I think that the first story said a lot about the integration of East into West. I enjoyed seeing the way that Abdul integrated his cultural mindset into his life in France and into his romantic life, and the contrast between the two. The way that he viewed his options for marriage were interesting. He could have Nadine, who was a free spirit, or a wife chosen for him who would obey his every whim, be the cat who he could behead when it misbehaved. In one way it made sense for him to choose the young wife who would follow his whims, but on the other hand it would clash with the French culture into which he had integrated himself. I found the ending of this story satisfying. That he did not make a final decision made sense to me, because the options for a wife presented to him both clashed with his lifestyle in some way, either through his native culture or through the culture of France where he was residing. And I have to admit, I agree with Katie in the sense that I found Nadine to be almost too much of a feminist for my taste.
The second story was intriguing for seeing the way that Middle Eastern people went through the process of gaining citizenship in a westernized country. It was pretty horrifying to see the fear of these people and the treatment that they were receiving from this more "civilized" culture. It was an eye-opener to me to see citizens of the more modernized French culture act this way toward citizens from another, foreign culture. But I think the supernatural events of the story were the worst part for me, they were just strange and really made me frightened after reading. But I also enjoyed the stories because of this aspect, they were some of the more entertaining short stories that we have read in this class.
Maybe bungie jumping just doesn't appeal to you... :)
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