Archetypes in Infidel

Right now I am about to finish Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.  It is about her life and how she goes from living with her terrible, oppressive family in Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya, to moving to the Netherlands and becoming a member of Dutch Parliament.  Her life almost seems as if it took place in two stages, her living with her parents, to her living independently.  She lived with her parents into her early twenties, where she was beaten, and as a woman, had no rights at all.  She finally got away from them after her father forced her marry a man she hardly knew, but already did not like.  She was went on a plane to Canada to go and live with this man, but during a layover in Germany, she ran away to the Netherlands.  She quickly attains refugee status, gets her papers to live there full time, gets a job, gets an education, and eventually gets into politics.  She did this on her own in a place where she knew no one, and a place that was unlike any other she had ever been to.  She did not even speak the language when she first arrived.  I definitely think that this is pretty impressive.  Although these two sides of her life are very different, her problems remain same for the most part, along with the types of characters.  

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is the main character (the book is about her real life) and protagonist.  She has always been smart, determined, and hardworking, but is often held back.  Throughout the book, she is fighting for her own independence and the freedom to get an education, and do whatever she wants with her life.  We are required to go to school, whereas she wishes for it, and has to work very hard to get an education.  By the end of the book, she has achieved her freedom, and is able to make her own decisions.  I think part of what helped her do this, was her ability to think everything through, and question what her parents told her to believe; if there is no legitimate reason for the belief, why should she believe it?

The protagonist is her family and everything else that represents her ways of life before she moved to the Netherlands.  When she is living with her family, they are literally telling her what to do and what not to do.  There are many rules and she did not have any rights.  This remains the protagonist though because even after she completely separates herself from her family, that culture has been instilled in her for her whole life and it comes through.  Once she is independent, she still feels that she is required to meet the rules and expectations of her parents.  She is free, yet it still takes her awhile to form her own beliefs about everything, and let go of the culture she had been trying so hard to let go of.  In this way, the antagonist remains the same during her time with her family, and her independent time.  

The mentor changes, but is always someone who is only slightly ahead of Ayaan, or has experienced something slightly beyond her.  For example, as children and teenagers, Ayaan’s younger sister Haweya was always more daring and willing to defy her parents, and would never give her mother any satisfaction from beating her.  Ayaan was always seen as a better child because she was obedient, but she admired and was influenced by Haweya’s determination to be her own person.  When Ayaan moves into a refugee center in the Netherlands, there are many girls there who come from situations like hers, but have given up their old ways and become independent.  At first, Ayaan thought this was absolutely horrible, but slowly, through very small steps, like wearing pants for the first time, or learning to ride a bike, she realized that the world would not fall apart if she disobeyed her culture’s strict rules.  These girls taught her how to do this by setting an example.  

In conclusion, I have really enjoyed reading this book, and I think the story of her life is interesting and inspirational.