Sophisticated
The
word "sophisticated" has always fascinated me
for no apparent reason; maybe
because it had no equivalent in Arabic, my mother tongue, an exact equivalent,
that is. I was fond of Arabic and believed it is richer and more expressive
than English (which is true) but ever since I started to study English literature, I fell in
love with English. I kept the little dictionary uncle Mahmud gave me in my handbag
all the time and opened it on the bus whenever I had nothing else to read;
never bothering about my colleagues who believed me to be a book worm and joked about my transistor dictionary. It was the eighties and and students would carry
transistor radios and later Walk-mans and earphones, while I was reading a novel
or writing in my diaries on our way to and from the university.
On our very
first drama class the word "sophisticated" acquired new connotations
for me When Dr. Negm, trying to explain its meaning picked me out of the fifty
nine students as an example of a "sophisticated" lady. That was
something, for your professor to ask you to join him in front of the whole class
and act like a living model of he a fictional character as sophisticated.I
found the situation very flattering; and I loved the way other students started
to elaborate on the meaning of the word just by looking at me: classy, elegant, and expensive, of
good taste, has great expectations. The blood rushed to my face and Deena told
me I looked ridiculousness and thus negated the main point of being sophisticated with
my shyness. She believed that being daring is an essential component of being a
sophisticated person and this, both I and Deena were sure, was never part of my
personality. Deena believed that with my neat, trendy French clothes, shoes and
bags, my styled hair and a touch of expensive perfume, together with my perfect
pronunciation of a language that other students struggled with, I might pass as
one. But to those who know me well I am a shy, dreamy and naive girl. Deena was
my best friend since first grade and sometimes I felt she knew me better than
myself. She was right; an attractive
appearance, love of literature, dreams, and "great expectations" are
not enough qualifiers for a sophisticated person. I was thrilled for the description all the
same and I tried to maintain the "shell of circumstances" that made
others think I was sophisticated. Can you blame an eighteen year old student to
be thrilled when described with the big word "sophisticated"?
the first person narrator here is Hala of Safe or Sound.
ردحذف