After reading a good portion of Dear Miye, letters home from Japan (1939-1946), I decided to research a bit more on the background of the author May Kimoto Tomita. Although thus far I have read many of her letters, I feel as though I only know about her daily life.
I stumbled upon this article: http://www.cerescourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=55819&TM=26960.72.
This article states that she recently died on March 9, 2009 from pneumonia. She earned three degrees from Berkley and was a human rights activist among accomplishing many other successes. I also learned that she has a family, but her husband and son have already passed.
One of my favorite letters in this novel is a letter to Kay on pages 200-201. I enjoyed the questions that Mary brought up and allowed me to think on a deeper level. Some of the thoughts brought up were death, democracy, ideals of Japan and their ways of life, love, fate and reality. I found Mary’s strong opinions on the Japanese way of life interesting. She seems to have such a strong bitterness towards the Japanese way of life and justifies this by just saying “they know no other way of life,” (Tomita, 201).
I love how this book is written in letters from Mary and her two friends Kay and Miye. Because this book is written from a more personal perspective and not a formal journalistic point of view, the novel is much more effective. I enjoyed the pictures because it allowed me to put a name to a face and I felt that it allowed me to know the people better. I am not a history buff or even particularly a fan of history, but the way Tomita wrote this novel, it actually sparked my interest because it was about her personal story that was affected because of the events that occurred in history.
4.19.2009
4.12.2009
I truly enjoyed reading The Bookseller of Kabul and found the raw, real material allowed the reader to peer in to the life in Afghanistan. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration of some who actually experienced daily life in Afghanistan and not just a third-person narrator; this made the novel intensely more meaningful.
So, when reading the reactions of Shah Muhammed Rais as well as four various journalists, the reviews surprised me. To begin, I would like to point out that when an individual feels as though those close to them or they personally, have been attacked, it is all the more reason to fight back and say they have not been justified in their alleged portrayal. Also, the journalists' perception of Rais was that he was kind and had a calm demeanor. Clearly, if Rais knows he is under scrutiny, he will be on his best behavior. I think that meeting with him on one or even several occasions cannot truly depict the essence of who he is. When Asne Seierstad lived with Rais and his family, she was able to experience the - who, what, how, where, why and when's of this family. Also, as stated in The LA Times article (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-bookseller25-2009feb25,0,2200694.story), Rais claimed that Sierstad went into Afghanistan with a predetermined view of what her experience would be like and how the culture was; essentially, with a closed mind. I beg to differ because if I recall correctly, Seierstad chose to wear the burka and was treated as one of them. Even if she had thoughts about Afghani culture before entering the country, I do not think those opinions showed in her novel. Also, Leila, Sultan and Mansur were the only ones who spoke both the Afghani language as well as English. So, they could have interpreted and told Seierstad the story in whichever way they chose, omitting any parts in which they did not want her to know. Although I have never traveled to Afghanistan nor met the Rais family, I never felt that this novel was scandalous or an attack on the family. I really felt as though it was a look in to life in Afghanistan. I found it interesting that Rais is in pursuit of filing a lawsuit against her and in turn has taken the opportunity to write his own novel. In Rais' defense, I do think that a portion of the revenue from The Bookseller of Kabul could have gone towards the Rais family to help them support themselves. Something that I thought was heartbreaking was that according to The LA Times article, after the novel was published, the family was forced to split up and take refuge in Oslo and Canada. This makes me think the brutally honest novel led to the family members fearing their lives. Generally, I feel that Seierstad did not intentionally show the Khan family in a negative light, only from her perspective. I feel a statement she made to Times Online summed up how I feel about this disagreement: "I wrote my book, he wrote his. That is fine, and the reader can judge."
