascus, syria. Aug 11, 2007 okay, youre probably wondering what im talking about if you havent noticed the title of the post. Syrian immigrant khadra shamy is growing up in a devout, tightly. Mohja kahf reads an excerpt from her novel, the girl in the tangerine scarf at the levantine cultural center on july 14, 2010. Scarf is taught in university literature classes, though its veneer as a novel is thin. Mohja kahf was born in damascus, syria, in 1967 to parents who immigrated to the united states in 1971. The girl in the tangerine scarf by mohja kahf dissertation. This paper aims to examine the novel the girl in the tangerine scarf 2006 by mohja kahf b. The issues of racial and religious bigotry as well as the kind of political relations between the middle east and america come out clearly in this work. A cultural translator in mohja kahfs the girl in the.
Khadra shamy, a young syrian girl, moves to indiana with her family to be missionaries to the evil western world and help the american muslims navigate the difficulties in clashes between shariah law and american law. Aug 17, 2010 mohja kahfs reading at the levantine center on july 14th. The girl in the tangerine scarf by mohja kahf illinois and syria. An arab american poet and feminist, mohja kahf wrote about the experience of american women of arabic origin.
May 31, 2011 more interestingly, mohja kahf takes the reference a step further in her collection of poems emails from scheherazad. The novel is a work of fiction which relates to the writers own experiences of being an arab muslim woman living in the united states of america henceforth referred to as u. The girl in the tangerine scarf august 22, 2006 edition. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. But the exercise had the effect of making me want to laugh, cry, and perhaps scream all at the same time. Mohja kahf s the girl in the tangerine scarf thesis presented to universitas islam negeri maulana malik ibrahim malang in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of sarjana sastra s. No, im not bald under the scarf no, im not from that country where women cant drive cars. From what we seem to know, her young parents opted to leave syria to continue their studies abroad. She makes it difficult for the reader to identify if the poet is a real person or if he is a projection of khadras conscience.
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