The Arab World
The Arab World
Hall speaks of the differences between the Westerners and the Arabs, which he believes could be the underlying explanation for the misunderstandings and miscommunication between these two cultures. Divided into 7 main parts, this non-fictional text is extremely informative, describing certain aspects of an Arab’s life and demeanor very thoroughly in a formal tone. It is not considered an argument however, as Hall does not in reality argue to prove a point but instead tries to explain and explore the reasons behind such cultural misapprehension. Although Hall doesn’t seem very sarcastic and supposedly isn’t seeking to convince the audience of a certain opinion, it appears as though he has unintentionally made some of the Arab beliefs and actions seem impractical and juvenile and in some cases quite irritating. He tries to remain objective but the readers can identify that he is subjective in many of his examples. His perspective of the Arab behavior is quite perplexing for in such situations he seems to accept and comprehend their reason for being frustrating.
Hall asserts that Arabs have a different meaning of public, and what a Westerner considers intrusion is simply an Arabs strategy of driving you away by making you feel uncomfortable. He describes an incident that demonstrates his claims:
I found that in Arab thought I had no rights whatsoever by virtue of occupying a given spot; neither my place nor my body was inviolate! For the Arab, there is no such thing as intrusion in public. Public means public. With this insight, a great range of Arab behaviors that had been puzzling, annoying, and sometimes even frightening began to make sense. (91)
It seems as though Hall has showed exactly the way Arabs behave; but unfortunately this isn’t how it is in reality as there is no certain set of rules that Arabs follow in their behavioral patterns. Arabs might accuse the Americans of being detached and distant while the Americans might find Arabs
Hall speaks of the differences between the Westerners and the Arabs, which he believes could be the underlying explanation for the misunderstandings and miscommunication between these two cultures. Divided into 7 main parts, this non-fictional text is extremely informative, describing certain aspects of an Arab’s life and demeanor very thoroughly in a formal tone. It is not considered an argument however, as Hall does not in reality argue to prove a point but instead tries to explain and explore the reasons behind such cultural misapprehension. Although Hall doesn’t seem very sarcastic and supposedly isn’t seeking to convince the audience of a certain opinion, it appears as though he has unintentionally made some of the Arab beliefs and actions seem impractical and juvenile and in some cases quite irritating. He tries to remain objective but the readers can identify that he is subjective in many of his examples. His perspective of the Arab behavior is quite perplexing for in such situations he seems to accept and comprehend their reason for being frustrating.
Hall asserts that Arabs have a different meaning of public, and what a Westerner considers intrusion is simply an Arabs strategy of driving you away by making you feel uncomfortable. He describes an incident that demonstrates his claims:
I found that in Arab thought I had no rights whatsoever by virtue of occupying a given spot; neither my place nor my body was inviolate! For the Arab, there is no such thing as intrusion in public. Public means public. With this insight, a great range of Arab behaviors that had been puzzling, annoying, and sometimes even frightening began to make sense. (91)
It seems as though Hall has showed exactly the way Arabs behave; but unfortunately this isn’t how it is in reality as there is no certain set of rules that Arabs follow in their behavioral patterns. Arabs might accuse the Americans of being detached and distant while the Americans might find Arabs
Cited: T. Hall, Edward. “The Arab World.” Shades of Gray. (2008): 89-97. Pearson Education Limited.