Temple Folk Literary Elements

Short Stories

Modern-day America

The stories are narrated in first person from the perspective of different narrators.

The tone is reflective, descriptive, contemplative, and ironic. The mood is nostalgic, joyful, perplexing, and uncomfortable.

The protagonists are individuals grappling with personal challenges, societal expectations, cultural identity, and family dynamics. The antagonist is a combination of societal norms, prejudice, misunderstandings, and the weight of history.

The major conflict revolves around identity, cultural integration, and societal expectations. The characters face internal and external conflicts related to their sense of self and navigating their cultural or familial identities in contemporary society. They have to reconcile the expectations of their communities with their personal beliefs and desires.

The climax of the story "Who's Down?" occurs when the protagonist's father engages in a discussion with a waiter revealing differing perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In "Who's Down?" the news about the conflict in Gaza serves as foreshadowing for the ideological conflict that occurs between the father and the waiter at Lotus on the Nile.

"I wonder how this got out."

From "Sister Rose," the phrase is Brother Mujaheed's understated reaction to seeing a knife that Sister Rose was planning to use to harm him and Jackie.

The story “Woman in Niqab” references the sphinx and pyramids in Egypt hinting at a character's experiences and travels.

“The first thing I noticed was how drab the room appeared from the inside. It was small and dark with composite wood paneling on the walls and a single fluorescent light that buzzed every odd second. The men who arrived before me sat around three skirted tables arranged in a U formation that ran the length of the room. The smallest table was at the front, dressed with a tiny microphone stand and a brown glass vase with a single plastic rose dangling over the lip.”

The imagery conveys a stark and dismal atmosphere of the Best Western downtown in “The Spider.”

In "Sister Rose," the initial perception of Sister Rose by Intisar as an ethereal being is in contrast to the reality of her humble home and health condition.

Both Intisar and Sister Rose undergo significant changes over time. Intisar transitions from being a young girl in awe of Sister Rose to an independent woman. Sister Rose transitions from the idealized figure in Intisar's memory to a frail and ailing woman.

“La-Z-Boy” refers to a type of reclining armchair made by the La-Z-Boy furniture company. It is often used as a general term for this style of chair.

"the spring rains that turned the day dreary and made all the white faces of the daffodils lining the front walkway droop to the ground."

The phrase personifies the natural elements by giving them human attributes.