Above All Odds

A large amount of diverse communities exist all over the world. Yet, despite the differences within them, some aspects of the communities allow them to be somewhat similar. This is the case in the communities of the Southern United States in Coming of Age in Mississippi and Iraq in Guests of the Sheik. The protagonists of both books, Elizabeth Fernea and Anne Moody, faced oppression of their respective societies. But just as the women of both books faced oppression, they fought against it that helped them grow into stronger people. For Anne Moody, growing up as a black girl in the south meant she would have to grow up facing many of the same adversities that other black people that had preceded her had faced. Growing up, Anne wanted to have a life similar to that of white children, but she could not because her family did not live in lavishness as the whites did. Instead, Anne grew up poor as her “house had two rooms and a porch, its furniture consisted of two small beds. Adline and I slept in one and Mama and Junior in the other” (Moody, 1968, p.20). Anne was essentially burdened with grown-up responsibilities rather than be given the chance to experience her ideal childhood. Anne held numerous jobs that did not pay particularly well, however she had no choice because she needed the money to help support her family. All she wanted was to have the same opportunities the whites were given. She did not understand why the whites had supremacy over her simply because of her skin color because she did not understand the social differences between herself and the whites. She excelled in school as well as basketball but because of her color she was not given the same breaks as the whites. Even though she went to school, it was challenging for her to pursue a higher education as she had hoped because of her social status. As she matured, she began to realize that as a black girl in the south, money, education and respect was exceedingly difficult to obtain. The women of the Southern United States communities went through many similar negative circumstances, as did the women in the harem in the Iraqi community. In the Iraqi community, there was no social communication between the sexes. The women were very much isolated from their society. Despite her unfamiliarity with Iraqi customs, the locals expected Elizabeth to adhere to them. This initially became apparent at the train station as “people gathered slowly to stare” because she was “the only woman without an abayah” (Fernea, 1965, p.5). The abayah is very important within the communities of Iraq. Women who live in Iraq wear the abayah not only for religious reasons, but also because of social customs and standards in order to be accepted. Otherwise the men of the communities would be attracted to them or view them as promiscuous, which is unacceptable in their society. It was difficult for Elizabeth and Bob for her to wear the abayah and Elizabeth reflected on her feelings about this situation by saying, “He could hardly distinguish me from the other women” (Fernea, p.220). The power that the men held over the women had an impact on the women’s lives and their way of thinking. Women did not even have a say in what man they wanted marry. The decision of marriage was mainly decided by the father, who in most cases were fond of the idea that they could “exchange children, two marriages would be made for the price of one and the family line would be assured of the continuance” (Fernea, p.44). It didn’t particularly matter who they loved, as long as the man was financially capable of paying and providing for the woman. In order for Iraqi women to be considered ‘good’ wives they have to be “hard-working, a devoted wife and mother, a good cook and housekeeper, and a quiet obedient companion to her husband” (Fernea, p.56). A wife’s work usually goes unappreciated and is also under pressure to keep a satisfactory household for the husband or else he may look for another wife. Because of their fear of replacement, “they prayed, purchased charms, connived against being supplanted by a second wife” (Fernea, p.162). Because of the lack of social communication between genders, the women formed their own community inside the harem. Their lives were primarily shaped by the conversations they engaged in and the friendships they shaped with each other. Through these women’s experiences they dealt with and overcame such hardships as racism, misogyny and sexism. In the Iraqi community, some women such as Suhar began to question the necessity of the abayah as she planned to “educate the women of El Nahra away from the abayah” (Fernea, p.308). As Elizabeth familiarized herself further with the Iraqi customs, she noticed that the abayahs have a strong impact on their family life. Over time, these women developed ideals of self-empowerment. This process is similar to that of Anne and her community. Since her childhood, Anne realized her life needed to change. A major influence that affected her life was the constant racism. Over the course of time she found various methods to combat the racism she encountered in her life. For example, she attended a sit-in where she helped occupy “three seats at the previously segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter” (Moody, p.264). As much discrimination as she faced, Anne was able to combat it by joining the NAACP, a civil rights group that advocates the freedoms of blacks. In doing so, she was able to communicate to the community and encourage them to get involved in racial and poverty issues. Anne wanted her life to differ from that of her mother’s. Anne had to work hard and use her own money to further her education. She also had to make sacrifices that involved money and her relationship with her family. Anne Moody says that it was because she was so active in her civil rights work that she had not communicated with her relatives in some time. There are also concerns from her family they were afraid she would start something, so her own family refused to take her in (Moody, p.344). These sacrifices had a greater payoff for Anne in the ends as the people of the community began to be informed and they started to make a change. In reflection of both books, these women faced hardships that most people cannot begin to comprehend. Although these women faced different hardships their efforts were in vain because several positive outcomes were produced. Their efforts led them to self-discovery as well as positively influencing their communities by exemplifying idealistic behaviors. Work Cited Fernea, Elizabeth. (1965). Guests of the Sheik. New York: Random House, Inc. Moody, Anne. (1968). Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York: Dell Publishing.

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