Group 1:

• - 2-3 sentence recap:

This short story explores the generational and cultural conflict between an immigrant taxi driver, Parvez and his increasingly religious son, Ali, in England. Ali started selling his favourite things like his old toys, computer discs, and his fashionable clothes, which was unusual Behavior. Parvez assumed the worst in his son and thought he was selling his favorite things for money to buy drugs and conspired his son to be a "drug addict killer".

• - Selected quote:

"And I can't talk to him anymore. We were not father and son - we were brothers! Where has he gone? Why is he torturing me?"

Group 2:

• - 2-3 sentence recap:

• The westernized immigrant parent is trying to justify his son’s recent unusual behaviour. At first, he suspected that his son was doing drugs, but then he began to notice some clues that suggested his son was shifting towards a more conservative lifestyle.

• He felt ashamed to bring up the topic with friends because of his own behaviours and beliefs that did not align with his son’s. The only person that he could confide in was Bettina.

• - Selected quote:

“'I can't understand it!' he burst out. 'Everything is going from his room. And I can't talk to him anymore. We were not father and son

- We were brothers! Where has he gone? Why is he torturing me?'

”

• This quote depicts the disconnection the father feels from his son, which is normal as the son is maturing and starting to develop his own opinions. So it’s rather the immaturity of the father that is portrayed in the story.

Group 1:

• - 2-3 sentence recap: pages 3 through 6 illustrates the transitional part of the story, where Parvez starts to realize what kind of change has afflicted his son, and how this change of beliefs is causing a significant shift in their relationship. For example: As Parvez was poured his usual whiskey at the restaurant, Ali blatantly called him out on his behavior.

  
  

• - Selected quote: But what I object to,' he said, 'is being told by my own son that I

  am going to hell!

Group 2:

• - 2-3 sentence recap: Parvez realizes his son isn't doing drugs, and instead has become a devout Muslim. Parvez has avoided religion because of his bad childhood experiences with Islam. He invites his son to a restaurant in order to discuss his behavior. Ali criticized his father harshly for his lifestyle.

• - Selected quote: "You are too implicated in Western civilisation."

Group 1:

• - 2-3 sentence recap: While driving with Bettina, Parvez sees Ali leaving the mosque and makes him get in the car. Ali ignores Bettina and insults her job, prompting her to leave. Back home, Ali goes to pray while Parvez enters his room and hits him.

• - Selected quote:

• "So who's the fanatic now?"

Group 2:

• - 2-3 sentence recap: By the end of the story, the gap between Parvez and Ali has grown so wide that they can’t understand each other anymore. Parvez, who worked his whole life to give his son opportunities in the West, feels attacked and judged by Ali’s strict religious views. In a moment of anger and hurt, Parvez loses control and beats Ali, but Ali doesn’t fight back, he just says, “So who’s the fanatic now?”

• - Selected quote: So who’s the fanatic now?

1. What’s Armstrong feeling in this moment?

2. What does this show about identity?

• Prepare to share: Choose one or two key insights from your group to present to the class

1- Armstrong definitely felt embarrassed. She realizes how out of touch she is with secular life. She also realizes that she has to consciously remember how to act to avoid embarrassing herself.

2- We can see that Armstrong is actively trying to change her identity throughout the story. She definitely struggles in this task as she is still very much accustomed to her past self as a nun. From this we can see that identity is something that can be changed with time and new experiences.

• She’s feeling dissonance because she’s used to a certain lifestyle of obedience, which she sometimes forces herself not to follow the rules.

• It shows how religion affects our identity and how sometimes we can do things out of habit even when we don’t believe in them anymore. In Armstrong’s story, she was accustomed to a certain religious lifestyle centered around the church, and now that she is no longer that person, she is struggling to find out who she is. She is torn between both identities: the convent and secular life.

1. Armstrong felt out of place when she returned to Oxford because everything had changed while she was gone. Students dressed and acted in ways she didn’t understand. She realized she no longer fit in with their world.

2. While she was in the convent, the 1960s had transformed society outside. People were rebelling, protesting, and living with a new kind of freedom. Armstrong felt left behind and disconnected from those changes.

