Group discussions questions on part 2 of Women of Sand and Myrrh

1. Hanan Al-Shaykh chooses to write about four different women. What is the relationship between the women and why do you believe he/she chose to write about them?

2. What is the significance of the potions used in this culture and why do the women (Suzanne) resort to the use of thses potions to get Maaz to want to marry her?

3. Do any of the four women written about in "Women of Sand and Myrrh" believe in monogamus marriages? Are the men in this culture also expected to be monogamus?

4. Suha appears to be a common thread that all women have in common. What is her significance to the other three women?

5. The book deals alot with sexual relationships, both heterosexual and homosexual. Is the homosexual encounters a coping mechanism for these women? In any sex a feeling of worth to Arabic women?

Let us know if you want us to continue to do class this way, as we are about done with "Novel without a Name" and will be getting to gether soon to discuss the next set of questions if this works for you. Thanks Arelda, Sue, Paula, Mary.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2000

Answers

1. Each women has a little different ackground, Suzanne an American, Suha is from Lebanon, Nur a spoiled rich girl and Tamr a rebel. Each have an experience to share about what life in the desert is like. They are allbrought together in the same milddle East country, all working to get over their loneliness the desert has caused.

4. Suha is first mentioned in the book showing how she struggles being away from home. Wanting to leave, self-occupied with her unhappiness. she gets out and starts meeting these different ladies, Suha is a listener and sometimes just pretends. She doesn't put her friends down for their sometime dumb ideas, she tends to be a follower.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2000