QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND WRITING

Read “Blot Out” and answer the following questions.

  1. Kinder begins by describing her experiences as a foreign woman in Cairo. She speaks of having to wear blinders (metaphorically) in order to “get down the street in Cairo” (paragraph 2). What advice is she given about dealing with the disdain and even harassment she experiences while simply walking down the street? Note the large numbers of males out and about; where are the Egyptian women? Given that Egypt has a far more traditional and male-dominated culture than what is seen in Western countries, does Kinder have a right to expect to be treated better than she is? Why or why not?

    Question

    uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7
    Chapter 8 - QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND WRITING: Kinder begins by describing her experiences as a foreign woman in Cairo. She speaks of having to wear blinders (metaphorically) in order to “get down the street in Cairo” (paragraph 2). What advice is she given about dealing with the disdain and even harassment she experiences while simply walking down the street? Note the large numbers of males out and about; where are the Egyptian women? Given that Egypt has a far more traditional and male-dominated culture than what is seen in Western countries, does Kinder have a right to expect to be treated better than she is? Why or why not?
  2. On the one hand, a niqab, the traditional dress for Egyptian women, is only a matter of clothing. On the other hand, there is a significant cultural statement being made in wearing it. Why is it so dangerous for Kinder and her friend to go out in public wearing one? What exactly is being violated?

    Question

    uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7
    Chapter 8 - QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND WRITING: On the one hand, a niqab, the traditional dress for Egyptian women, is only a matter of clothing. On the other hand, there is a significant cultural statement being made in wearing it. Why is it so dangerous for Kinder and her friend to go out in public wearing one? What exactly is being violated?
  3. Clothing can be seen as a form of communication. Consider what clothes you typically wear. What do they communicate about you? Is there a sense of expression of personality or individuality in your clothes, and to what extent? Now, in view of those answers, what is the expression of the niqab? What does it mean for a Western, non-Islamic woman to wear a niqab in Egypt?

    Question

    uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7
    Chapter 8 - QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND WRITING: Clothing can be seen as a form of communication. Consider what clothes you typically wear. What do they communicate about you? Is there a sense of expression of personality or individuality in your clothes, and to what extent? Now, in view of those answers, what is the expression of the niqab? What does it mean for a Western, non-Islamic woman to wear a niqab in Egypt?
  4. At one point on her walk, Kinder is grabbed on her rear by an unseen man (paragraph 31). At another point, she and her friend are followed by an ominous man asking, “What are you doing here?” (paragraph 33). What is behind the threats?

    Question

    uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7
    Chapter 8 - QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND WRITING: At one point on her walk, Kinder is grabbed on her rear by an unseen man (paragraph 31). At another point, she and her friend are followed by an ominous man asking, “What are you doing here?” (paragraph 33). What is behind the threats?
  5. This article was written before the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, and the fall of long-time ruler President Hosni Mubarak. What has happened in Egypt since then, especially in terms of the situation of women? Investigate the reports of gang rapes of women on buses and other atrocities. As older, male-privileged traditions and power structures confront new attitudes about society and the role of women, how is violence (threatened or actual) used to control women? How have women in Egypt (and other similar countries) been able to combat the repression, if at all?

    Question

    uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7
    Chapter 8 - QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND WRITING: This article was written before the events of the Arab Spring in 2011, and the fall of long-time ruler President Hosni Mubarak. What has happened in Egypt since then, especially in terms of the situation of women? Investigate the reports of gang rapes of women on buses and other atrocities. As older, male-privileged traditions and power structures confront new attitudes about society and the role of women, how is violence (threatened or actual) used to control women? How have women in Egypt (and other similar countries) been able to combat the repression, if at all?