The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf

Class discussions on feminism have hit on the issue of objectivity verses subjectivity. It is important to abandon one's own context of self when examining others. Their perspective is often much different based on their own personal experiences and beliefs. This issue is a common problem in "The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf." Not only do white Americans fail to practice this against Khadra and the Muslim community, but Khadra's family fails in return. Both parties involved seem to view the other group as the "others," which is an essential flaw in their pattern of thinking.

Khadra and her family often express negative views towards white Americans throughout the novel. Perhaps this is their way of reciprocating the negative actions they receive on a daily basis. However, their statements show how jumping to conclusions about "others" opens the door to ignorance. For example, the Shamy's believe that "Americans led shallow, wasteful, materialistic lives (68)." Furthermore, "Islam could solve many of their social ills (68)." This is an "us vs. them" mentality. A person from a Western background reading this book would probably disagree with this assessment. Most likely, these strong differences are due to the absence of Western culture in the Shamy home. As a result, they are uninformed and are not able to make an accurate judgement of white Americans.

While the Shamy's hold a negative attitude towards Western culture, they are surprised to see some of their preconceptions fail. Upon making the haj to Mecca, Khadra notices two whites on the plane. She consequently accuses them of planning to prey on Saudi oil (159). Wajdy clarifies this by saying that they were on the haj as well, to which the entire Shamy family is stunned to hear. This seemed to have an effect on Ebtehaj, who later defended Americans and their way of life (171). This shows the reader that although we may have preconceived notions about another group of people, it is important to look past them. You must see each person as an individual, not a member of a stereotype. This way we can more completely understand each other, with the goal of someday erasing prejudice and racism altogether.