"I did not tell them about the well, for fear that they would prevent me from hearing Mina's story again. And I needed to know all the details. I needed to hear that story told again, and again, so that I too, could cross the desert and arrive safely at the terrace. Talking to Mina was essential, because I needed to know all the details. I needed to know more- I needed to know how to get out of the well."(Dreams of Trespass p. 169)
Background of what happened before that:
She used this because Mina, one of the women in the Harem tells the narrator and the rest of the children a story about how she was kidnapped and placed in a well. To survive she could not let go of the rope or she would fall into the water full of snakes and other creatures. The narrator starts to have nightmares about being kidnaped and her parents want to know why but she doesn't tell them because she fears that they will tell Mina to stop telling her stories. The narrator can not afford that because she loves Mina and her stories. She also, hides in a olive jar and the other adults wonder why she hides in there but she makes up a lie trying to cover about the true reason why she hides in them. The narrator hides in them to practice surviving in a closed in area, like Mina had to do in the well.
Once I read this line it caught my attention quickly because she is not talking about getting out of a well that Mina was trapped in but that she is trying to get out of this Harem and the way all these women are trapped inside a house or gated commuity without being able to explore the world and see the things around her. She wants to learn what Mina did to keep on surviving so she can use it in the future. I thought it was nice how she used it that way to describe to us how she really feels: trapped and trying to survive in a world where there is not equality between men and women.
Muslim Women
OH YESS!!! We are going to learn about the true beauty of women behind their veils.
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2 comments:
The comparison between the well and the harem here is really interesting, I'm glad you pulled it out. What caught my attention at first was how it went against my initial reacction. I figured that the well=water=rebirth=new understanding. Instead the well actually poses a threat because of the snakes.
How old is the girl that listens to Mina, by the way? She seems young here.
And here's a thought. That water infested with snakes, could it symbolize the danger of the understanding to be had from being in that water? If the water is understanding of her rights as a woman, the danger is real for her, right?
I'm not really sure how old the young girl is in the novel but she seems like she is young. I believe throughout the book she starts to become older because she starts to hit puberty and this seperates her from her friend who is a boy.
yes the danger is real for her because of men ruling her country.
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