 | This is not a Wikipedia article: It is an individual user's work-in-progress page, and may be incomplete and/or unreliable. For guidance on developing this draft, see Wikipedia:So you made a userspace draft. Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL |
The following is a draft of and article on Hoda Barakat's Stone of Laughter which i am working on CuttingEdge 20:07, 5 April 2007 (UTC) feel free to edit it.
The Stone of Laughter is a novel by Hoda Barakat set during the Lebanese Civil War. It was originally writted in Arabic and translated into English by Sophie Bennett. It is notable for having won the Al-Naqid prize, and for being the first book by an Arab author to have a main character who is gay.
Historical Context and Setting
Plot Summary
The novel opens with the protagonist Khalil and a friend Naji heading to Khalil's apartment to talk. The narrative frequently strays to Khalil's thoughts. After discussing the possibility of Naji moving to his sister's in Saudi Arabia, they decide to go outside to walk. Here we learn that Khalil is attracted to Naji, as he repeatedly secretly admires him. As they progress down the streets the narrative digresses to describe the state of things in Beirut. It is revealed that people are fleeing the city in droves and not coming back.
The next chapter begins with Khalil ritualistically cleaning and straightening his room as he does after battles happen in the streets. The narrative avoids discussing the specifics what has happened as all that is revealed is that there was some sort of conflict, which resulted in the shattering of large amounts of glass. It turn out that Naji has decided to leave the area. Khalil goes over to visit Naji’s house that he has been avoiding to clean up the glass caused by a car bomb directed at a “famous leader”. As Khalil cleans up we learn that Naji and his mother claim that they plan to come back, but Khalil doesn’t believe them.
Naji is supposed to come over for a visit with Khalil but doesn’t come. After waiting for a long while he decides to go visit another friend, Nayif. He is having a small party with various friends he knows from his job with a newspaper. We learn that Nayif is involved with politics.
Another car bombing takes place this time near the market Khalil usually shops at. Khalil goes to the scene days later to find it has seemingly healed and life is back to normal. He visits Naji's house again and the phone rings while he is there. He picks it up and it is Naji's sister whom he has met once before. She reveals to him that Naji is dead. He is unable to dwell on this however, because the city starts getting bombed in the 1982 Israeli-Lebanese conflict. He hides with others in the newspaper offices where Nayif works, which have immunity. Here there is a frantic party-like atmosphere as the reporters rapidly write stories on the bombings. Once this is over Khalil returns to his apartment through war damaged streets. He comes to his room to find that the window has been blown open and it has somehow changed. Disturbed by this he goes outside in time to see an anti-Israel march pass by.
With the bombings over Khalil is forced to face the reality of Naji's death. He stops sleeping and spends most of the nights laying awake. Nayif comes over and tells him that Naji was killed because he was an agent for a group on the other side of the city and responsible for attacks. Khalil at first doesn't want to believe this and uses his usual defense of going to sleep. Later, after much thought he decides to accept what Nayif has said as true. He proceeds to isolate himself from everybody sleeping all day and spending all night listening to the problems of other people on FM radio shows.
The bombing start again and Khalil hides with the others of his apartments in the higher floors away from the fighting in the street. After several days the fighting stops and the peple go out to see the even more damaged streets. Khalil's uncles family comes to Beirut, having fled their village, and he sets them up in Naji's house. His daughter Zahrah has a crush on Khalil who is pleased to be loved despite the fact that he feels little attraction for her. Khalil himself has a crush on her brother, Youssef.
The narrative next jumps to another party at Nayif's apartment. This is followed in the next chapter by a discussion of the differences between the talk of men and women.
The narrative goes on to describe Khalil's own struggles to decide on his own political views and gain acceptance with other young men his age. This struggle is paralleled by Youssef who comes to Khalil's apartment to ask Khalil's advice on whether or not he should join a local militia in order to have access to food and supplies. Khalil stays neutral and rather asks Youssef questions to help him think it over. Youssef decides to join the group.
Youssef's new job keeps him busy during the day and greatly reduces his time spent with Khalil, which causes Khalil much distress. Khalil decides to take the job Nayif offered him at the newspaper. He goes in for an interview and embarrasses himself by saying things that make him seem radical despite his lack of involvement in politics. Sporadic street fighting starts again. In one such episode, Youssef is killed.
Characters
- Khalil- The protagonist of the novel, a young man who constanly struggles with his own femine nature and his desire to be accepted by others.
- Naji- A friend of Khalil who is shot by a sniper in response to his involvement with armed groups.
- Youssef- Khalil's cousin who dies in street fighting near the end of the novel.
- Nayif- A friend of Khalil who works at a newspaper.
- Madame Isabelle- Naji's mother who persuades him to leave Beirut with her.
- Rita- A quite woman who Khalil suspect is in love with Naji.
Literary Techniques
International Reception
The novel recieved the prestigious Al-Naqid prize and has been widely acclaimed. It also however, has its critics. Barakat suggests in her novel that while men are constantly talking a politics and the war, women typically talk of more mundane matters. The women in the novel are portrayed as lucky in one sense as they, unlike Khalil, do not have to pick a side in political conflicts. However, on the other hand their talk is sometimes portrayed as simplistic and banal. This has spawned the suggestion that her views are anti-feminist[1]