Update

 

I usually start my posts by justifying my absence from the blog, this time I must  admit I have no excuse for leaving it dead for the past weeks or maybe months. One may think I have run out of topics but that's completely not true. There is a lot on my mind lately. The problem is: I keep bumping into new topics on a day-to-day basis, so I do not get the opportunity to complete my writing on any particular topic or issue, before changing my mind altogether, and starting to write about something else! …  I normally do that when I can’t fight the resilient desire to release my thoughts into my virtual piece of paper. Then completely forget about it.  Disorganized mind? My documents file has high ‘satiety’ due to filling its space with huge amount of unfinished posts. I just believe it is hard to keep myself focused on and interested in one topic at a time. Some people are gifted with rare mental ‘capacity’ that keeps them following a single subject for a long time, but with the rapid changes in the world it’s quite hard to be like that.

Speaking of the recent changes in the world, I can’t figure out what’s going on in the Arab world specifically. All I see is revolutions, theological wars, and ideological conflicts and more. I personally did what I do best, that is sitting back and pondering about the incentives behind these overwhelming changes. Guess what though? My ‘sedentary mission’ could not fulfill its objectives! No satisfactory answers whatsoever. I did my best in hope of finding an answer to various questions the current situation has loaded my head with. 






Expanding one's knowledge in order to keep the self updated and expediently well-informed through reading is one of the positive sides to these changes. One of the topics that keep popping up from time to time in my head is about the liberal camp vs. the conservative one in our society. Each side has sincerely devoted too much time to expose the other by utilizing their subversive writings in newspapers. They had the media, in general, preoccupied with their ugly war for quite a long time. But lately it has become more aggressive and nerve-wracking to the extent that even the reputable figures (from both sides) lost people’s reverence for them because of their unsound outbursts. Coming to the point, I had to read both sides’ views and verify the information for myself. All I can say is: both of them are equally right and wrong ( I know I didn’t add anything new and that didn’t prove how I expanded my knowledge  lol). Ok, to make things clear, let’s take one of the top stories these days that's has been used to , and what’s better than Kashgari’s story as an example!... I was baffled by the extreme reaction to it. On one hand, X group supports the freedom of expression regardless how impertinent someone’s thoughts can be. On the other hand, Y group calls to behead him.  Whatever happened to respectfulness and wisdom? Can’t X realize how offensive, rude and disrespectful his words are? And can’t the other be sensible enough before judging the case and condemning it to hell? As much as Kashghari's rants offended me as much as I see the reaction to it unconvincingly exaggerated. The real victim is the audience who have no clue what's going on. Most us are not brooded on the Islamic rulings and are unaware of the personal background of this particular case which made him make these remarks. Yet, the majority prefer to go with the flow, side with X or Y because either one of them is absolutely-completely- precisely- 100% right while the other is wrong!! Our emotion outweighs our senses again and again. To me the best we can do is reading, and educating ourselves about this issue before voicing out our 'opinion'. It's the best chance we can ever get to do something positive while the whole world is obsessed with negativities. This experience among many others is highlighted for a reason and if we don’t use our intellect to learn from what people have gone through we will never evolve. Instead of  the baseless and ignorant arguments on different forums, it’s ‘healthier’ to open a book that discusses similar cases during the prophet’s (pbuh) time. Also, we must not forget that our time is different; therefore, use what fits it as long as it does not take a defiant stand against Allah’s commands. Don't you agree? 

Resolutions.

This post is written while I am falling asleep!

But, I gotta write and post! :D

Pardon any mistake...

I know it's very late yet better than never: "happy new year (Geogorian and Islamic), everyone"!

People habitually talk about their resolution/s whereas it never occurred to me to think of something… anything for a new year's resolution! However, during the last month of the past year I felt it's time to go over some Arabic poems. This decision was possibly subconsciously made under the effect of the Arab Spring on me. Regardless of the motive, I just had a deep sudden remorse towards my desertion of the Arabian literature. I felt like an ungrateful child who has forsaken her own roots and language! It might sound a little dramatic to the reader yet this is exactly how I felt. I can't deny how ashamed I was of myself for spending years and years reading world literature while knowing almost nothing about the Arabic one. This unforeseen sentiment had heartened me to devote a week, well just a week! for a distinct contemporary writer/poet's works for the sake of familiarizing myself gradually with the language and it's system. From this point I considered having a new year's resolution which is not only reading as much as I can but also attempting to translate some of the poems into English. But yeah, it’s a pity to see this captivating literary language dies out before our eyes. You know what?! I am going to dedicate a post to my experience with Arabic literature later on.