I found it interesting that in David Spurr's The Rhetoric of the Empire, he discusses the reflection of a report/journalist. He says that when reporting, reflection is not truly permitted in order to be an unbiased reporter. But, this forces the journalists to be at a distance from the audience. I believe Seierstad defied these rules and because she wrote in an intimate way instead of from a reporter's point of view, the novel was written successfully. Spurr also stresses the importance of clearly painting a picture for the reader to visualize. Although in Seierstad's case, the picture needing to be painted was not merely just landscapes and interiors, but also what the Khan family was like. Even though scenery and landscape holds an importance in The Bookseller of Kabul, I feel that how emotionally involved Seierstad and the characters in the novel are holds more importance. This excerpt I think helps me to identify what type of writer Seierstad is, "Western journalism is filled with situations where the observer, from an exterior position, views the bodies of the captured, imprisoned, incapacitated or dead. In the postcolonial era, the dead or dying body has become in itself the visual sign of human reality in the Third World," (Spurr, 24). Seemingly, Seierstad is a mixture of postcolonialism era writing as well as western writing; although, she has more qualities of a western writer. Patterson's comparison of the two concepts of civilization; nature and uncivilized are defined by instinctive behavior. Seierstad to me, did not truly address any parties in her novel as uncivilized. But, it does seem as though some Afghani's are barbaric and uncivilized in the ways that most Americans have been. I say this only because of the customs and traditions that the country of Afghanistan has been built upon. Men having complete control over women and women having very little opportunity to become successful validates this point.
In conclusion, I did enjoy Seierstad's novel and believe that she did not falsify any of the characters in the novel nor exaggerate her experience, but only Seierstad and the Rais family know what actually occurred.
Works Cited
So, when reading the reactions of Shah Muhammed Rais as well as four various journalists, the reviews surprised me. To begin, I would like to point out that when an individual feels as though those close to them or they personally, have been attacked, it is all the more reason to fight back and say they have not been justified in their alleged portrayal. Also, the journalists' perception of Rais was that he was kind and had a calm demeanor. Clearly, if Rais knows he is under scrutiny, he will be on his best behavior. I think that meeting with him on one or even several occasions cannot truly depict the essence of who he is. When Asne Seierstad lived with Rais and his family, she was able to experience the - who, what, how, where, why and when's of this family. Also, as stated in The LA Times article (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-bookseller25-2009feb25,0,2200694.story), Rais claimed that Sierstad went into Afghanistan with a predetermined view of what her experience would be like and how the culture was; essentially, with a closed mind. I beg to differ because if I recall correctly, Seierstad chose to wear the burka and was treated as one of them. Even if she had thoughts about Afghani culture before entering the country, I do not think those opinions showed in her novel. Also, Leila, Sultan and Mansur were the only ones who spoke both the Afghani language as well as English. So, they could have interpreted and told Seierstad the story in whichever way they chose, omitting any parts in which they did not want her to know. Although I have never traveled to Afghanistan nor met the Rais family, I never felt that this novel was scandalous or an attack on the family. I really felt as though it was a look in to life in Afghanistan. I found it interesting that Rais is in pursuit of filing a lawsuit against her and in turn has taken the opportunity to write his own novel. In Rais' defense, I do think that a portion of the revenue from The Bookseller of Kabul could have gone towards the Rais family to help them support themselves. Something that I thought was heartbreaking was that according to The LA Times article, after the novel was published, the family was forced to split up and take refuge in Oslo and Canada. This makes me think the brutally honest novel led to the family members fearing their lives. Generally, I feel that Seierstad did not intentionally show the Khan family in a negative light, only from her perspective. I feel a statement she made to Times Online summed up how I feel about this disagreement: "I wrote my book, he wrote his. That is fine, and the reader can judge."