Question 1: She felt ignorant and not a part of this world. For example, she admits that she was ignorant when she said: "As a result, I entered the secular world completely ignorant of the problems of our time, and because I lacked basic information, could not make head or tail of the newspapers. What I needed was a crash course in the current political scene, but this was not available, and I felt so ashamed of my ignorance that I did not dare to ask questions that would have revealed its abysmal depths."

Question 2: Identity impacts how we morally view cultural changes.

- Karen Armstrong's life was controlled by a bell which represented the " sound of God".

• Usually she was taught to leave whatever she was doing and pray, but college life was different; she kept writing the paragraph she was on and she struggled to adapt and unlearn something she did instinctively.

• It wasn't just a simple, physical change going from convent to secular life; it was a major psychological event, a rediscovery journey of the new person she was about to become, leaving past identity in the convent and discovering her new self.

1. She feels embarrassed and out of place, as she realizes that this became her nature. It became something that she adapted as second habit without intellectual thought; as if she was indoctrinated.

2. This shows that identity is heavily influenced and shaped by the environment you are surrounded with. It also portrays how powerful the feeling of fear can affect our identity; especially that the person instilling that fear had the upper hand in the dynamic.

1. Open the book PDF and go through the assigned section (pp.12-32)

2. Choose one quote that resonated with you... (something that feels like it’s speaking directly to your life)

3. Post it here

4. Respond to this: How does this quote reflect something you’ve experienced or felt?

The quote makes you realize how grateful you should be for every single thing no matter how small its still significant.

“That’s what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”

"HOW DOES THIS QUOTE REFLECT SOMETHING YOU'VE EXPERIENCED OR FELT?"

when I started college, I set a goal to be a different person than I was in school. I set a goal that I was going to focus more during lectures, as soon as I receive an assignment I get it done as soon as possible, and to study everything the day I took it. I started this way, and I feel like the world is taking me the direction I want, is when I strive to become better then the what I am, everything around me started to brighten up.

Personally,this quote has always stuck with me because it reminds me of moments when I doubted myself but still pushed through.There were times that i wanted to achieve so badly such as goals, or proving myself and somehow, little things started falling into place nd somehow, things slowly started to fall into place. It didn’t feel like magic, but more like a shift or change in energy. When I started believing in what I wanted, I noticed how people and opportunities began showing up at the right time. It taught me that when you take that first real step toward your dream, life has a way of meeting you halfway.

Although we all experience difficult situations, these are the things that make us stronger and help us to cope with the world around us

“From many places.”

I feel that too often we label people as a certain nationality when it doesn’t really matter . What actually matters is the experiences we gained from the places we’ve been.

It stood out to me because I feel like I’m in that same stage of figuring out what I really want in life. Sometimes I doubt my path, but whenever I stay focused, new chances or people seem to appear at the right time. It makes me believe that if I keep working towards my goals, things will somehow fall into place.

• Having a dream in life gives you a sense of purpose. For me, having a dream was what made me push through high school and put in effort because it allowed me to think that I had a chance at making my dream a reality. Having a dream in life gives you direction and motivation.

you to achieve it."

It connects to times when progress seemed to flow naturally once i trusted the process and gave it my all.

This thought always motivates to keep going in whatever I'm trying to achieve, even when I feel burnt out or want to give up. Just the mere hope of success or "having a dream come true" makes the process much more bearable, or even enjoyable.

How it resonates with me:
This quote speaks to my belief that when I truly set my mind to something, nothing can stop me. It reminds me that determination and focus can turn even the hardest situations into opportunities to move forward.

How it reflects my experience:
I’ve faced setbacks that tested my patience and determination, but I’ve learned that every obstacle prepares me for a comeback. Whenever I stay focused and trust the process, things somehow align in ways I couldn’t have planned.

to live here forever,” his father continued.

“Well, I’d like to see their land, and see how they live,” said his

son.

This quote shows a contrast between how the father and his son view life.

The father sees no point of traveling and going to places as he mentioned that he seen people come and go, yet they leave as they have come.

The son , on the other hand, he wants to view the world, see how people live in other places, and have his own experiences. He doesn’t want to hear stories he wants to make experience those stories.

I chose this quote because it’s true; people love giving advice but don’t always know what they’re doing themselves. I’ve felt that before when others try to tell me what’s best for me, but I realize I need to figure things out my own way and that their advice didn't really help.

they leave they are basically the same people they were when they

arrived. 