My second resolution is to read more about psychology in general. The great thing about psychoanalysis in particular is its ability to aid the reader in understanding ANY text. Last Ramadan there was an amazing program presented by a psychologist who endeavored to decipher some prophetic stories in the Quran from a psychoanalytical perspective.  His program has immensely inspired me. Now every time I read these stories I can't evade thinking psychoanalytically of certain aspects in these stories. Nevertheless, I have always idolized the psychoanalytic approach to analyze literary texts. I had studied and used it a few times during my BA and MA years thus I can safely consider myself well acquainted with the basics. I read a lot about the Freudian theories and their impact on many schools of thoughts. I know a few Lacanian theories while I barely know the Jungian ones. Therefore, I am going to improve my knowledge of the previous names' efforts in the field via reading some books/articles.

So tired! Hope this post made sense!

Oh, and…

Hope you all have a successful new year.
:)

Good Morning...

The sky is smiling at me, and the sun's peaking rays are penetrating my very soul…

So, I can't not resist the temptation of taking a few pictures of that mesmerizing beauty and sharing a couple of them with you...

Go out, look at the sky, feel the beauty around you…

Nurture your heart…

And :

“Let not your tongue cease to be moist with the rememberence of Allah, might is HE and Majestic” Ibn Hanbal.

We have reached the morning and at this very time unto Allah belongs all sovereignty…

O Allah, what blessing I or any of Your creation have risen upon, is from You alone, without partner, so for You is all praise and unto You all thanks.

A Little Talk...

Recently, while finishing some legal documents somewhere, I met this old friend of mine; someone I had not seen since school days. Now let me describe her appearance because this is a key to understand the next few lines. She was sporting a new haircut, wearing an Armani blouse, Tom Ford sunglasses, and carrying a Louis Vuitton bag.

Kiss, hug, and little chitchat about the old ‘gang’ and all the beautiful memories we once shared.  

She introduced me to her coworkers who welcomed me into their circle. In due course, I felt like a spectator and an intruder with zero interest in their “topics”. So, I sat there like a ghost while thinking about the nonsense that was going on. Basically, the women were nattering for hours while I was petulantly waiting for my work to be done. Among the vital topics they discussed was the impact of the financial crisis on their lives. Ironically, none of them seemed to be affected in the way they expressed. Also, this topic followed a talk about fashion, new trends and how much the ‘poverty stricken’ women have such an expensive taste! Seriously though, from the physical look, and the stories I heard, which included lots of bragging about the different ways they pursue to pamper their kids, I can tell they live a comfortable life.  My friend, whom I briefly and purposely described her look above, talked about her ‘suffering’ in details...  On top of all, she and the rest repeated it again and again: “we are poor, and we wish we had better salaries”!

 Don’t tell me you blame me for feeling thunderstruck. Do you see what I see? Something’s wrong, no?

 I asked myself: is it possible to earn a monthly salary that can easily provide you both the essentials and the non-essentials and still grumble about a massive financial problem that’s changed your life (no exaggeration intended). Do such people make public statements that belie the apparent truth aiming to stop the evil eye? Or what is this all about?

To have the non-essentials polishing your appearance, for me, is an indication of financial sufficiency that secures a comfortable living situation.  I wonder if they truly understand the meaning of poverty. I honestly don’t think so... They are utterly dim to comprehend the fact that if you can afford the essentials then you are not deprived. I say; maybe they have a distorted perception of reality which clouded the vision to weigh their priorities in life. Based on that, they choose to have an iphone instead of a yogurt bottle!! They spend money on overpriced meals or fancy dining thus end up having ONE can of tuna for the whole family a by the end of the month!! Otherwise, how can we explain the causes of their unstable financial situation?!!

 I need to fathom the unfathomable!!

