Entry 7
As one could guess A Map of Home is full of Arabic words, as this is Arab American literature. Whats distinguishable about this book is the amount of times they come up as well as some vulgar language here and there. Starting with the protagonists name Nidali, the feminine version of Nidal, which means strife or struggle, something she does all throughout the book. Fursa Saida (nice to meet you), when Baba introduces himself. Sheika (married woman), used to describe Nidali’s mother. Al-Ahram (Egyptian newspaper) and Asharq Al-Awsat (Arabic newspaper). These are what Nidali would listen to her father read, it reflects the backgrounds of both her parents, as the mother is from Egypt and the father is from Palestine. Wizrak which means burden is mentioned as “one of the places that hurt me”. Za’tar ,a type of burger made in the book, food being common in Arab American literature. Yall, or let’s go. Throughout the novel, the family moves from place to place, from Kuwait to Egypt, to Texas. Gamal (beauty), Nidali’s younger brother. Her father was expecting a boy at first and originally named her Nidal. Sitto/Sido (grandfather/grandmother), Nidali’s paternal grandparents. When her grandfather dies the family goes up for the funeral and is stopped by soliders with invasive checking. Sharbat a traditional drink in Azerbaijan.
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