The Cairo House

A. Women’s Issues

n Double standard (education (Yussef))

B. Identity

n American (Western in thought)

- Freedoms and rights

- Forming our own way / a philosophy

- Individualistic (ourselves vs. community)

- Disconnected from familial “history”

- Apologetic society (complacent / embarrassed)

- There is a misconception of what exactly is Islamic culture (thank you media representations)

The Chameleon

- Gigi’s hyphenated identity

- A metaphor for life

C. Culture

n The treatment of women

- Getting approval for divorce

- Time (cutting the ears and noses off for disobedience)

- Relationships (Tamer and Gigi)

D. Characterization

n Why Serageldin is writing this book…

- Autobiograpohy

- To see the Eastern way of life

- Learning to assimilate the old with the new

- To illustrate the difference between social classes and political religios affiliations in Egypt

- To work thorough past issues

n Gigi

- spoiled-brat

- Confined by social roles

- Defiant

-

E. There’s no place like home…

- Where is home?

- America and freedom / social acceptance

- She missed Egypt. Why?

Nostalgia

Family ties and tradition

A place that she knew / was familiar

She had unfinished business there