Rachel Tan

Arab/Am. Culture
The Language of Baklava ?s
4/16/13
BBD #21: Guidelines for Writing Assignment: The Language of Baklava
Prepare written answers to the following questions as you read the novel:
1. Prepare a brief sketch of each of the major characters in the novel, including the father,
mother, paternal aunt, and maternal grandmother.
Diana-Diana is the main character of the novel. She is sometimes rebellious and grows up facing
many disagreements with her family. However, she still holds on to them, and feels a connection
with them through the food that her family makes because it brings back memories and gives her
nostalgia.
Father-Bud; The father is a Jordanian man that moves his family (including his brothers) to the
U.S. Although he moved, he still misses his homeland. He is a descendant of Bedouin sheiks,
and a cook which helps define his identity (he is intuitive and restless; always wondering).
Mother-Dianas mother seems to be more of a push-over, and not very complex. She deals with
the moves and whatever Bud decides. She is an American, and a teacher.
Paternal Aunt-Aya; Aya is the paternal aunt of Diana, who sympathizes greatly with the
experiences that Diana has throughout her life. Also, Diana grows up cooking with her aunt, and
during these times they discuss cooking/food and men. Diana learns from her aunt that food can
sometimes serve as a peace offering (during a fight between Diana and Bud).
Maternal Grandmother-Dianas maternal grandmother has very opinionated views, and looks
poorly upon men because of her past history with them. She is a baker which defines her
identity (she is precise, rational, and careful).
2. In the memoir, Abu-Jabers father Bud, constantly uses food to reassure himself that his
connection to his origins and family are not lost, and to attempt to connect his children to
that heritage. Why, do you believe, does food hold power to forge such connections? What
foods remind you of such connections?
Abu-Jabers father, Bud, constantly uses food to reassure himself that his connection to
his origins and family are not lost. He also does this to attempt to connect his children to his
Jordanian heritage. I believe that food holds the power to forge such connections for a few
reasons. One reason is because the recipes for certain foods are only used under certain
circumstances. For example, foreign foods may be used during certain ceremonies or just as a
memory from another place. A second reason is because food brings back past memories. It
may be possible that the presence of the food or the actual making of it will remind people of
certain instances in their life. The smell, the preparation, the ingredients, etc. may all be
nostalgic. I definitely have foods that remind me of such connections. My grandfather moved
from the Philippines to attend med-school in the U.S. He met my grandmother while working at
the hospital (she was a nurse), so she would always make pancit in honor of my grandfathers
Filipino heritage. To this day, even when my mother makes pancit, I think of my extended

Rachel Tan
Arab/Am. Culture
The Language of Baklava ?s
4/16/13
family that still lives in the Philippines.

3. Some immigrant children reject their ethnic food ways (at least temporarily) in an effort
to become Americanized. Despite Diana Abu-Jabers temporary rebellions, she never does.
Why might that be so, given her larger feelings about her father and her family?
Although some immigrant children reject their ethnic food ways (at least temporarily) in
an effort to become Americanized, Diana Abu-Jaber never does. Even though she has temporary
rebellions and experiences difficulties with her father and her family, she tries to keep her
heritage alive. She does not want to forget her adventures she experienced while eating and
cooking the Jordanian foods. Given her larger feelings about her father and her family, she feels
the need to still have her heritage sustain in her life. She lives in America but she also recognizes
the fact that her culture is different. The food to her is the connection that she has with her
family.

4. One important theme in this book is finding ones place as a person between cultures. Do
you believe that such accommodation happens for Diana? If so, how does she accomplish
it? Or does she end up identifying herself more one way than another?
An important theme in this book is finding ones place as a person between cultures.
Throughout this novel, Diana is stuck between her Jordanian heritage and her American culture
while living in the U.S. I believe that such accommodations happen for Diana. I think that
throughout the novel she tries to blend the two together to stay connected with her family and
heritage and then to survive the cultural differences she and her family experience in the U.S.
Although some people may feel that she defines herself more one way than another, I feel that
she accomplishes finding a constant between both cultures. She accepts her Jordanian heritage
and acknowledges her love of the food and the memories, but also tries to adapt to her new
American lifestyle.

