Power is derived from the cup size of a woman’s breast and the darkness and thickness of a man’s beard. The first signs of Fatima gaining power came from the mere knowledge of such things. Actually, it wasn’t the knowledge of the “month due” or the age at which babies can be produced as much as it was the official impartation of this knowledge by a person in a position of power – specifically, a position of power above that of Fatima’s mother. This wonderful gift to Fatima was bestowed by a figure who I thought would be the last one to talk about such things – Lalla Tam.
Using Lalla Tam as the vehicle of delivery of such power confused me at first. Why would someone who is so staunch a supporter of the proper and traditional way of doing things tell young girls and boys about bodily functions and whatnot when they were still a year or two out from having anything with which to apply the knowledge? All it served to do was undermine the power of Fatima’s mother. Maybe this was a cleaver ruse by Lalla Tam to chip away at the power base of Fatima’s very non-traditional mother. Maybe Lalla Tam secretly wanted to let the young boys and girls of the Harem escape from their courtyard prison.
Relating to the whole matter of growing up and getting the “month due” and other such wonderful things such as breasts and mustaches, this chapter also talked about the various spells and incantations used for increased beauty, increased bust, good grades, and summoning princes from as far away as Marrakech. Fatima went to great lengths to get her prince to come for her, especially after Samir wouldn’t have anything to do with her spells on the terrace. He was growing up as well. Fatima helped him grow a “beard” and shortly thereafter, he decided that such things as spells to the moon and the stars are nonsense. Of course, if the moon can make you pregnant, then why can’t it make your hair longer and straighter?
Toward the end of this chapter, all of the younger children from the Mernissi harem were granted permission to attend a French system based school. Rather than attend class with Lalla Tam, the grandmother to them all, they went to a new and modern school down the street from their house. In it they jumped from subject to subject, always learning new things and never having to sit still for too long. They even got to go home during lunch and play with the donkeys that walk in the street. That was a major event in the lives of all of those kids! This was the real first sign to Fatima that the walls were falling down and the doors were opening.
All in all, I think this chapter was about growing up and moving beyond the confines of the courtyard and terrace. It culminated in the release of the children, both male and female, to the school down the street. There was a sad and bitter note though when Fatima’s mother wasn’t allowed to go to literacy classes. She was too old for such things. In including that note of discord, Fatima reminds us of the disparity between the different age groups, even as the young progressed forward into new and exciting things such as school outside the home. Also, the chapter was a good excuse to name a chapter “Mustaches and Breasts” and for me to title this paper “Boobs and Beards”.
On a final note, sticking with my theme from an earlier paper, my work clearly merits A’s in all subjects for the term.