Essay Questions

How does the reader know that Fernea has accepted the new culture in El Nahra?

Fernea has relocated with her husband to a village called El Nahra in Iraqi where her husband has been posted to work. This comes with a big challenge because the culture of the people in the new village is different from where Fernea is coming from. Fernea is welcomed by the women in the village and they advise her to adhere to the strict dress code that has been put in place for women. Fernea accepts to put on the abaya which is an indication that she has accepted to be assimilated in the new culture. However, this new reality is very different from what she was used to at home because no one dictated how she should dress. In this new culture, any woman who fails to wear the abaya is considered rebellious and she can be subjected to community discipline.

What is the significance of the women kinship at El Nahra village?

Fernea is keen to notice that despite the restrictive dress code at El Nahra, women have unity of purpose because they support one another. When she first arrives in the village, she is welcomed by the local women and they advise her on what to do so that she can be accepted by the local community. These women care about each other and they are supportive whenever the need arises. Additionally, the El Nahra women have formed programs such as finance group in which they advise each other on how to spend their savings. Fernea is welcomed into such programs and she is happy to learn new things that she did not know. Therefore, the women kinship at El Nahra village is critical in helping women to progress despite their curtailed freedom.

How does the author employ the literary device 'symbol' in the story Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village?

The author has used the abaya dress code figuratively to represent acceptance and adherence to communal traditions. At El Nahra, all women are required to wear abaya something that appears strange to Fernea in the first place. Any woman who defies this order is considered mutinous and can be expelled from the community. Any new woman in this place can only be accepted by the community if she adheres to the agreeable dress code.