Just Trying to Fit in
The novel Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua provides accurate depictions of what it is like being an Arab in Israel; the struggles and justification they must seek in order to be accepted as equals in a multiethnic state. To decrease tension and suspicion of their somewhat “higher motives”, they must constantly prove that they are willing to be searched and questioned by the authorities. The only method to gain the trust of the Jews is to abide by the restrictions set upon them and live honorary lives as preferably a doctor or a lawyer.
The lawyer in this novel is extremely aware of the risks involved when this perceived “honorary life” isn’t lived. For this reason, he makes calculated choices and deliberately updates his lifestyle to fit a certain model of higher living. An example of how self-conscious he has become once he took on his role as a model Arab citizen include his change in taste as he is intentionally trying to appear as if he lives in luxury. This is apparent with the need to join weekly gatherings to discuss matters of nationalistic importance, to have the most expensive car, to dine on only the most sophisticated cuisine (sushi) from only socially acceptable venues, etc. All of these arrangements are ultimately used to provide an us versus them statement; in a way that the lawyer compares more with his Jewish neighbors than the poor Arab villagers, only then will he be accepted as not an equal but someone to be less cautious of. He is determined to uphold this title of acceptance and refuses to see it or his reputation demolished so he commits himself to keep up with regular appearances. He has to constantly prove to society that everything is under control and nothing out of the ordinary should occur if he should find himself involved. This mindset has been illustrated in his behaviors and thoughts but was never explicitly stated until his wife found him at Tariks’ and acknowledged “‘that’s what you’re always worried about, what they’ll think, what the neighbors will say’” (232). It is also apparently common knowledge, at least in Bezalel, that “Honor is desperately important to them; in fact, it’s all that matters to them-personal honor, national honor, religious honor, family honor” (285) which is why the lawyer is so desperate to maintain his family honor when he believes that his wife may have tarnished it by having an affair.
There is an obvious contrast in how Arabs versus Jews are treated in Israel. There is also a difference in the way each perceives themselves and those that share their ethnicity. As Amir was identifying as Yonatan,a Jew, he found that his life became privileged. This is apparent when he realized that Jews “felt no need to apologize for their existence, no need to hide their identity” (304) as he and other Arabs are constantly forced to do. He also discovered that even though he “wasn’t looking for a social life at Bezalel...on account of [his] ethnicity [he] had one without trying” (286). Being in one ethnic group over the other suddenly opens economical and social doors in the state of Israel. For example, the waiter job would not have been offered to Amir if he wasn’t identifying as Yonatan, because Arabs usually work in the back away from the public eye.
There was another indication of the way Jews and Arabs behaved differently in regards to the quote from page 304 mentioned above, unlike Arabs, Jews didn’t feel the need to apologize for their existence and this is proven by their assertive personalities. Amir was almost caught for not being a Jew precisely for this lack of commanding aura when the lady at the clerk desk said “‘I was sure that you weren’t Israeli’” (292) since he allowed himself to be pushed around when he was cut in line instead of standing up for himself. She also told him “‘there was no reason to be nice to that lady’...you don’t know how to deal with people around here? Only force, that’s the only language they understand’” (292). This is ironic to me personally since I have also been judged by my own family for not being assertive enough as they jokingly asked me if I was sure I was even Jewish at all. There is a drastic contrast between America and Israel and if you are unaware of the social expectations, there is going to be a massive culture shock in store. For one thing, don’t expect doors to be held open waiting for you to come through out of politeness, because they will smack you in the face if you’re not too careful. Also there is no patience when it comes to traffic, in America, the horn on the car is used only for emergencies and/or to prevent accidents, in Israel, the sound that comes from the horn of a car might as well be the national anthem since it’s played constantly when there is absolutely no need for it. These are just some examples that can help justify why the clerk was questioning Amir’s ethnicity, because he didn’t have the certain feisty characteristic he was supposedly supposed to possess.
This is somewhat unrelated to the rest of the blog entry, but I wanted to say that it was kind of a shocking jaw-dropping moment for me when applicant number six introduced herself as “Noa”. Ever since I moved to America, people always look at my name in confusion, wondering how it’s pronounced, why a girl would have a boy’s name, etc. Also that constant addition of the “h” at the end making it “Noah”. What they don’t usually understand and I have to explain is that “Noa” is actually a very popular girl’s name in Israel, and adding on the ‘h” makes it masculine because it’s pronounced differently. Seeing it spelled correctly gave me such joy as the author knew the culture well enough to portray it accurately to a wider audience who may still misunderstand the context.
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