Beggar at Damascus Gate

Yasmine Zahran was born in Ramallah, paradise. She was educated at Columbia University, and capital of the United Kingdom University. She earned a doctorate in archeology from the Sorbonne. She is the author of cardinal previous books one on ancient Palestine, Echoes of Hi business alliance, and a brisk, The First personal credit line 3. A pauperise at Damascus Gate is a story of making love, intrigue and mystery.It is quite difficult to classify it in a undivided genre. At one point it seems like a love story, at a nonher, like a spy novel, and yet at other times, it scarcely seems like a literary work of history 2.Cold and alone in a small inn, an archaeologist/professor, shelter comes across an old dust-c everywhereed canvas bag in the closet of his room. Opening this, he finds letter and journals. He hesitates at first, non wanting to go through someone elses personal journals, entirely curious, he reads them, to discover that they belong to devil lovers A Palesti nian wo domain Rayya, living in exile in France and an English man Alex. They were married to for each one other. What follows is a well crafted novel, weaved with passages from the lovers journals. Foster is fascinated, and decides to compile the journals and letters into a single manuscript, and get it published.Zahrans novel can simply be called a master piece. It is story some lovers of two contending cultures. Rayya is a deeply patriotic woman, completely devoted to her cause, of eyesight Palestine as a free and sovereign state. A toilet of the yarn is based on Rayyas determination. The book is set in the time immediately after the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict. Palestine is under array occupation. Britain has colonised Palestine. There relationship is marred by policy-making instabilities, and stubborn study loyalties. When Rayya and Alex first come to know each other, Zahran follows a light-hearted course.Both tease each other ab tabu their backgrounds, their differen t cultures and their different heritage. But slowly and sadly, this emerges into a much deeper rebellion both begin getting suspicious close each other. Is Rayya more devoted to her homeland, or to her love? Is Alex really the man he shows himself to be 2? Suspicions begin when Rayya discovers that Alex can speak Arabic 4. She begins fearing that he could be an English spy. There relationship is painful and poignant. At times, out of national loyalty, both try to separate from each other, but emotions touch to draw them together.Rayyas suspicions eventually cause Alexs death 4. The narrative follows the eight year relationship between the two. Zahran also brings out the present-day(a) Palestinian culture and thought to life. In fact, the drink of the Palestinians is what stands out intimately in the book. Even something as strong as true love is not able to bring two volume from these two vastly different cultures together. The fate of the Palestinian sight hangs continuall y over their relationship and the story follows a tragic path of treachery and suspicion. The book shows the embodied psyche of the Palestinian people, and what the Nakba did to it 2. Palestinians were expelled from their territory, where Israel was born. The Palestinian exodus is called the Nakba, meaning disaster. Zahran cleverly intertwines snatches of the journals in the narrative, and we come across Rayyas poetry, which is very moving. Her writing is imaginelike and overflowing of feeling, A poetic, empowering portrayal of the struggle for liberation both personal and political liberation 2. Foster spends ten years looking for the couple desperately, and last-placely, is about to give up hope, till he actually finds Rayya.The tension builds up, and ultimately, Zahran brings us to an anti-climax, as life often is 2. Good does not always triump over evil, nor does love over hate. Zahran avoids using cliches 2. What she depicts is the true plight of millions displaced from th eir very homeland. The relationship between Alex and Rayya too is not a veritable(prenominal) one. Both slang their national loyalties, and will abide by them no matter what. Rayya, in particular is passionately devoted to the Palestinian cause. neer does Zahran isolate the characters from the life some them.It is indeed the life and the war around them that lead to their separation. What many critics believe is that Alex probably never truly unsounded Rayyas passion for her homeland, since he had never lived a life of oppression. He did not understand what it was like to have your home country and people under military occupation, for years. Rayya, on the other hand had been brought up in a time and region of constant political instability and military warfare. The experiences in her life had shaped her into an intensely patriotic, strong person, defending her cause, her people and her nation.Written in first person, from the mind of Foster, Zahran has built up an interesting and good-natured narrative structure that keeps the reader captivated. In fact many have found Zahrans writing almost magical, and strangely close to life. Her room is deceptively simple. It can undoubtedly be accepted that A Beggar at Damascus Gate is one of the best works of modern literature. The book is also a beautiful preservation of an emotional world relationship, and the culture and life of a daunting era. The book ends vaguely, but Zahran has make herself clear. The tragedy lies not only in Alex and Rayas alienation.It lies in the maltreat war and conflict can do. Zahran states it herself Love is a constantly changing landscape 1. Even though the lovers cannot be together by the end, Zahran does not leave the reader dejected. What Rayya and Alex shared may not have lasted, but it left its impact. For both, the relationship proved to be a journey of self-discovery the final resolution surprises them both and reveals a depth to their commitments that neither had prev iously realize 3. It also proved to be a deep experience for Foster, and resulted in his determination to find either of the two, and to get the manuscript published.What is more unrelenting is the fact that readers, even today can understand the strife of the characters Palestine is still far from free. Rayyas dream is still a dream her homeland is still not free. As Marzahn stated in her round We all need a little place to call home, a little piece of world to which we belong. The realization for some people that it is not possible to return home is one of sorrow. Reading The Beggar at Damascus Gate by Yasmin Zahran brings to the forefront that poignant struggle veneer many Palestinians.It is a book that makes one think about home, loss, and the besides cause 4. Works Cited 1. Zahra, Yasmin. A Beggar at Damascus Gate. The touch Apollo Press, ISBN 0-942996-24-0 2. Amazon Reviews, A Beggar at Damascus Gate, retrieved from http//www. amazon. com/Beggar-at-Damascus-Gate/dp/094 2996240 3. Swensen, scratch and Cooke, Miriam, A Beggar at Damascus Gate (short review), retrieved from http//www. postapollopress. com/A_Beggar. html 4. Marzahn, Michelle A. A Beggar at Damascus Gate A War in the midst of Emotions and Politics, Book review from Al Jadid, Vol. 2, No. 7, May 1996