This reminds me of times when I expected a new experience to change me completely, but it didn’t. It shows how real change only happens when you’re open to it, not just when you go somewhere new.

somaya

2. Following one's personal legend and pursuing dreams, even if it means taking risks and facing the unknown.

3. When he tells Santiago, "I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have nothing to live for". This shows his fear that achieving his dream with leave him him with no goal, or hope.

Ibrahim Bakir

• The Crystal Merchant thinks success means living safely and keeping his shop running well. He doesn’t want to take risks or change anything, while Santiago believes success means following his dream no matter what happens.

• The Merchant’s Personal Legend is to go to Mecca, but he never goes. He prefers to only dream about it instead of actually doing it.

• He shows his biggest fear when he tells Santiago he doesn’t want to go to Mecca because he’s scared that if he does, he won’t have anything left to dream about.

to travel to Mecca, a dream he’s had his whole life but was never able to pursue.

when he says he’s afraid that if he goes to Mecca, he’ll have nothing left to live for.

2-The Crystal Merchant’s Personal Legend is to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, something he’s dreamed about his whole life. But deep down, he doesn’t actually want to go because once he fulfills that dream, he won’t have anything left to look forward to. The dream gives his life meaning, but he’s too scared to turn it into reality. So instead of chasing it, he just talks about it and stays in his comfort zone.

3-The moment comes when the Merchant tells Santiago that he’s afraid of achieving his dream of going to Mecca. He says he prefers to keep the dream alive rather than live it and risk disappointment. He fears that if he finally goes to Mecca and it doesn’t change his life the way he hopes, he’ll have nothing left to believe in.

2. The crystal merchant's Personal Legend is to visit Mecca. He's dreamed of it his whole life but admits he'll never manage to make it a reality.

3. The merchant confesses his biggest fear when he tells Santiago,

“I’m afraid that if my dream is realised, I’ll have no reason to go on living.”

This scene shows that he would rather dream about Mecca than risk what he has to travel there.

The crystal merchant wants to go to Mecca.

The crystal merchant's greatest fear comes to light when he confesses to Santiago that fulfilling and reaching his dream might destroy the hope that sustain him.

2. The Merchant’s Personal Legend is to go to Mecca

3. He fears that if he goes to Mecca, it won’t be as great as he imagined, and he’ll have nothing left to live for.

2)- The crystal merchant's personal legend is to go to Mecca, “It’s the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive.”

3)- After Santiago starts working with the merchant, he starts suggesting ideas such as a display for the glass crystals and selling the tea in glass crystal cups. Seeing Santiago try to achieve his dream, the merchant reflects on his own, which is going to Mecca. He then realizes that his greatest fear is that once his dream becomes true, he might lose the sense of purpose the dream might have given him, and that thinking and dreaming about Mecca is better than the risk of disappointment.

2) The merchant's personal legend is to dream about going to Mecca. He doesn't want to go there so that he doesn't get disappointed, but he only wants to dream about it because that is what keeps him going.

3)"But I’m afraid that it would all be a disappointment, so I prefer just to
dream about it.”

2. The crystal merchant's personal legend is to travel to Mecca. He tells Santiago that he's even tried to save money to make his dream come true.

3. The merchant says, "I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to live". He believes that having this dream gives him a purpose in life, so if his dream comes true, then he'll have nothing else to hope for.

2- to travel to mecca

3- When he tells Santiago that he’s afraid to go to mecca because after that he will have nothing left to live more

2. His Personal Legend is to go to Mecca, but he never actually does it. Just dreaming about it gives his life meaning, even if he knows deep down he’ll never go.

3. He expresses his greatest fear when he explains to Santiago that he doesn’t want to go to Mecca because he’s afraid that once his dream comes true, he’ll have nothing left to live for.

• Work in pairs.

• Each person will be assigned one of two posts: one labeled "WRITTEN (Maktub)" and one labeled "ACTION (Free Will)."

• Task: You will first reread today's assigned section on your own (p.93-122). Every time you find a quote or action that supports your assigned side of the paradox, you will write IN A COMMENT the page number and a brief summary on the corresponding post.

  • Example for WRITTEN: "Page X: Santiago accepts death because 'God was not willing to change the future.'"

  • Example for ACTION: "Page Y: The elder says God only reveals the future when it is 'written so as to be altered.'"