Whatever is the case and are the reasons, these people like many others feign a different reality for themselves… Simply because you can’t be rich by the beginning of the month and poor by the end of it… it’s just uproarious to watch them complain and sympathize with each other when they know it’s the wasteful lifestyle that causes most if not all of the financial problems. And seriously, try to mention the unfortunate ones who roam the streets looking for food, these women would ‘eat’ you alive: “they don’t need money or food, bunch of liars”.. Excuse me, what’s the difference between you and SOME beggars? You both “lie” to win an empathetic ear. That’s why I feel the issue requires more decency and transparency with your own self to be evaluated. I personally find it repulsive to use the word “poverty” to describe their situation while the rest of the world uses the same word to describe the situation in Somalia, for instance. Poverty is an all-embracing term that defines the condition where people lack the basic requirements for a decent living. That does not mean all people are like that, I know poverty exists in some areas in almost all cities. Perhaps a little visit to these unprivileged areas would offer a proper dose of reality for the discontented mouths. The thing is reality has been changed, therefore, forced to go against its former self due to the impact of social factors. Now even simple words and expressions are given a different interpretation. So, instead of collaborating to eradicate poverty, we are to divide our effort in order to and modify people’s understanding of what poverty is.

To me this problem emanates from a greedy attitude that manifests in our inability to have feelings and empathy for the poor.  This attitude has prevented many people from appreciating what they have so they keep thinking they are in need when they are absolutely not. What can I say? Life has become so shallow at the hands of people who portray it as a never-ending battle that’s dedicated to collecting materialistic gains.

Hajj Spirit!

Don't have much to say but Assalamu Alaikum to whoever reads my blog and have a blissful eid, in sha'llah!

The equality of human beings that's greatly exemplified in Hajj is overwhelming, right? ^_^
Watch it live, guys! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6mDdfFnna0&feature=featured

Book of the Month.

In one of my adventures to Virgin Megastore, I promised myself to never leave the place with an empty hand like I always do. And this means I would buy ANY book. The books there are not that well-known to average readers like myself and that leaves me with nothing to buy. I don’t know how or when did I pick that book, (the one I am gonna talk briefly about later) but I can tell you that was one of my best spontaneous decisions! You know what? Just to be honest with you, being ultra-careful to spend the money on a book that’s worth your time leads you to fall for a cheesy deceptive title (do you always pick the right one?). Anyhow, the book remained untouched in my bookshelves for a few months. I barely recognized it! Last night I had that very familiar ‘hunger’ for reading whatever thing that’s at hand, provided it’s not heavy in content, and this was my choice:



Title: Beatrcie and Virgil
Author: Yann Martel
Shop: Virgin Megastore
Price: 12.99 GBP, about 85 SR.

Characters:
Henry 1: A well known writer, who goes through writer’s block.
Sarah: Henry’s wife.
Henry 2: An old creepy man, who asks Henry (the writer) for help, he works as a taxidermist.
Virgil: A Donkey.
Beatrice: A howler monkey.

Setting:
The novel: Two cities, two flats. (notice the significance of twins )
The play: A striped shirt.


The book’s most prominent feature is originality, which comes in different forms; from the distinct style of writing a play within a novel, to the molding of characters, and the development of events that keeps you attached to the book (I guarantee if the idea of the book didn’t attract the reader then there’s the language, the style or even the mysterious characters and so forth). Having said that the play within the novel carries out enormous lessons in a striking manner. You might find yourself closing the book for a while and pondering the meaning of the rich metaphors the play represents (that’s what I caught myself doing anyway ^_^). Another high hit is the flow of narratives; to me that’s quite a subtle hint to Henry’s (the taxidermist) way of speech that goes uninterrupted. This technique leaves the reader engrossed in the story with no means of ‘suspense’. What I mean by that is there’s no break, no chapter division so you will be flipping the pages (if bored, unenthusiastically) to find a page where you can stop reading and commence analyzing what’s been written so far. I think this is a very good technique, it helps improving some reading skills, especially highlighting the major events, lines and so on, without the help of the book itself. I know novels don’t necessarily require the classical division into numbered or titled chapters, yet I lean toward the idea that this method was primarily employed to allow the reader the chance of living the experience of Henry (the writer) of diving in a seemingly endless yet captivating conversations and incidents. Having said that, the thought provocative scattered play scenes reminded me of some literary canonized works such as Beckett’s Waiting for Godot… see this example:


Vrigil: ….. what day is it today?
Beatrice: Saturday.
V: I thought it was Friday.
B: Maybe it’s Sunday.
V: I think it’s Tuesday.
B: Is it possibly Monday?
V: Perhaps it is Wednesday then.
B: It must be Thursday then.
V: God help us.
(107-8)


Anyone familiar with Beckett’s play would easily recognize the similarities which go far deeper than the matching style. At the beginning when I started reading the play it felt like reading Kalilah Wa Dimnah/Panchatantra which is a series of fables stories that was represented to the arab world by Abdullah Ibn Al-Muqaffa’. But then that could be the general atmosphere of having human like animals.

