Irresistible

Many times an author is defined by his tone, by his determination to include distinct characteristics of his writing in every written work.  Dave Eggers apparently doesn’t buy into this belief, as he reinvented his narrative style from bombastic and conceited to neutral and suspenseful.  In A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Eggers is telling his own story, and his tone is always harsh and defensive, as if he wanted to leave no room for the reader to attack his decisions.  In Zeitoun, Eggers is forced to take a step back.  Because he tells the story of an immigrant family that lived through hurricane Katrina, the reader will never question their decisions. 

After reading Eggers’ memoir, I didn’t really like him.  Yes, the book was fantastic and he writes brilliantly, but he seemed pompous. After reading the first 100 pages of Zeitoun, I am forced to reconsider my opinion.  Eggers’ makes the Muslim couple seem balanced and fair in the midst of a culture that doesn’t accept them.  For Kathy especially, her own family “put pork on the table” (76) knowing that her religion would make her reprimand that.  Yet, she is “forced to let go,” (76) to worry instead for her husband who is sleeping in a two story house that is flooded almost all the way to the roof.  In this book, Eggers is an advocate for people that don’t really need one.  The title of the book in itself is an appeal to ethos.  The name Zeitoun is transformed into a beacon for resilience.  Moreover, as the book progresses, the reader feels empathy (pathos) for the Muslim family that has to live in the midst of the post 9/11 American society, and yet has its values so properly aligned that they are willing to help the people that reject them.  This is not to say that Eggers is useless, or that the story is so powerful that any author could’ve written the book.  What A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius lacks in charisma and humility, Zeitoun makes up for with its open-minded tone.

What can I expect from Eggers now? The only thing that he has proven thus far is that he can easily switch from being detestable to lovable— not to mention politically correct.  As the levees in New Orleans have finally given out, I anticipate nothing less than a plethora of heartwarming stories about hope in the midst of a crisis.  This is where Eggers will shine.  Having lived and fought through a crisis himself; and having written about his own struggles with constant societal spurning, he will make this book one of my all-time favorites.

Abdulrahman and Kathy sitting on a tree...

Zeitoun is a book that tells the story of a family during Hurricane Katrina.  Zeitoun is a book about the United States immigration issues.  Muslim people in the US are treated differently, and Eggers shows how racial and religious boundaries are a major factor in immigrants lives.

Zeitoun says that it is possible that he pays his workers “before [their] sweat dries.” (40) He lives for his job and his family.  He is obsessed with providing a great education for his kids— they’ll grow up to be doctors.  Kathy (Zeitoun’s wife) is American, converted to Islam.  She shares her husband’s ambition and drive, they own a family company. Why is this relevant?  Why do I have to summarize what they do and how they live as a precursor for my argument? Because I feel the need to defend the lifestyle that the Zeitouns have.  Before Katrina ever affected this family, they were frustrated, they felt they were treated as second class citizens.  Zeitoun sometimes felt “like a frustrated parent,” when Americans fell “short of their best selves.” (37) This being said, it isn’t acceptable for Zeitoun to work hard, and eventually provide Americans with a helping hand, only to be treated like an outsider.  What some Americans fail to realize is that their close-minded attitude is shaping the country in a negative way.  While Kathy may say “thank God for the abaya,” (40) like a true Muslim, she thinks in English.  She is a product of mixed cultures and religions.  She should be celebrated.

While I still await for the hurricane to strike— both in the storyline and in the inevitable meltdown of the characters’ secluded cultures, I turn to Eggers.  While he has played a limited role in the development of the story, he has shown himself in the interwoven message that yearns for equality.  As I read on, I’ll be sure to compare his tone when complaining about the attitude toward orphans in A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius with his tone when complaining about the attitude toward Muslims in Zeitoun.

abaya -(noun) a full-length, sleeveless outer garment worn by some Arab women.

Of Eggers' tone and lexicon

What is to be said of a man born in Syria, that marries a lady from Baton Rouge (who already has a child) and owns a painting company in New Orleans.  To say that this man is cosmopolitan would encapsulate a tiny bit of the feeling that Zeitoun exudes.  Dave Eggers, the author of the book, has no voice in the storyline.  Now, I guess this is the way it should be— after all he is just retelling the story of another family, but I expected more of a sassy and witty tone from Eggers.  Zeitoun has provided me with a reasonable amount of knowledge regarding the mindset surrounding the (not really) average New Oleander.  Eggers has provided me with great words.  Some of these words I know, and are included because they’re used in an astute way.  Others are included because they are new to me.

New to me

Technophile: “Ahmad was a technophile. At home and in his spare time he paid close attention to the weather, to developing storms.” (20)

            (noun) a person who is enthusiastic about new technology.

Foyer: “ High ceilings, a grand winding staircase descending into the foyer, hand-carved everything, each room themed and with a distinct character.” (21)

(noun) an entrance hall or other open area in a building used by the public, esp. a hotel or theater.

Swarthy: “’They’re swarthy,’ she said. ‘I only want white people working on my house.’” (36)

(adjective) dark-skinned: she looked frail standing next to her strong and swarthy brother.

Interesting usage

Staunch: “Be one who is staunch in equity, witness for God even against yourselves…” (38)*

            adjective

1 loyal and committed in attitude: a staunch supporter of the antinuclear lobby

2 (of a wall) of strong or firm construction.

Myriad: “She wanted everything— all seven rooms and their myriad tasks— done in five days.” (39)

            (noun) a countless or extremely great number: networks connecting a myriad of computers.

*Quote from the Qur’an

Just Another Scrimmage

Bill O’Reilly and Jon Stewart argue every time they see each other.  Now, they’re not only paid to do this, they actually have extremely different points of view on pretty much every topic and differ in the way that they sell their opinion.  In May, O’Reilly was on The Daily Show and he stated that Stewart should bring in a Muslim comedian to replace him for the time that he is going to be out directing a movie.  First of all, thank you for arguing, gentlemen (pun intended).  Now, lets proceed to fish out the fallacies and inconsistencies that plague your opinions and to a certain extent, news in general.

O’Reilly says that if Stewart “really cared about the Muslim community [he] would bring in a substitute Muslim host.”  Bill tries to attack Jon’s ethos, at least that is what it seems like at first sight.  However, these two highly celebrated and educated entertainers seem to jump rope with the line that separates an actual argument from an intentional reductio ad absurdum intended to make the audience laugh.  Mr. O’Reilly knows that bringing in a Muslim just for the sake of promoting Muslims would actually be reverse affirmative action, something that he has repeatedly cast aspersions on. The logic that says that hiring a Muslim just because you want Muslims to have jobs and blend into the American community is failing to appreciate that John Oliver is probably the person most suited for the job.  Because of this little play on humor/ attack on Stewart’s point of view, O’Reilly makes Stewart do the right thing: stay silent.  Heinrichs says, in bold print in the middle of the page, “never argue the inarguable,” Stewart followed this guideline.

While it is extremely fun and enjoyable to watch a well-spirited and many times well backed flurry of insults between these two characters, they aren’t the ones we should observe when trying to learn how to argue.  Because they want to entertain, and they need to make the news so simple that the average New Yorker in his bed at 11 pm can understand the jokes, they resort to fallacies repeatedly.