Community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Im amal abdelhakim, a seventeen yearold australianpalestinianmuslim still trying to come to grips with my various identity hyphens. It paints a clear picture of the varied opinion between families ad generations about what it means to be a good muslim, and shows the differing options on what is culturally appropriate. In this text a girl who is an australian muslim is trying to find out if she dares to go to school wearing a hijab. It won the australian book industry award and australian book of the year award for older children. They dont suddenly give in when theyve spent years taking out. This causes concern on the part of her parents and her.
Author randa abdelfattah writes with razor sharp wit and totally understands what it is like to be a. Can she handle the taunts of towel head, the prejudice of her classmates, and still. Play sporcle s virtual live trivia to have fun, connect with people, and get your trivia on. Climax the climax in the book is when amal goes to adams, her crushes, party and he takes her to a private section of his house and reaches in to kiss her. This study guide consists of approximately 54 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your. Novel awards winner of the australian industry book award for best australian book for. Amal has a lot of hyphens to deal with shes an australian palestinian muslim, and to make matters more difficult, shes considering wearing the hijab full time in her outside life at her elite prep school. Amal is a sixteenyearold australianpalestinianmuslim girl who lives with her parents in australia. What inspired you to write does my head look big in this.
Amal mohamed nasrullah abdelhakim is both your typical and untypical teen. Her friends, both muslim and christian, support her choice, but she still deals with negative consequences at. Powered by create your own unique website with customizable templates. Characters for does my head look big in this flashcards. Community note includes chapterby chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical. Can she handle the taunts of towel head, the prejudice of her classmates.
Its hard enough being cool as a teenager when being one issue behind the latest cosmo is enough to disqualify you from the in group. It became apparent to me that the only time muslim females appeared as heroines in books were as escapees of the taliban, victims of an honour killing, or subjects of the saudi royalty. Minor characters there are many minor characters that help amal go through the story. This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of three australian teenage novels melina marchettas looking for alibrandi 1992, randa abdelfattahs does my head look big in this. Amal is a year 11 student in her third term at a posh private school in melbourne. This was a random buy, picked up mostly because, flipping through it, the word tasmania caught my eye and then i read that the author is australian. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else. Meanwhile, shes forming a relationship with an elderly neighbor who has a big identity secret. Join a live hosted trivia game for your favorite pub trivia experience done virtually. Does my head look big in this not only succeeds in telling the story of a young muslim girl struggling with her hijab, but explores the life of teen muslims from various backgrounds. Another example of this theme can be found in the movie i am sam starring sean penn who plays sam, a mentally handicapped man fighting to gain custody of his daughter. Amal, an australianpalestinian girl living in melbourne, is about to start her junior year, and she has decided to start wearing the hijab fulltime. This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of three australian teenage novels melina marchettas looking for alibrandi 1992, randa abdelfattahs does.
Does my head look big in this by randa abdel fattah essay. Amal finds herself once she decides to wear the hijab with confidence. Jul 08, 2011 book trailer for the award winning book does my head look big in this by randa abdelfattah. Parttimers like me wear the hijab as part of an islamic school uniform or when we go to mosque, or just on a bad hair day. It can be tough to belong to a minority, even in australia where there are lots of ethnic groups. I was ready to wear the hijab, the head scarf, all the time. This would not be nearly such a big deal were she still at school with all of her. Sixteenyearold amal attends an elite prep school in a melbourne suburb. Does my head look big in this a look at muslim women in. Luckily my friends support me, although theyve got a few troubles of their own.
As amal struggles with her identity in a post911 world do you have any. It won the australian book industry award and australian book of the year award for older children the story revolves around and is told from the view point of a sixteenyearold muslim girl who decides to wear the hijab, a religious veil. There are three major themes represented in the novel. It was released in australia, by pan macmillan australia, on 1 august 2005. With an engaging narrator at the helm, abdelfattahs debut novel should open the eyes of many a reader. Community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical. Does my head look big in this chapter 4 quiz by misstreeves. The following version of the book was used to create this study guide. The narrator, amal mohamed nasrullah abdelhakim, is the only muslim student in her class at an elite prep school in an upscale suburb of melbourne, australia.
Literature quiz does my head look big in this chapter 4 random literature or novel quiz. Try wearing a veil on your head and practising the bums up position at lunchtime and you know youre in for a tough time at school. Amal will later mention that she is now praying five times a day but we dont see her praying. Finding ones self, friendship, and rising above stereotypes. If a virtual private party is more your thing, go here for details. The perspective of young muslim teenagers theme religion i would recommend this book if youre into a comingofage story about a young woman. My enthusiasm for the novel was not particularly consistent. Her friendship with leila is bonded closer when amal stands up to leilas mom about her imposing restrictions for leila. Does my head look big in this click here for novel extracts. Amal is a smart, sassy 16yearold who loves to debate and usually has the perfect comeback when the. If you want to understand a problem you look at its cause. Start studying characters for does my head look big in this. The author executed this book perfectly as she combined modern dayteen with traditional islamic values,she also shows the struggles a muslim girl goes through in.
