Short Stories

As Ashley also said in her blog about the short stories we read, the title of the second is ironic. In fact there was no plan at all in this story. I also felt that the story was only from Isam al-Baqli and eventhough it was mainly his point of view and we didn’t see the story from different eyes I found myself strongly disliking his character. It was almost appalling the way he spoke to his mother, telling her to hurry up and die. I was also annoyed by how lazy and sarcastic this character is, usually I find sarcasm amusing but this was uncomfortable. I suppose that the idea driving this story is that if you want happiness money cannot be your only mistress, but I only got that idea from the very end of the story. Perhaps Isam dies alone but he dies happy with food in his belly and in death he still has not learned from his lazy lifestyle. He merely why God would give him money and then kill him, he does not understand that he has only asked and never given. In this sense I feel like the ending is ironic, he is given money (as he wanted) in return for his life. Over all I enjoyed the first story more.