Blog Week 4: Research Excursions

 The first research excursion I read was on Icarus and Daedalus. It shows how the myth alludes to many different parts of Shamsie's Home Fire. I was unfamiliar with the myth before reading this excursion. However, it did a great job paraphrasing the story before introducing how it alluded to Home Fire. It first starts out by comparing Isma to Daedalus with how she is trying to save Parvaiz before it is too late. Yet, it is in fact too late and Isma watches Parvaiz's fall just as Daedalus watched Icarus. Next, the research excursion looks at how Eamonn and Aneeka both fell just like Icarus. They chased after a relationship that could not work and ended up leaving them both dead in an embrace. Finally, it looks at Karamat and how his life is a balance between the sun and sea in the way he must balance his pro-Muslim inner life with his anti-muslim political life.

The second excursion I looked at was on Muslim Headwear and how Aneeka dealt with public abuse for wearing hers. She continued to wear it to show her devotion to God as well as to express her freedom. One thing that stuck out to me about this excursion was the intertwining of research and the author's voice. What I mean by this is I liked the length and separation of the quotes from the research. Also, it concluded by looking at the current state of British politics which gives it sort of a potential element for a Neatline project as it could use a timeframe as well.

The third excursion I looked at was on ISIS recruitment. It sought to answer the question as to why Parvaiz ended up being so obsessed with Farooq and joining ISIS. I learned that recruitment is often brought on by close family ties and a feeling of isolation in one's community. These are interesting because they can be looked at as polar opposites, yet for many, they lead to the same result. Also, the power of social media is now a huge trigger for many to look towards the possibility of joining ISIS because of how artificially ideal media can make something seem when it is actually not that way.