"The metaphor of the house as a basket evokes the image of the house as porous, which stands in contrast to common conceptions of home as stable and contained. So Adnan is sort of letting us know that she’s well aware of the dangers of home: the way it purports to hold a life safely but inevitably fails to do so."
I wonder if "houses" in this instance are allegorical for Beirut, or the nation-state in general. Countries are the "houses" of nationalism that are conceived of as stabilizing forces. But she has experienced the fallacy of that with the destruction of "her Beirut." I haven't read Adnan, but I think there might be a relationship here worth considering if you haven't already.
Eliza! Yes! This is exactly what I'm thinking through right now: representations of the nation-state as 'home' broadly but also with regard to specific nations and nationalisms.
I think, for Adnan, the allegory extends to both "her" Beirut and the nation-state in general (or specifically, France as nation-state). As you mention, she experiences the fallacy directly, in the context of civil war in Beirut, but I think she also experiences it earlier, in the context of her French colonial education. There's definitely lots to think about here -- thank you for engaging with some of it!
The French connection makes perfect sense to me. Colonialism shapes the way people view their home countries in ways I as an American cannot fully understand. It must be very odd to feel owned by another country.
And of course!! This is the intellectual stimulation I've been craving. Happy to find a clearly intelligent and thoughtful student of Literature like yourself <3
"The metaphor of the house as a basket evokes the image of the house as porous, which stands in contrast to common conceptions of home as stable and contained. So Adnan is sort of letting us know that she’s well aware of the dangers of home: the way it purports to hold a life safely but inevitably fails to do so."
I wonder if "houses" in this instance are allegorical for Beirut, or the nation-state in general. Countries are the "houses" of nationalism that are conceived of as stabilizing forces. But she has experienced the fallacy of that with the destruction of "her Beirut." I haven't read Adnan, but I think there might be a relationship here worth considering if you haven't already.
Lovely piece!!
Eliza! Yes! This is exactly what I'm thinking through right now: representations of the nation-state as 'home' broadly but also with regard to specific nations and nationalisms.
I think, for Adnan, the allegory extends to both "her" Beirut and the nation-state in general (or specifically, France as nation-state). As you mention, she experiences the fallacy directly, in the context of civil war in Beirut, but I think she also experiences it earlier, in the context of her French colonial education. There's definitely lots to think about here -- thank you for engaging with some of it!
The French connection makes perfect sense to me. Colonialism shapes the way people view their home countries in ways I as an American cannot fully understand. It must be very odd to feel owned by another country.
And of course!! This is the intellectual stimulation I've been craving. Happy to find a clearly intelligent and thoughtful student of Literature like yourself <3
Thanks Steve!