Read the excerpt from the novel does my head look big in this. Quotes showing 123 of 23 belief means nothing without actions. Randa abdelfattah is an attorney, a writer, a chocoholic, and an active member in the interfaith community, as well as the campaign for palestinian human rights. Another example of this theme can be found in the movie i am sam starring sean penn who plays sam, a mentally handicapped man.
I have mixed feelings about does my head look big in this. This study guide consists of approximately 54 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of does my head look big in this the right to make decisions for oneself is part of every individuals identity. The novel was first published in australia by pan macmillan australia pty ltd. Does my head look big in this book trailer youtube. The evidence is when tia and adam asked amal about the doco on muslim fundamentalists on t. Pdf reading the hijab as a marker of faith in randa abdel. A few themes present in does my head look big in this. And, despite its flaws, the book succeeds in one of its very important goals. At the start of the final term of the school year, amal decides to begin wearing the hijab fulltime as an expression of her islamic faith. An australianmuslinpalestinian teen opts to wear the hijab, the muslim head scarf, fulltime, embarking on a courageous exercise in selfunderstanding. Fulltimers is what my friends and i call girls who wear the hijab all the time. Sixteenyearold amal exchanges ims with a cute boy, chats with friends on her cell phone, reads cosmo and decides to wear a hijab, or muslim head scarf, fulltime, including to her elite private high school in melbourne, australia. Randa abdelfattah writing styles in does my head look big in this. Group exercises these tasks involve the whole class through discussing.
The novel focuses on amal, a high school junior living in australia. Book trailer for the award winning book does my head look big in this by randa abdelfattah. The main point to this story is how amal deals with her new identity and how she grows into her own. After making this decision, she must confront judgment and prejudice from. Themes on this site we will explore the book does my head look big in this. Referring to the novel does my head look big in this, randa fattah has shown this theme throughout chapter sixteen. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. She found out that an old lady with a serious and unfriendly look who always put all the negative things in this world in her head and the one who talks harshly to others without caring, is the one who actually cares of amal. In chapter twentyone of the novel does my head look big in this, amal has forced to visit mrs. She has decided to express her religious convictions and wear the hijab to school. Does my head look big in this gives an inside look into the modern challenges and pressures faced by muslims in the western world. Sixteen year old amal abdelhakim chooses to wear the hijab half way through her school year at a prep school in melbourne, australia.
Can you name the characters, themes, words and techniques from the novel. Headstrong and witty, 16yearold amal, an australianmuslimpalestinian that m. Characters for does my head look big in this flashcards quizlet. She is the author of the critically acclaimed novels does my head look big in this. The plot revolves around a sixteenyearold muslim australian palestinian girl, amal, and her decision to wear the hijab, the traditional islamic headscarf, and the reactions of her friends and family. With universal themes, these eight novels will enthrall any reader who wonders how a persons heritage shapes her identity. And its when im standing there this morning, in my pjs and a hijab, next to my mum and my dad, kneeling before god. Does my head look big in this by randa abdel fattah essay example. This novel, while a little overlong, is definitely worth reading, but i wish i had read this back in 2005. When sixteenyearold amal decides to wear the hijab fulltime, her entire world changes, all because of a piece of cloth. Apr 10, 2018 does my head look big in this not only succeeds in telling the story of a young muslim girl struggling with her hijab, but explores the life of teen muslims from various backgrounds. Simone, blonde, gorgeous and overweight shes got serious image issues, and leilas really intelligent but her parents are more.
So, when ellen comes out, everyone leap to your feet, give her a crazy big superloud round of applause. Does my head look big in this a look at muslim women. Im in eleventh grade and in four days ill be starting my third term at the snobby and elitist mccleans preparatory school, where its hard enough being an arab muslim with my hair down to my shoulders. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a. I liked the first third, i really liked the middle third, and i loved the last third. In the second half more serious themes are addressed. On this site we will explore the book does my head look big in this. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Poised to begin the third term of 11th grade, amal admits, its hard enough being an arab muslim at a new school, but shawling up is just plain psychotic. Does my head look big in this chronicles her journey from deciding to go full time inspired by an episode of friends, no kidding through debates with family, dealing with schoolmates, worrying about what her crush and friends will think, and learning what her faith and convictions really mean to her. For purely nostalgic reasons i just had to read it.
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