Becoming An Arab Analysis

In “On Becoming an Arab”, Leila Ahmed Leila tells about her journey into life as an Egyptian Muslim woman. Indeed, she relates her personal experience and she connects it with the political atmosphere and the social events of Egypt in the twentieth century while explaining the meaning of being an Arab in such a context. As a matter of fact, Ahmed grew up during a time of great political changes in Egypt. Thus, she writes about the complicated relationship between Egypt, Europe, and the Middle East. Ahmed does not only look for the meaning of her identity as a woman, an Egyptian, and an Arab, but she also tries to understand the implications of the Arab Muslim female identity just as she experienced it.

“ On Becoming an Arab” is a memoir where Ahmed examines her life as well as the issues of her identity. Because of her upbringing in Egypt during the last days of the British colonial presence, thus during the transition between British occupation and national independence,

In “ On Becoming an Arab” Ahmed questions about her identity as well as about being an Arab in the Middle East within the context of history. As a matter of fact, she does not only focus on her life, but she relates it to the political events taking place where she lives. She realizes that in order to make sense of her life she needs to put together as much historical information as possible. The personal events Ahmed tells about are held together by historical events such as the British occupation and the Nasserite dictatorship which reveal important aspects of the Egyptian culture. She starts claiming that while she was at school, she experienced some racist attitudes that affected her strongly. As a matter of fact her teacher treated her badly in class. Although slapping was forbidden in her school, Miss Nabih slapped Ahmed in front of the class because she refused to read from her Arabic textbook, “What Miss Nabih was doing to me in class the government was doing to us through the