Tuesday, December 5, 2017

DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? by Randa Abdel-Fattah ~ Culture 6


DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? by Rana Abdel-Fattah


Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah
Title:  Does My Head Look Big in This?
Publisher:  Orchard Books
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN:  9780439919470

 Plot Summary

Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith – without losing her identity or sense of style.

Critical Analysis

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the writing really made me think about how Muslim women who wear a head scarf are treated and I also enjoyed the humor when the teenagers were complaining about their parents. But on the other hand, this book is 12 years old and the pop culture references will go right over today’s high school readers. Think about this: 2018 high school graduates were a year old when America’s 9/11 event happened. This is history to them, not current events. Does this mean the book is historical fiction? I’ll put it in the Almost Historical Fiction genre. So, I’m going to focus on the multicultural significance of this novel and let go of the eye roll I want to give the main character when she talks about how every verse of a Celine Dion song has meaning.

At its core, Does My Head Look Big in This? is about women’s empowerment. Amal, the main character, is a Muslim Australian-Palestinian high schooler who decides to show an outward sign of her faith by wearing the hijab full time. Also, Amal has decided pray at school, stand up to the Queen Bees at school, join the debate team (“Our eyes meet and then and there I decide that I want to do a combined Science and Law degree because one day I want to be wearing a wig in court, pulverizing my opponent too” [p. 327]), and to not kiss or date boys and to not drink or smoke. She defends her Muslim friend with a strict mother and abusive brother (“Suddenly the manager of the restaurant is before us, asking us to pay the bill and leave. Yasmeen and I put money on the table and we all gather our things and walk out, Hakan beside us like a security guard escorting a disgraced patron out of a store” [p. 292-293]). She is doesn’t understand why her uncle has shunned Palestinian traditions to assimilate into an Aussie (“How can we be accepted and fit in if we’re still thinking about Palestine and speaking in Arabic? Multiculturalism is a joke. We need to mix more” [p. 185]). Amal is a very brave young lady.

There is a subplot of Amal making friends with her elderly widowed Greek neighbor lady, Mrs. Vaselli. My favorite passage in the book is found on p. 209: “‘You stupid girl for hide your beautiful hair.’ ‘Thanks,’ I say sarcastically. But then she pauses and says something that really touches me. ‘But your choice in end, I guessing. Oh well. No one should telling no one what to do when come to God. You no have salvation but you laugh a lot. Maybe Jesus let you in.’ She says it so solemnly, so sincerely, as she puffs away and stairs at the ceiling, that I have this urge to hug her.” When I read this passage, I thought to myself, “This is what wearing anything that displays your chosen religion is about – to make your own choices in how you honor God.”

Cultural references marking this book as a good literary example of the Muslim religion and as Palestinian includes the names of the characters: Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim, Jamila, Hakan, and all of Amal’s Aunties. Ramadan takes place in the story and there are many references to its meaning and the celebrations: “We wake up at 3:45 a.m. to eat our suhoor, our predawn meal. I can’t really stomach more than a slice of toast and a hot drink. My dad insists that I drink tea because it quenches the thirst. I’m up for any piece of advice, given I won’t be touching any food or drink, including water, from dawn until dusk” (p. 334). There is a shooting in Amal’s town and a few days later a prayer vigil is held. Author Abdel-Fattah brings attention to inclusiveness: “We just sway and grieve with the crowd. And something builds up inside me as a priest and a rabbi and a sheikh and a monk stand together on the steps in front of Parliament House and prove to us that our labels mean nothing compared with what we have in common, which is the will and right to live” (p. 252).

Would I recommend this book as a trendy example for insight into the Muslim practice of wearing a hijab? Yes. Would I recommend this book as a light read? Yes. Would I recommend this book to a 43-year-old to pass the time on the weekend? No. Sorry, I just didn’t like the book enough to read again. If it weren’t a class assignment, I probably wouldn’t have even finished it. I did like it for the message of women’s empowerment and for finding the courage to honor God in your own way.

Reviews

  • Booklist (2007): “Without heavy preaching, the issues of faith and culture are part of the story, from fasting at Ramadan to refusing sex before marriage. More than the usual story of the immigrant teen s conflict with her traditional parents, the funny, touching contemporary narrative will grab teens everywhere.”
  • Children’s Literature (2005): “In the beginning, she worries about the stereotypes she will face. Yazmeen, Amal’s best friend, helps her deal with the pressure of wearing her hijab. As all of these events take place, she begins to see the world in a new light, realizing why wearing the hijab was so important in the beginning. One thing readers will gain from this book is knowledge of self-love and an appreciation of their culture. The author did a great job of presenting a story of a culture that is constantly maligned for their daily customs--especially in contemporary American media. This engaging text is presented in an intimate format similar to a diary, making Amal’s story shine through the text and giving readers a sense of her every emotion.”
  • Kirkus (2007): “Wearing the hijab full-time shuts some doors, but opens others for Amal as she emerges a bright, articulate heroine true to herself and her faith. Abdel-Fattah's fine first novel offers a world of insight to post-9/11 readers.”


Awards

  • 2006 Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year, Older Children
  • 2006 White Ravens Award winner, Australia

Connections



Bibliography
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big in This?. New York, NY: Orchard Books, 2005. ISBN 9780439919470

Cover, Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Personal photograph by Amy Wilson. November 19, 2017.
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