Year of the Elephant: A Moroccan Woman's Journey Toward Independence and Other Stories (Modern Middle East Literature in Translation Series)

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Summary: A Woman's Realization in Year of the Elephant
Review: In the novella Year of the Elephant, author Leila Abouzeid combines two stories into one moving narrative. It is about an older woman who must make a new start in her life. And hers is a life that is tied to the rebirth of a nation. I think Abouzeid has skillfully combined these two elements to create a bittersweet tale of struggle, independence, and sobering realization.
The main character, Zahra, has returned to her childhood home in Meknes, Morocco. She is reeling from a painful divorce. After two decades of marriage, her husband has ignominiously severed their union with a brief note that read, "your papers will be sent to you along with whatever the law provides." These words are the culmination of years of growing disillusionment and estrangement between a husband and wife, between a dream and reality. And these words echo through Zahra's mind as she tries to rebuild her life.
Part of what made the book interesting to me is the background of the story. At the end of World War II, colonies like Morocco struggled for independence. After a violent decade of revolt, the French finally released their grip on the Moroccans and restored its monarchy. It was during this period that the author sets the stage.
I like the fact that Zahra was not an armed combatant in the revolution. She doesn't have a stomach for killing, but is nevertheless dedicated to helping "the cause". Abouzeid, I feel, deliberately avoids being overly gory or melodramatic. I think she wants to focus on Zahra's voice as a Moroccan woman. Zahra contributes by smuggling arms and distributing pamphlets. She is one of those faceless individuals who perform the mundane yet dangerous tasks behind the scenes of a popular uprising. But to Zahra, it means everything. It is an opportunity to help liberate her people. And it is an opportunity to raise the status of women. And it's during this struggle that Zahra meets her husband, a charismatic leader of the resistance.
After the French are driven out of Morocco, Zahra and her husband settle into a comfortable existence. But Zahra isn't content. She realizes that Morocco is still affected by French influence and ideals. Also, opportunities for women didn't really materialize. Her husband embraces these ideals while she longs for a return to a traditional lifestyle. She sees that the new leaders of Morocco have been corrupted by their former rulers. It is a bitter pill to swallow for her and many of her countrymen.
Back in Meknes, the divorced Zahra struggles to survive. She finds solace in the Sheikh, an ageless figure from her past. He is a wise and caring person who teaches her to trust in God. It is an uplifting message that carries her through some dark periods. However, she must confront the reality that as an older woman her options are limited. She faces an uphill battle. It is a battle women throughout the world face.

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Summary: I Will Survive!
Review: Set against the background of the Moroccan War of Independence, "Year of the Elephant" tells of one woman's rebirth and her sustaining faith. The title is symbolic of a battle in Islamic history where foreign tribes were defeated in their attempts to ovethrow the Muslims.
The protagonist, Zahra, must find her way back to feeling that she is a worthy human being and not the worthless person she feels like after being discarded by her husband. We learn her story through past and present events that intertwine to give us a complete picture of her struggles with life, her faith and herself.
With the aid of the fiqah, her spiritual guide, Zahra is able to realize that her life has meaning and she has made a great contribution to the fight for freedom. She comes to realize that her faith has been a guiding force throughout her life, and that faith is what willcontinue to guide her as she embarks on a new phase of her life - as an independent woman capable of surviving on her own.
The novella takes us through the highs and lows of Zahra's life as a key player in the fight for freedom and her struggle to re-claim herself. I enjoyed this novella because of the strength of Zahara's character and the theme that women can and should take charge of their lives. This theme is a universal one that appears in novels written by women, and it transcends race, culture, and economic backgrounds. I was able to share in her triumph against obstacles she faced as she looked within and found her true self. I feel this will be appealing to all women who read this novella.
The short stories that follw the novella are a mixture of plots and themes that depict the lives of different individuals. After the uplifting feeling of "Year of the Elephant", the short stories were a let down. The overall theme appears to be one of poverty, despair, and discontent as the characters go about their lives. They are men, women, adn children who seem to find little in life to be happy about adn to some degree seem to find their happiness in their discontent.
I feel it would have been better to expand on the novella and to leave the short stories out, or they could have been published separately. However, the important factor in this translation is that the reader gets to experience the voice of a woman whose life and culture are completely different from that of Western society.

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Summary: Year of the Elephant by Leila Abouzeid
Review: Year of the Elephant has special meaning for it tells about a woman named Zahra and the struggle for independence of her country, as well as herself. She struggled to retrieve important elements of her culture that were stolen. When the French invaded Morocco they stripped the country of their right to choose language, culture, and freedom to educate in the ways of their land. In addition, the French spent many years putting the Arabic culture down and spreading the idea that it was inferior to the French. Resisters to the French government were thrown in prison where they were tortured and hung.
Zahra had to face many personal struggles. Recently divorce she faced the problem of supporting herself, being shunned by neighbors because she was a divorced woman, and having low self-esteem because her husband abandoned her after 40 years of marriage. All that she has left is a small room left by her father, and she is totally alone without family. What I liked most about this book is the author's poetic way of describing things. After finding her self alone, Zahra visits the burial ground of her dead relatives and makes the statement, "Death seems alluring in it's tranquility." At another time when she is upset over her recent divorce, she reflects on how rotten the world is. She noticed some children playing and makes the statement, "The world is rotting about us, yet people still procreate. ....Children provide proof that God has not yet despaired of the human race." What I did not like about this book is the way the author would switch times; this made the reading hard to interpret. The book shows women's struggled against stereotyping and the fight is harder when you are alone. At the same time , Zahra proved to us that it is during hard times we, as women find strength in ourselves and our divinity. The book has a surprise ending and shows us that the grass is not always greener on the other side.