I found it interesting that in David Spurr's The Rhetoric of the Empire, he discusses the reflection of a report/journalist. He says that when reporting, reflection is not truly permitted in order to be an unbiased reporter. But, this forces the journalists to be at a distance from the audience. I believe Seierstad defied these rules and because she wrote in an intimate way instead of from a reporter's point of view, the novel was written successfully. Spurr also stresses the importance of clearly painting a picture for the reader to visualize. Although in Seierstad's case, the picture needing to be painted was not merely just landscapes and interiors, but also what the Khan family was like. Even though scenery and landscape holds an importance in The Bookseller of Kabul, I feel that how emotionally involved Seierstad and the characters in the novel are holds more importance. This excerpt I think helps me to identify what type of writer Seierstad is, "Western journalism is filled with situations where the observer, from an exterior position, views the bodies of the captured, imprisoned, incapacitated or dead. In the postcolonial era, the dead or dying body has become in itself the visual sign of human reality in the Third World," (Spurr, 24). Seemingly, Seierstad is a mixture of postcolonialism era writing as well as western writing; although, she has more qualities of a western writer. Patterson's comparison of the two concepts of civilization; nature and uncivilized are defined by instinctive behavior. Seierstad to me, did not truly address any parties in her novel as uncivilized. But, it does seem as though some Afghani's are barbaric and uncivilized in the ways that most Americans have been. I say this only because of the customs and traditions that the country of Afghanistan has been built upon. Men having complete control over women and women having very little opportunity to become successful validates this point.
In conclusion, I did enjoy Seierstad's novel and believe that she did not falsify any of the characters in the novel nor exaggerate her experience, but only Seierstad and the Rais family know what actually occurred.
Works Cited
King, Laura (2/25/2009). The Bookseller of Kabul responds. Lost Angeles Times, Retrieved 4/12/2009, from http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-bookseller25-2009feb25,0,2200694.story
Meo, Nick (11/17/2007). Revenge of the bookseller of Kabul speaks volumes about literary truth. Times Online, Retrieved 4/12/2009, from http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article2884296.ece
Patterson, Thomas C. Inventing Western Civilization. New York: Monthly Review Press.
Spurr, David (1993). The Rhetoric of Empire: Colonial Discourse in Journalism, Travel Writing and Imperial Administration. Duke University Press.
4.05.2009
Hello, welcome to my blog! My name is Marika Kroll. I am from Cleveland and I am a sophomore Media Studies major with an emphasis in Journalism and Creative Writing. I would ideally like to write for an entertainment magazine. I took this course because it sounded like an interesting course and I have a passion for writing and learning about media and culture.
Outside of school, I enjoy traveling, writing, scrapbooking and spending time with my friends and boyfriend. I am extremely close with my family and I feel that nothing should be more valued than the relationship with your family.
Outside of school, I enjoy traveling, writing, scrapbooking and spending time with my friends and boyfriend. I am extremely close with my family and I feel that nothing should be more valued than the relationship with your family.
On that note, I am enjoying The Bookseller of Kabul thus far. I like the rawness and real-life issues that have been addressed.
The reality of such a harsh world for women has shocked me. I cannot believe that women are treated as inferior; are allowed little to no education and forced to marry young and have no choice in choosing their husband or wife, and are forced to have an arranged marriage. I cannot imagine being forced in to a life that was not a choice of my own. Women are treated as objects and their only worth is being able to bear a son. Love is something to me that is a valued, a sacred bond between two people and should never be forced. After reading this, I realize how much I truly value the freedom of being able to love freely and choose the life I want for myself.
On an even more serious note, I found an article on Google News that shocked me. (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/03/obama-administration-struggles-afghan-law-legalize-rape/). The Afghanistan President is going to sign a law saying that Shiite men will have the right to rape their wives. He only recanted this decision and is now taking it into consideration after pressure from the U.S. Hilary Clinton could be considered a feminist and has been speaking about positive rights for women around the world, including Afghanistan for quite some time. I think that Afghanistan needs to realize the difference between sustaining traditional law and blatant, intolerable acts of sexism. I understand that Afghanistan does not want to be westernized and I believe they should always keep their traditional laws, but also should recognize that women deserve to be treated equally to men. I find myself in the dilemma of drawing the line between wanting the U.S. to help make these changes happen and imposing my own personal beliefs. I hope that Obama will bring positive change and assist in making other countries more peaceful and women from other countries can get a taste of independence and freedom of choice.
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