My favorite quotations:

                      I stick stars next to the qoutations, i no longer use those funny colourful markers. >.<
1- Virgil: To my mind, faith is like being in the sun. When you are in the sun, can you avoid creating a shadow? Can you shake that area of darkness that clings to you, always shaped like you, as if constantly to remind you of yourself? You can’t. This shadow is doubt. And it goes wherever you go as long as you stay in the sun. And who wouldn’t want to be in the sun? ...... (103)


2- The United States of America, the United Clothes of Europe, the Union of African shoes, the Association of Asian Hats--- names are arbitrary. We parcel out the Earth, give names to landscapes, draw maps and then we make ourselves at home. (106)


3- To put one’s feet up and relax--- the pleasure of not using one’s knees is even celebrated in cliché. But the back is a real railway hub, connected to everything, demands constantly made upon it. And what about the pain of thirst and hunger? Or that entirely different kind of pain, the one that injures no particular organ yet kills the spirit that links them? (128)


There are a few disjoined incidents, and quite unnecessary details in the book but at this stage I can’t tell if my verdict is fair or not, I should give the book a second reading to connect some events and answer some questions the novel threw at me.

How long did I spend reading the book?
I started reading it at 3 am, and finished at 9 am. (I did take a break)


p.s.
The book’s richness didn’t hinder using an exceptional writing method that’s formed into a smooth and easy language. That’s a remarkable point for ESL readers. :)


Enjoy!

Update.

About a couple of weeks ago I intended to update my blog. However, I was quite sure that I would not write a single letter without FORCING myself to sit down, hold my pen and start writing! Writing makes me feel like a kid who’s unenthusiastically working on his homework! I really needed a long break from writing, especially after working on my thesis for a year. The experience that has cemented my deep distaste for writing. Anyway, I am finally done with the MA degree. Yay? No… I don’t feel so thrilled. My happiness was robbed by the over lengthened period of waiting for the results, comprehensive exam, and then the thesis. Add to that the professors who treated us like a pile of trash, no joke! Their high position, and education could not teach them how to appreciate our effort.

Ok ok! Enough with the grumpy talk. In the end I am a woman and my peevish side comes out naturally ^_^

There were many precious moments that encapsulate working hard, and having the utmost fun in reading and educating myself. One of the most significant sides about the whole experience was being with my BA friends in another yet an advanced level. Also, meeting new people who joined our ‘holy’ circle effortlessly!! I was very lucky to meet people who share with me the same interests, and who are willing to discuss anything valiantly and respectfully. Big smile for my dear friends :D


What else?


Reading!
I have read a few fictional or non fictional books.


Once I submitted my paper I ran to my bookshelves to pick (carefully) a fictional work that symbolizes my first FREE READING after the M.A. It was Dostoevsky’s My Uncle’s Dream. This work is like a invigorating sunny day after a stormy night. It has a great amount of wit, mirth, and satire that serve in depicting the hypocrisy and shallow mindedness of the social elites in Petersburg. While reading it I had a strange feeling that I am reading a Russian version of Dickens’s distinctive style. Later on, I came across a review which proclaims that Dostoevsky started writing it after he had read one of Dickens’s novels!


Next, a little book on René Descartes's major philosophical thoughts. The book is a breif yet valuable account that sheds light on the philosophical outlook towards "doubts". I have always wondered why do some people allow suspicion the chance to grow, bombard their minds and contaminate the product.. i.e their thoughts. So, I had my answer in that book. I realized how the philosophers pestilent ideas have ‘penetrated’ everything.... even religion.


Last, a ‘snack’ by Salman Al-Oudah; a light good read if you are interested to learn about the division in our ummah. It provides the reader with a historical view of the Sahaba time, and how the variety of opinions positively characterized that age. Salman in a way is trying to say that the culture of ikhtilaf/disagreement is not a negative one, rather, we should seek the means to benefit from it instead of making it the ground of an endless animosity between most of the Muslims. The title of the book is verse 118 from Surat Hud/11, and it's in arabic.


Photography!
Check my Flickr account in the side bar...


Painting!
I’ll let the pictures speak...

 I hope none of you knows japanese!

 Sponge work!

Acrylic and Oil colours.

