Roots

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In Sayed Kashua’s book Second Person Singular, the concept of what makes a man gets brought up in conversation. At the salon meeting, the character’s children's school and the religious and cultural events become one of the main talking points. Tarik questions why the children need to strengthen their Palestinian nationalism in school, which throws some of the participants off. His question is answered by “ … Our roots, our culture. Children have to understand and internalize these things, otherwise, how will they plot their own futures?” said one of the participants (Kashua 41). 

After this, some arguing takes place based on the importance of culture in a child’s life. Some people believe that culture sets up children with strong roots that better prepare them to make decisions and live a successful life. The comparison of a tree and its root system is used. This comparison doesn’t land on one of the members as he states “sometimes I think a tree is a tree and a man is a man,” (Kashua 42).

The importance of children growing up with a strong cultural identity is a pressing topic in today’s world. I think Kashua puts both sides of the argument up in a respectful and insightful way. People either want their children to be completely immersed in their family’s culture, or they don’t really care if their child knows where they came from. Especially in such a culturally and religiously charged area, like Israel, this argument can be thrown into violence or hatred. With so many different beliefs and ways of life that end up mixing in day-to-day life, there are bound to be conflicts that arise. The societal environment currently is what takes this productive conversation Kashua writes about the violent and very negative interactions that happen daily in our world.

In our world in Israel, two differing groups want to be in control of the land. Palestinians and Israelis are fighting for this control, and this fight carries on to daily activities, like going to school. One culture would dominate in a school, like in the book, while the other children that practice the other culture have to live with the environment they are put in. I don’t think it’s possible right now to have both cultures peacefully cohabiting a space.