Introduction:
The Persian Carpet for Hanan Shaykh is one of the most effective art patterns because it deals with issue that is one of the most social issues which could be suggested widely in the Arabic or Islamic community; the issue which is represented in the divorce. Divorce is not defined as a separation between parents; but it means a lot according to the negative effects which may be reflected by all means through the issue of separation between male and female without looking for the comfort of their children with their different and various ages and genders.
Children may be the most influenced side of this process of divorce because they are the mutual between both of man and woman. Both of the divorced sides, man and woman, may find his/her partner in life and start over with new life which could play a great role in removing the old bad effects which are considered the same reasons which lead partners in order to be separated and avoiding the highest levels of unexpected conflict. The Persian Carpet is one of these patterns which reflect the suffering of the girl, the narrator, from the influences which could be provided behind the separation between her father and mother; this also besides putting the highlight of the change which was occurred in the emotional side of the young girl in order to be converted according to different causes and circumstances around the different parts of conflict.
"The Persian Carpet" Story Analysis:-
After previewing the events of the story which are focusing by all means with the divorce and the sufferings which could be reflected upon the children through the subject, I suppose that the author was very successful in choosing the adequate methods and techniques in order to be connected basically to the purpose of the story which is represented in showing the separation, or divorce in another meaning, trying to help the readers to realize the divorce circumstances and the other negatives which could be provided by the parties of the conflict upon the other parties who has no reason to be influenced negatively by the harsh consequences of this matter. According to Vélez “the marriage can elad to some bad problmes and imapcts on children” (Vélez,2011).
According to the start of the story, the human need to perform his/her choices which could be went to the best side or the worst; the issue which depends upon the nature of desired choices and the consequences which could be provided by the parties of the subject. The first suggested main idea which was reflected through the story was represented in the selfish choices and its negative effects which may damage the whole common interest of the family and its stability; the issue which was reflected by the narrator’s mother and her desire in separation from the narrator’s father in order to marry from the person who is in love with. The narrator of the story is suffering from the doubts which are related by way or another with the new perspective about her mother who was lying for several month in order to achieve her desire to be divorced from her husband; the matter which was reflected by the narrator’s speech about the Persian carpet which was disappeared suddenly to be used by the selfish mother as a reason to make conflicts between her and the husband in order to get her desired goal that is represented in divorce. On the other side, the Persian carpet was used by the narrator in the story as a symbol of betrayal and selfishness of her mother who was able to lie for few months in order to create conflict and leave home for living with the first beloved far away from her daughters.
Mothers’ Selfishness and Betrayal:
Through the progress of the events which were retold upon the tongue of young female narrator, she was trying over and over to show her struggle in understanding some specific matters which were represented mainly in the mothers’ selfishness and betrayal for her father to achieve her selfish desires. The order of the events was very successful in reflecting the emotion of the protagonist, the young suffering girl, towards her mother; the issue which show the changes which were reflected upon young daughter with the form that was turned from the best to the worst. Before the young girl’s meeting with her mother, there were a lot of different conflicted emotions inside the young girl towards her mother; the issue which was changed definitely when her mother open the door and find herself rushing to hug her mother in love and happiness.
In the story, the changeable and contradicted feelings inside the young girl was considered as the ironic reversal because the young girl’s confusion in her emotions serves the plot of the story to be conveyed successfully for reacting with the reader with the form that shows how the feeling of the daughter towards her mother’s selfishness. In another side of the story, the daughter was describing the moment when the father agreed to divorce; there was a smile which was drawn upon her mother’s face; the matter which shows the great opposite between the feelings in both situations which depends upon the nature of the individual him/herself. Anyway, the mother’s smile in divorce moment refers to great selfishness and happiness too with the decision in the time when her daughter were emotionally damaged from her mothers’ leaving for them; this issue explain after the reason of the changed emotions and feelings of the young daughter towards her mother through meeting.
The Turning Point in the Story:
The turning point which could be happened for boys or girls by the situations which may be suggested by their parents or other relatives play a great role in forming their characteristics; closing them to maturity, and gives them the ability to realize the different social affairs around them with the form that increase their awareness about the techniques or behaviors which have to be performed through the situation effectively.
In The Persian Carpet story, there were two of the characters who were represented in narrator’s mother and Ilya that were on great opposite in their characteristics and nature; but they share the same love by the young female narrator. However, the contrasts between the two major characters who were represented in mother and Ilya in the characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors have a great influence upon the formation of the narrator’s point of view about the realistic features of the world. Like the other young people in life, the young girl acquired the adequate experience about life by getting closer for some specific and significant individuals in life like her mother for example; the issue which makes them forcing themselves in order to be changed and reach to the specific characteristics which may cope with these points of view and reality of surrounding social affairs.
