Short Story : ' The Truth '

Amal has many strong peer relationships and one of them is with Leila. Leila has run away because she couldn't take her mother anymore who was constantly setting up potential husbands for Leila and was more interested in a marriage certificate that a higher school certificate. Leila finally returns to Amal’s house and Amal asks “Would you like me to call?’ … ‘No, I think I should’ … she peers down at the phone and dials the number, and I know I’m looking at one of the bravest people I’ve ever met.” Leila took the “leap of faith to think her family would change.” “That’s what Leila’s always been about. Faith.” This incident has helped Amal become stronger and to have faith that good things will come no matter how long she waits. Also rejecting a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with Adam has strengthened Amal’s faith and belief in her religion. She has made it clear that she will stick to her Muslim morals and that is who she is. Amal trusts her friends and they constantly influence Amal’s

We learn later in the story that Mama has found love from a man of Negro descendant, Jose`, but her family was unaccepting. They force her to marry Juan. But even after the marriage arrangements were made she continued to see Jose`, later creating Gertrudis. But as she was running away with Jose` was attacked for no reason causing Mama to go back and refill her position as Juan’s wife.(ch7;137-138) It showed that Mama once felt loved and care towards another person Jose`, but since his death it caused her to become colder and unfeeling. Mama cold outer shell just needed to be

Nana’s scoffed at Jalil’s actions: “Nana said that one of these days.… Mariam, would slip through his fingers, hit the ground, and break a bone.” (Hosseini 20). The irony in this statement is that, Jalil did let Mariam down. He didn’t do it in the literal way that Nana meant, but he betrayed her by denying her entrance into his house the first time and marrying her off to Rasheed.

From the outset of the novel, we see unkindness in the actions of Jalil Khan. A wealthy businessman, he is the talk of the town. When he fathers a child with his housekeeper, she is forced into hiding. Faced with the shame of a “harami” (bastard) Jalil chooses to estrange himself from his daughter Mariam and her mother. Not only is this painful for Mariam, but it must be hard for Jalil as well. To choose between one’s honor and one’s family is a choice no one should have to make.

Hosseini uses characterization of Mariam through Nana’s upbringing to develop the subject of self-doubt. Mariam, born out of wedlock, becomes shamed and targeted by her mother, Nana. Nana always told her that she “was an illegitimate person who would never have legitimate claim to the things other people had, things such as love, family, home, and acceptance” (4). Not knowing any better, Mariam believes that she does not deserve the same personal rights as everyone because of her social status, even though she cannot control that. Nana blamed Mariam for the embarrassment, guilt, and shame of having a harami, making Mariam feel at fault. Nana makes Mariam feel lonely, undeserving, and insecure, because of her status, which she did not choose. Always dealing with Nana’s harsh words, it did not “occur to young Mariam to ponder the unfairness of apologizing for the manner of her own birth” (7). Nana’s hurtful words guilted Mariam into taking the blame over things she did not cause or

Mariam lived with her mother outside of Herat and her father Jalil would visit her. She grew up called a harami – bastard, by her own mother. Mariam’s mother advised her to be wary of men, since Mariam’s mother didn’t have a good relationship with Mariam’s father. “It’s our lot in life, Mariam. Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have. Do you understand? Besides, they’ll laugh at you at school. They will. They’ll call you harami.

In “The Truth about Stories”, Thomas King, demonstrate connection between the Native storytelling and the authentic world. He examines various themes in the stories such as; oppression, racism, identity and discrimination. He uses the creational stories and implies in to the world today and points out the racism and identity issues the Native people went through and are going through. The surroundings shape individuals’ life and a story plays vital roles. How one tells a story has huge impact on the listeners and readers. King uses sarcastic tone as he tells the current stories of Native people and his experiences. He points out to the events and incidents such as the government apologizing for the colonialism, however, words remains as

In addition to Mariam’s physical alienation due to geography, her mother spends her whole life, before committing suicide, shielding Mariam from the outside world. While this is partially due to Nana’s feelings of regret around having Mariam and fear of losing her, it is mostly due to Nana’s fear of Mariam experiencing the same oppression she has lived with her entire life. Nana has had to live like this alone, with no support system. With the intent of protecting her daughter from the oppressive culture of women in the world outside of their house, Nana tries desperately to explain “what it means to be a woman in this world” (Hosseini 7). It means knowing that a man is always right, and that it is a woman’s obligation to tolerate the oppression; to “endure. It’s all we have” (Hosseini 19).

From the moment Mariam’s adventure begins, it is obvious that she is familiar with the idea of love. Given the fact that she lives with only her mother, Nana, she has learned to love and care for her endlessly. Mariam’s father, Jalil, kicked them both out before she was even born. He was embarrassed to have had an affair with Nana as it was disapproved by his other wives living in his house and the people living in the town. He would have been frowned upon. Mariam knows what he did and she appreciates and loves her mother for not treating her the same way. Even though he was no good to her, Mariam loved Jalil. He would come around and visit once a week to see Mariam and watch her grow. Nana did

What is your definition of truth and fear? People have different views on truth and fear and have definitions. Truth is something that is true it's the state of being true. FEar is something that scares someone to do something. Like when someone is scared to go into a haunted house.

The gap between their social classes took away Mariam's ability to indulge in, "the things other people had, things such as love, family, home, acceptance"(Hosseini 4). However, progressing through the novel made it clear that Jalil never actually thought of Mariam as one of his own. Jalil filled Mariam’s young mind with stories of places his much more luxurious lifestyle provided him to visit. For Mariam her travels were limited to her imagination of, “the green wheat fields of Herat, the orchards, the vines

What –when wealth , honour , and distinction , are laid at my feet , shall they be refused , because a foolish girl—a very baby , who knows not good from evil , cries , and says she cannot love ! Let me not think of it—My just anger may perhaps,

Jal’s life experiences negatively influence his ability to assimilate into another culture. Through his own culture: he was made into a child soldier, who was raised to hate anyone who opposes him, ultimately affecting how experiences a new living environment.

The big meaning in the short story of T.C Boyle’s “The Lie” is that Lonnie feels very awkward about his situation. Everything starts in a morning in which Lonnie can’t bear his job and needs a break. He gets into a situation where he creates a little lie which gets very big with a kind of snowball effect. Lonnie’s relationship with the people around him plays a significant role in this story. However, Lonnie feels lost and is depressed because of the change that happened in his life.

Truth can be defined as conformity to reality or actuality and in order for something to be “true” it must be public, eternal, and independent. If the “truth” does not follow these guidelines then it cannot be “true.” Obviously in contrary anything that goes against the boundaries of “truth” is inevitably false. True and false, in many cases does not seem to be a simple black and white situation, there could sometimes be no grounds to decide what is true and what is false. All truths are a matter of opinion. Truth is relative to culture, historical era, language, and society. All the truths that we know are subjective truths (i.e. mind-dependent truths) and there is nothing more to truth than what we are willing to assert as true