One of the things that comes with being an adult is the shoulds. The shoulds…
Read With Us: It’s Good People Discussion Day
The day has come to discuss the book Good People by Patmeena Sabit. I read it ages ago but I’ve refreshed my memory of it for the purposes of our Zoom and this is my question(s) to you all:
The title Good People raises an interesting question: what does it actually mean to be a “good person”?
Throughout the novel, many of the characters are concerned with how they are seen by others and with maintaining their reputation within the community. How do the characters try to shape the way they are perceived? Do you think they are motivated more by genuine goodness, by social expectations, or by a desire to belong and be accepted?
By the end of the novel, who did you consider to be truly “good people”—and did your opinion of any characters change along the way?
Be sure and check out Bonny’s and Kym’s blogs today to see what they are asking, too.
I’m looking forward to seeing your faces tonight on my computer screen!
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That is a tough question as we often define a good person by their outward behavior and whether they fit in with community expectations. According to some friends, some times, the Sharaf family was composed of mainly good people, but I found my own opinion changing each time a new character expressed an opinion. By the end of the book I think Maryam Sharaf was one of the few “good people” in the book. I thought she was a devoted mother who was navigating raising her children, balancing Afghan expectations with the realities of American life. I’m looking forward to our discussion tonight to hear what others think!
I agree with Bonny — this is a tough one! I think there’s often a difference between being a “good” person and being perceived by others as good, and so much of the latter is dependent upon what someone else’s values are. There have been plenty of people in history who have believed they were doing something good but whose actions have caused others to suffer.