5. What impact did living in Jordan as a child and later as a grown up have on the
construction of her Arab-American identity?
Living in Jordan as a child and later as a grown-up has an impact on the construction of
Dianas Arab-American identity. As a child, she grows up learning the Jordanian heritage,
making Jordanian food and eating it, and living a different lifestyle than when she moves to
America. Then as a grown-up, she learns to respect her past culture more and the nostalgia from
the food impacts her. She does not want to forget her past because it influenced the early stages
of her life. It is also her connection to her family, which she experiences several issues with as
she grows up (especially her father and grandmother). Her Arab-American identity grows as she
grows. She loves looking back at making her Jordanian food and eating it. She also enjoys the

Rachel Tan
Arab/Am. Culture
The Language of Baklava ?s
4/16/13
fact that one of her favorite things, foods, can keep the connection alive within her family.

6. More than ten years before she wrote this memoir, Abu-Jaber explored her childhood (or
childhoods like hers) in novels. Why might she have written about those experiences as
fiction before she turned to memoir? Do you think that there is a difference in writers
mind-set between the two genres: fiction and memoir?
Before she turned her stories into a memoir, Abu-Jaber wrote about her experiences as
fiction. I think that she did this because of the difference in mind-set between the two genres
of fiction and memoir. Fiction can be written to tell a light story that is perceived as entertaining
and fun. Memoirs tend to be more serious and sometimes push people away from some
underlying themes. Although these generalizations are not true about every fiction or memoir
writing, many people think this before they pick up a book and start reading it. In conclusion, I
think that Abu-Jaber wrote about her childhood experiences as fiction before she turned to
memoir in order to try to get her main ideas across in a different, less serious matter. However, I
did find the memoir version to have some humor and interesting stories that were light. It is all
about perception.
7. Although the themes of The Language of Baklava are serious, the book is full of humor.
What does the humor add? Do humor and food go together, in some ways, for you?
Although the themes of The Language of Baklava are serious, the humor that the book is
full of really lightens the mood. It allows the book to become more emotional and personal.
Since it is a memoir, it can very easily drag and become boring. However, the humorous
anecdotes that Diana adds and the stories behind the food are entertaining. It adds more
excitement to the dullness that repeated immigrant-adaption stories tends to have. It also makes
the novel more unique; the recipes added in each chapter give the reader a taste of the memories
and nostalgia that Diana has when looking back on her past. For me, I do believe that humor and
food go together in some ways. While eating food, my family and friends have done some
entertaining things that I always think of whenever I eat that food again. Also, while making
food, accidents have happened that leave happy memories in my mind. To me, food and humor
go together while eating it or preparing it (just like for Diana).
8. Do you like the fact that recipes are included in this book? Why or why not?
Personally, I really enjoy the fact that recipes are included in this book. I feel that it adds
breaks from the ongoing seriousness that exists because of the themes. The recipes add a
personal touch to the novel and gives it a unique twist. Most immigration-adaption stories tend
to be super serious with descriptions of discomfort, naivety, awkward encounters, and struggles
trying to fit in with the new culture (such as Americas). By adding the recipes, the heritage
Diana is trying to retain comes through the severity. It also makes me curious what the food she
describes tastes like because I have never had Jordanian food before. Some people may feel that

Rachel Tan
Arab/Am. Culture
The Language of Baklava ?s
4/16/13
the recipes are unnecessary interruptions, but I enjoy the creativity that comes along with their
inclusion.
9. Does the author offer a recipe for a dual personality?
I do think that the author, Diana Abu-Jaber, offers a recipe for a dual personality. It
seems as though growing up in different places and moving around really affected the
development of Diana. Since she is split between her two cultures and must find a constant
position in between the two, her personality develops two sides. She has a side that loves the
nostalgia that food brings and the connection with her family that she gets from it, and her other
side deals with her current American situation.
10. How do memory, food, and hospitality serve in the construction of identity?
Memory, food, and hospitality serve in the construction of identity because they shape the
way a person thinks and acts throughout their life. This novel is a perfect example of how these
three factors affect the development of a person. Memory lives on in a person. Their past can be
brought up at any time and this could include their mistakes, heritage, or just happy things that
can affect how they want other people to perceive them. Food can be seen as a way to portray
thoughts or feelings. If one cooks, they may be adventurous and risk-taking by using different
recipes and adding new things; bakers seem to be more precise, focused, stubborn, and cautious
when baking which may trickle into their identity and how they act. Finally, hospitality creates
the identity of a person. If a person shows hospitality, then they are more open to people and like
being around them. If a person never really experiences good hospitality, they make act like that
towards other people, too. This could shape them to be more introverted and kept to themselves.