Through and Through: Toledo Stories Literary Elements

Short fiction.

“Monkey Business”: Toledo “Through and Through”: Toledo and Damascus, Syria in 1986.

“Monkey Business”: Third person omniscient.

"Through and Through": First-person narrator.

“Monkey Business”: Sympathetic, confusion.

“Through and Through”: Dreadful, contemplative, introspective.

“Monkey Business”: Zizi (protagonist), Uhdrah (Antagonist). In “Through and Through," the narrator (John Doe) depicts himself as a protagonist and antagonist while reflecting on his past engagements. There are criminal gangs in the story that qualify to be antagonists.

“Monkey Business”: Zizi finding closure and moving on after Samira’s demise.

“Through and Through”: The narrator reconciling his past as a criminal with his present.

“Monkey Business”: Jameel fitting Sumira’s wedding ring on his finger.

“Through and Through”: The narrator (John Doe) experiencing the real “Damascus moment.”

“Monkey Business”: Braheem foreshadows that Uhdra would not be an ideal spouse for Zizi.

“Through and Through”: John Doe offers detailed flashbacks regarding his past as a participant in organized crime.

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“Monkey Business”: Religious allusion.

“Through and Through”: Biblical and historical allusions.

"Monkey Business": Uhdrah's "Prayers for the Dead" point towards her queer's religious beliefs.

“Through and Through”: Organized crime is proliferating, and its result for the criminals is death.

“Monkey Business”: Uhdra’s assertions about her dead goat resurrecting and Asfooi being asleep (after his demise) are paradoxical.

“Through and Through”: Catholics’ penchant for beer is paradoxical.

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“Monkey Business”: ibn Arab denotes Arab-Americans. Amerkani denotes America.

“Through and Through”: ll Amerikain denotes American. Obit denotes obituary.

“Monkey Business”: The ring is personified. Its removal from Uhdrah's finger is equivalent to removing her from Zizi's life.

“Through and Through”: John Doe personifies the voices he hears while in New Regal.