This is my latest.

And that concludes my update...



I am A "Creep"!

What you conceive of yourself does not usually conform with what people conceive of you. The perfect specular image can be obliterated from the mind if you become aware of the world’s views on you, your faith, and your identity. This happens to some of us, and no matter how painful and deplorable this experience can be, it does have some advantages. I believe it simply invites some thought-stimulating questions concerning the essence of your religious/ethnic/cultural orientation. Also, it introduces you to a worthwhile journey of introspection; it enlightens you, helps strengthen your faith in yourself and inspect your mistakes. To dissect the experience, we must be frank with ourselves, that as much as we might be hurt by what people think of us, we have contributed in creating and flourishing the “other’s” negative mind-set. Exploring the causes is a must and the process will make us delve into the realms of what Lacan called ‘The Gaze Stage’. The importance of reaching this stage emanates from motivating a self-scrutiny, and a deep inquiry of our own perfect image. Only then we can evolve and our experience can evolve with us, so we become fairly content with ourselves and with the world. The relation between this stage and people’s view is vital, that is, it defines the significance of being confronted with the world’s view, weather positive or negative, to evaluate our immature image of the self. The moment we feel different we tend to analyze what makes us different and what’s the worth of our difference. At this time, it’s quite hard to isolate yourself from the world or hide your head in the sand while bragging about being faultless. People scrutinize our experience, attitude, thoughts and give their verdict. If we consider their verdict biased then we need to answer them back by humbling ourselves first, be in peace with our imperfections, then learn as much as we can. We need to communicate with them and fear not the outcomes and the negative ideas about us.



I felt intrigued by the idea of the perfect image vs. the imperfect one after watching a video on YouTube; it’s a slideshow video, and the maker has included pictures of veiled woman as a vivid example of ‘creeps’ and ‘weirdoes’! There’s a picture that shows a woman who’s wearing abaya/burka and looking at photos of semi naked women, who symbolize the ‘free’ world, while she symbolizes the ‘oppressed’ one. This is what the world conceives of us.. Weirdo.. Creep.. Backward.. Some might think YouTube can’t be considered a credible source of information to base my post on, but I assure you this isn’t the first time; I have read many demeaning comments and seen a multitude of infuriating images about veiled women.


Being frank with ourselves is a key point here. We have turned many religious issues into a cultural obsession thus they eventually have lost their weight. Let’s face it, the incentive behind most religious ideas/concepts’ demolishment comes from within; we tolerated our weaknesses until they ruled and turned us into a cultural product. Our religion has become a powerless factor in comparison to traditions and culture. Therefore, we are programmed to do many things without asking why. Wearing veil is obligatory, but why? No answer… We go mad at people who attack it or deem it a cultural expression of a male dominant society. Although we know they are wrong, yet getting engaged in a serious discussion is hard because we don’t educate ourselves enough to support our argument. When the "other" makes us/our belief the subject of its ridicule, or asks simple question we can’t articulate a reasonable answer due to lack of knowledge. I can bluntly say whoever attacks wearing the veil is either p-envy victim (from women side of course), or obsessed with sexism (applies to men too). But this does not bring the world’s negative thoughts to an end, or make me feel happy about myself because I failed to give a sensible response that represents the Islamic perspective. I don’t want to turn this post into an emotional outburst that reflects my frustration at how the world sees me and my fellow…‘creeps’… so I shall stop here. On a more serious note, before dealing with others, we ought to deal with our own internal problems that endorse the “others’” celebration over our fallen corpse!

Yet Another Flood.

22-2-1432 is another scenario of 8-12-1430’s tragedy. The difference is, we have more dramatic scenes of people who are stuck on the roads without their medicines, and others at work without electricity or food. The appalling images of 8-12’s drowning innocent souls are engraved in our minds. And today we relive the cruel experience with our neighbors as their city is sinking. Rain, the sign of mercy has become a nightmare for them.


