What is the Jacket?
When Isma is first introduced on page 3, she is in an airport being interrogated by an officer for a designer jacket she owns. The officer insists that it can't be hers, and Isma points out that she was given it because it was stained and unwanted.
What Does the Jacket Mean?
As we discussed in class, the jacket situation can have several different meanings. We discussed the meaning of the dry cleaners, but we didn't get much into the jacket itself, which was something that I didn't believe to be overly significant when I first started the book.
One point that was brought up in the discussion was that the jacket demonstrated a class divide. The two characters (the officer and Isma) knew it too, as the officer doubted that she could afford it and Isma knew that she couldn't. Even how she obtained the jacket is interesting, as it was her inability to afford it (working at a dry cleaner's to support her family) that led to her receiving the jacket. However, what we didn't touch upon in the class discussion was the stain on the jacket. When the jacket was pristine, Isma wouldn't have even come across it, let alone owned it. However, it's because the jacket was soiled that it ended up in her posession.This enhances the idea that Isma is "not good enough."
In addition, the stained jacket contrasts Eamonn's attire and posessions. On page 30, she mentions the "unconscionably expensive" headphones he owns, and when they embark for their walk in the woods on page 19, she notes his new expensive walking shoes. The contrast between the stained jacket and Eamonn's expensive posessions shows the class divide between the two. This concept of not being "enough" could also be seen as related to assimilation, as Isma is seen as "not British enough" due to her connection to her religion while Eamonn and his family thrive after hiding their connection to their own culture.
I had not thought about the contrast between Eamonn's clothes and her stained jacket. When I first the line about the jacket, I skimmed over it, but after talking about it in class and reading this post, I see how much underlying meaning there is. Great analysis Jenna!
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to note that Eamonn's family doesn't just hide their culture, but actively disavow it. Karamat Lone said he loathed entering mosques, essentially said the world was better following Isma's father dying, and was "Strong on Security," marketing himself as the antithesis of Muslim stereotypes, hence why Isma states that title with such disgust.
ReplyDeleteJenna, such great analysis of the jacket! When I initially read the interaction between Isma and the officer in regards to the stained jacket, I interpreted it as just being a scare/annoyance tactic. Essentially, a means to get Isma on edge so that she may reveal her "true" intentions when coming into the country. Reading your analysis of the jacket really gives a new light as to what it truly means. There is so much more to the jacket than what one would expect.
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