A Woman Is No Man

Cite some examples of how the characters both assimilate into American culture and refuse to assimilate.

The theme of escape is prominent in the novel. Fareeda and Khaled escape the refugee camps. Sarah escapes the tyranny of Fareeda’s household. Why did all these characters see escape as their only viable option? What regrets do they have?

For millennia, cultures have relied on superstition to explain the unexplainable: gods creating the universe, battling giants to explain natural phenomena, etc. Fareeda uses the jinn to explain why Isra bears only daughters. How does doing so help Fareeda cope with her unhappiness? How does it absolve her culture of its responsibility to its women?