Blog 26: 3/29 From Meatless Days / Sara Suleri

-

  3/29 From Meatless Days / Sara Suleri

Jordan Miles 

"Meatless Days" is a memoir written by Sara Suleri, a Pakistani author. In this book, Suleri shares personal essays and reflections on her life growing up in Pakistan and later studying and teaching in the United States and England. The title "Meatless Days" is about the days when her family would not consume meat due to religious or cultural reasons. However, the title, I think could be interpreted as a symbol of the different types of hardships and losses that Suleri and her family faced. Suleri talks about Pakistani society, including the effects of colonialism, religious and ethnic problems, and challenges for women. She also talks about her own experiences as a woman, showing a personal and interesting perspective of her life and what she considers her identity, racially, and as a woman. She writes, "I decided that the only way to reclaim my own voice was to write myself back into existence." This quote illustrates Suleri's resilience and determination to overcome the struggles of her identity as a woman and a Pakistani in a society that privileges males. By using her writing as self-expression, she is able to assert her own voice and make herself visible in a world that often tries to silence her. Suleri's resilience and strength in the face of adversity are truly inspiring. Her ability to overcome the challenges of being a woman and a Pakistani in a society that often seeks to silence her voice truly shows her perseverance and determination. By not settling with being silenced and instead asserting her own voice through her writing, Suleri makes herself seen. She can also empower other women and minorities to do the same and feel ok to share their truths. Her story is a good reminder that even in the face of hardship and loss, it is possible to thrive and try your best to make a meaningful impact.

Comments

  1. Ava DanielsMarch 29, 2023 at 6:44 AM

    I think that this excerpt was very interesting. Every time that we read about someone from a different country with different experiences, I tend to be more intrigued because of how many new things I'm reading. I think that the hidden or underlining meaning that you came up with also very good and made sense.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ParkerMarch 29, 2023 at 6:46 AM

    I think that Sara is what a Pakistani feminist would embody. The Pakistani culture doesn't allow women to have a say in practically anything and they have to cover their bodies so no one else can see them. Sara uses her education to make sure that she is heard in some way, since she can't really speak out against the Pakistani culture and society for how things are run, or change roles.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Clarice ArnoldMarch 29, 2023 at 6:47 AM

    I loved your insight into this passage. Many women feel silenced in society and Suleri's presence in two completely different societies gives her a real understanding of just how much she has been silenced by others. I like the quote you used. Just like the many other female writers in our book, Suleri is able to gain clarity from her childhood and share her point of view through writing about her personal experiences. Everyone struggles with identity and writings like this help more women realize who they are.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rebeka OgrenMarch 29, 2023 at 6:49 AM

    I can only imagine the struggles that Suleri faced while growing up in a predominantly male society. Asserting her voice within her writing was a powerful statement in it of itself as most often, the first thing to be taken away from women is their voice. Growing up in a religious household as well, lots was "taken" from her that she had to work around at such a young age-- she did an amazing job at growing through adversity!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog 16: Blackberry Winter / Margaret Mead

-
 Jordan Miles  Blog 16: Blackberry Winter / Margaret Mead Margaret Mead writes a personal coming-of-age story in Blackberry Winter. She was a student at Barnard, focusing on Anthropology. She writes a lot about how Americans can learn many lessons from Polynesians regarding handling the many problems that adolescence consists of.   She discusses societal issues about topics like women's rights, race, and different cultures. I think that the quote she ends with helps conclude her main passions and focus of the work that she does. She explains, "On all my later field trips when I was working on cultures about which nothing was known, I had the more satisfactory task of learning the culture first and only afterward working on the special problem. In Samoa that was not necessary, and this is one reason why I was able to carry out my work on the life of the adolescent girl in nine months." (568).  She demonstrates the love and care she has for different cultures and ...
Read more

Feminism Reflection

-
 I have gained new perspectives and ideas on my view on feminism and what it means to me throughout this course. Through discovering and discussing so many influential female figures, I have seen numerous examples of courage, strength, and resilience. These are the main traits I’ve taken from authors such as Eva Hoffman, Audre Lorde,   Maxine Hong Kingston, Beryl Markham, and Sara Suleri. One aspect I think that all of the authors carry is their ability to rise above the odds and the barriers that females faced at the time. For so many of these feminists, they grew up at a time when society said they were less than and not good enough or should have the same opportunities as men, but they all defied this norm and pursued a passion and life they built for themselves.       First, Eva Hoffman's work "Lost in Translation" highlights the challenges of adapting to a new culture and the impact of gender roles on one's identity. Her story shows the importance...
Read more

Blog 4 - The prime of life / Simone de Beauvoir

-
 Blog 4 - The prime of life / Simone de Beauvoir Jordan Miles  January 13, 2023  In Simone de Beauvoir's coming-of-age story, The Prime of Life, she discusses what she has gone through in life and perspectives on freedom for women. I really enjoyed and agree with her views on freedom. She believes that our freedom can be found through pursuing our dreams and goals and should not be limited to our gender or certain social roles and standards that society tells us we are limited to. I like how she feels strongly that we all should have the moral freedom to make our own decisions and have a personal destiny. An interesting quote I read by Simone de Beauvoir is, "There is a good principle that created order, light, and man and a bad principle that created chaos, darkness, and women." I think the ideas behind this quote mean that men have always had an advantage over women for nothing other than the fact that they are men. They are naturally just viewed as right and orderly wh...
Read more