A Map of Home

“The woman smiled at her in English.”

This line humorously reflects the language barrier Mama experiences in the United States. Baba chastises her for swearing in Arabic at the Boston hospital, but she (correctly) argues that none of the passersby can understand them. This figurative language conveys the placid ignorance of the American woman they encounter.

“I wanted to make him laugh, wanted to see his bright white teeth standing on queue in his dark face.”

This line marks the first time in the narrative that Nidali mentions her attraction toward someone. The passage reflects her relative naivety; Nidali does not yet realize what it means when she thinks to herself that she wants to make a boy laugh, creating a moment of dramatic irony. As the narrator of the story, Nidali recounts these events from an adult perspective, knowing what these urges mean for young Nidali.

“She said it the way she said things when she volunteered at the museum: And here is the Islamic arts section, and here is the science wing, and here is a weird explanation of my mother’s death.”

Nidali portrays her mother as reluctant to discuss her mother’s death, showing that Mama can only address it obliquely. The metaphor of Mama’s stories as a museum with separate wings suggests that she compartmentalizes difficult memories. At the same time, Mama makes sure to visit Yia Yia’s grave whenever she is in Egypt, showing that despite her inability to directly deal with the emotional fallout of her mother’s passing, she still feels the impact of it and wants to honor it.