Habibi Book Talk

Talking with my group today was very beneficial to extend my thinking about the book Habibi. Our group was fortunate to have two members write a Questioning the Text paper, so we were able to have a thorough discussion about two very different issues from the text. My paper was about the representation of Israel and how the fragmented pieces of historical information throughout the book made it seem like a very dangerous place to live. I wondered whether this would lead to very negative stereotypes about the country.
The other writer in my group brought up a point that I had only briefly considered, and I was glad she brought it into our conversation so I could explore it more. The main character in the book, Liyana, frequently refered to herself as "half-half," half Arab and half American. Taking this into consideration, which culture, if any, would Liyana be thought of an "insider" to. This issue led us to recall some arguments made in last week's debate. My thoughts after leaving the debate were that as long as someone is intimately familiar with the culture they are representing through their book, and they portray the culture accurately, they need not be a complete "insider." That is to say, they don't have to be born into that culture in order to be considered an "insider." In this way, I would argue that Liyana is an insider to both the Arab and American cultures. She could give accurate depictions of both cultures since she has experienced both intimately.
In addition to our group's discussion, the video we watched that discussed the stereotypes and negative representations of Jewish people within the text allowed me to look at the book in yet another way. Overall, today's discussion of Habibi broadened my thoughts about the novel and the effects it may have on its readers.