Excitement When Meeting Mother:
Both of narrator’s mother and Ilya were preferable by the young girl and she desired widely to stay the rest of her life besides them. The thing, which was declared clearly in the excitement of girl when she was in her way to meet her mother secretly; besides the narrator’s leaving for herself to follow her love to her mother and neglecting the several acts which may change the narrator’s point of view towards her mother. She said that she was unable to wait to throw herself into her mother’s arms. All of these feelings show the strong relation and bond for her mother which depends basically on the trust and love connection by blood between mother and daughter.
A Selfish Mother:
In spite of the narrator’s love for both of significant persons like Mother and Ilya, there were some specific differences which were associated by all means with their characteristics and values. The narrator’s mother was that selfish mother who was seeking always for meeting her desires and needs without any kind of care for her family members and their emotions. To follow her desire, she asked for divorce without paying care for damaging whole family and its stability; just she need to live with someone else, her first love. Because she loves the carpet, she pretend that Ilya is the responsible for stealing the carpet; the matter which was happened because she realized that she cannot achieve all of her desired goals together which were represented in getting divorce and getting the red Persian carpet. The strange thing about these accusation of Ilya about stealing the carpet was represented in not trying to defend himself in spite of his blindness or his physical poor in order to show the versus between empowered and powerless in addition to greedy and humble.
Focusing on The Narrator’s Mother and Ilya:
Through the story, the main focus was upon the two static characters that were represented in narrator’s mother and Ilya. This concentration includes also the influence which was reflected upon the narrator by them to be changed. Through the first meeting between mother and her daughters, the divorced mother seems that she loves her daughters through her kisses, hugs, and crying over and over; the issue which may be clearly opposed for the reality of her mother because she prefer her personal life and ask for divorce; the matter which makes daughters being not her first priority in life.
The narrator may realize the fact that she still loving her mother in spite of her victimizing for a helpless man, Ilya, for stealing red carpet; the issue which makes the narrator being disappointed towards her mother; especially when she notice the red carpet in the new house where her mother living in. She said that she was desired to sink her teeth in her mother’s arms when she was trying to hug her; the issue which refers to the changeable point of view of the narrator about her mother because she realized finally that her mother is betrayal and she was lying upon their father in order to create a conflict between both of them as a way to get her desired divorce from the beginning.
The Feeling of Pity and Disappointment:
For the young narrator, she feels with inside conflict, which was reflected between the feeling of pity for the old blind man, who was accused with stealing the carpet; and the disappointed feelings which are associated with the selfishness and power. Through the events which were reflected in the story, the main and significant characters of the story for the narrator direct them to the way in order to realize the reality of the world and know that life is not fair always according to the behavior of the individuals.
Conclusion:
To conclude, there are two special characters in the narrator’s life that are influencing with different ways upon the narrator’s life according to the reflected behavior. Both of those characters influence with different forms upon the narrator’s characteristics. For example, the narrator’s mother reflect the selfishness and power towards achieving her required goals without paying care for her family; trying to reach her goals even if she damage the stability to her entire family. She was succeeded to reach her goals which are related by all means to divorce with making conflicts between her and narrator’s father in order to achieve her desired goals. On the opposite side, Ilya is considered the victimized side, form of powerless, and physically poor. He is considered as a victim for the narrator mother’s selfishness because she made him punished away from the town in spite of his innocence. Both of characters’ behavior makes the narrator full confused because she was thinking different aspects about the reality of life; the reality which was realized by her according to the observation and the natural or extinct behaviors towards life activities. As a result, the life is not always seem beautiful or fair for the individuals till he/she discover the truth which could be hurtful or surprising it was connected with significant person in our life, as the narrator’s mother for instance. In addition, the individual still learning different lessons about life through the direct interaction with the various categories of people rather than just influencing by the good tales about previous experiences.
Works Cited:
Egloos. "The Persian Carpet" . N.D. 9 Dec 2014 <Http://Gosling.Egloos.Com/Viewer/165911>.
Vélez, Clorinda E., Et Al. "Protecting Children From The Consequences Of Divorce: A Longitudinal Study Of The Effects Of Parenting On Children's Coping Processes." Child Development 82.1 (2011): 244-257. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Zacsteen. Analysis Of The Persian Carpet. 12 May 2013. 9 Dec 2014 <Http://Www.Studymode.Com/Essays/Analysis-Of-The-Persian-Carpet-1687189.Html>.
