reading log #1

Novel –

Date written : Term 1

Desert Dawn

By Waris Dirie

“Mama tied a blindfold over my eyes. The next thing I felt my flesh was being cut away. I heard the blade sawing back and forth through my skin. The pain between my legs was so intense I wished I would die.”

The Novel Desert Dawn is written and lived by Waris Dirie, having  an eventful and terrifying sequence of events throughout her lifetime, Waris was able to write this book from true depth and meaning, it introduces the culture of some religions and groups in demeaning ways , straight from the actual events of Waris Dirie’s younger years. This novel visits the fear held within the childhood  of Waris, through female circumcision and arranged marriage before she was even 15, fear is active through pain infliction and simply her family, how can your own culture be so cruel yet seen as the right thing to do?

The representation of fear in this novel is expressed through the concept of body torture and unlawful acts, along with the mental idea that Waris mother puts into her head that demons exist spiritually. I believe that Waris intentions were to help people become aware of what happens outside of your own culture , however anything that happens to you mentally or physically can be overcome by your own power, strength and persistence. Through detail and written events it becomes obvious that fear is consistent throughout the story and i see it as a large part of the novel.

My initial reaction to the text was simply astonishment, because i live in small town in New Zealand and have a completely different culture i’ve never been exposed to this kind of thing before, i behold little knowledge to african culture therefore can’t say i relate to this specifically, however through the family part i can form some small connections, Waris’s mother insisted that culture comes first and didn’t even wait till she was old enough to consent  to significant shapings of her childhood, although i was never forced to do such things on the level of Waris, i have been in positions were my voice isn’t heard and that i didn’t get a choice- for example when i was younger ( i wouldn’t say forced) but was insisted that christian culture was a large must, because this is how my mum grew up and that’s how her whole family is to this day, especially with my grandad being the priest in Wanaka for a long time, i learnt that not coming to Church would make my grandad sad and disappointed in me, which impacted my childhood with the idea of fear in my own family.

The idea of feminism is also amongst the novel, the fear within Women because rape wasn’t seen as a bad thing, I believe Waris was also trying to link this into society in general as to this day we see women being body shamed, not given authority and seen as the second best gender.  “Because women and girls are not valued equally as human beings, they are treated as less than such. Female genital mutilation is one example of this that has to be stopped.”

The beliefs of others also ties into this, because the culture of where Waris lived at the time was common to be circumcised, her Mother followed the beliefs of their ancestors in fear that if she doesn’t she would be seen as evil or not part of their religion.

Waris is now seen as a powerful rolemodel, she expressed her fear of being forced into pain and unwanted cultured tasks into changing history, having a voice for women who aren’t able to and for herself, this is Wris’s story

• Kirsten Blackley