My brother the other day was telling me how people dread cloudy weather now, and most of them leave their work to be with their families in case the city is flooded again. Isn’t it sad? It makes me wonder if rain is any longer a sign of mercy or rather a sign of wrath? This catastrophe proves that what Jeddah needs isn’t a new mall, a new coffee shop or a trendy center.. NO. Our understanding of modernity is extremely shallow and this is the result; a decorated city from the outside, and the inside endures a massive problem that threatens souls. The one-dimensional ambition to compete with other modern cities is exposed now… our so called ‘bride of the red sea’ is drowning. Now, we are ‘flooded’ with relief after hearing the news that the downpour has only destroyed properties, so NO ‘human’ victims this time, Alhamdulillah. The thing is, this experience destabilizes our confidence in the existence of sincere work to develop the city. Yet, it boosts up our confidence of a vital social aspect which is manifested in the citizens’ care for the distressed ones. It drew tears to my eyes when I read about families who share/ed their houses with the ones stuck on the roads. It is a wonderful illustration of an existing noble-mindedness and magnanimity. The example of Ansar and Muhajireen is brought to life but in a different way… isn’t it beautiful?




I am sure the whole country is so proud of you guys.
I wish we could do something for those who volunteer/ed to help people in need. But, the real reward is briefly mentioned here:
The prophet (pbuh) said: “whoever relieves a believer of distress in this world, Allah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Resurrection.”
And
“ whoever helps his brother in secret, Allah will help him in this world and the next."


I hope we learn from this lesson, and prepare ourselves better in the future.
I pray all people there are safe and sound.

Long Day's Journey into Night.

For my M.A. comprehensive exam preparation, I had to go over the literary canons; a group of influential  fictional works. I opted to start with literary criticism in order to help me view the works later from a critical perspective. The funny point though, I had a few study group meetings, so I met my friends in one of these meetings and they were giving a general idea about some of the works. The entire group agreed that the most boring play/drama book was Eugene O’Neil’ Long Day’s Journey into Night. Being influenced by their negative views, I delayed studying that play as much as I could. However, eventually in one of the best exam preparation days, I read it!


I am afraid of clichés… but I should say that the work is utterly awesome! Couple of years after my first reading, I still enjoy it, I still discover new aspects I was not aware of previously. For those who have never read it, this masterpiece in depicting human condition should be a MUST-READ in your list. The dominant aspect of this work is its realistic nature. Realism as a prevalent mood brings to light the fact that it’s a reflection of the writer’s own life and experience i.e. an autobiographical work. Another important point to add is the remarkable employment of binary opposition technique as structuralists identify it.


Love/revulsion


Closeness/loneliness


Present/past


Reality/dream .. etc


Albeit being so close, living under the same roof and spending most of the day together, resentment dwells inside their hearts and causes a tendency to isolate. Also, positive feelings like genuine love and passion are surpassed by negative feelings like remorse, regrets and revulsion. The unforgivable past haunts their happy moments, turns them into miserable creatures, and adds to the contention between them. Conflicts between them emanate from a continuous failure to forgive and forget. They have become a group of soulless members, unable to cope with the present situation, and live their day by the thought of an imaginary world full of contentment that does not exist in real life.


Mary: the mother, is a distraught woman, the dreams she lived once to be a pianist or a nun were completely demolished by a hasty reckless decision to marry James Tyrone. She is now a ghost of that hopeful spirit, a dope fiend who lives under the addiction of morphine.


James Tyrone: the father, a victim of a continuous misunderstanding that made most of his actions appear deplorable and beyond the pale. In his youth he used to be a successful actor. He was forced by his father to forsake his career and find a job that provides a decent living. The harsh and strict upbringing planted the seeds of his stinginess; the problem which probably led to Mary’s morphine addiction. Also, he is blamed for the deterioration of his younger son’s health for the same exact reason. (my favorite character ^_^)


Jamie: the older son, a man with no hope or purpose in life. He wastes his time in the company of loose women and drinking. he is supposed to portray a good example before his younger brother, to his parents’ dismay he is morally corrupt and they fear the effect he might have on his brother.


Edmund: the younger son, a brilliant learned youth whose ambition, enthusiasm and success impress his parents. His health remains one of the highlighted topics all the way through the play as it displays the struggle they live. It is the key to dive into the characters’ reality, James the tender-hearted caring father, Jamie the concerned brother and Mary the compassionate mother. Additionally, as much as his illness draws attention to the positive side of each member, it illuminates the extent of disunity between them.


The work gives you a glimpse of a modern family’s life. The title of play proposes a vital point; the action of the play takes one day and one place. By that, Eugene revives the Greek drama setting of unity of time and place. Not only that, but in my opinion, James is definitely a tragic hero. All of these Greek aspects are mixed with a modern touch in the style and the realistic mood, all cooperate to make the play one of the most renowned literary canons.


Enjoy it!