Exposure by Sayed Kashua

Exposure

Sayed Kashua

Like Othello, the plot hinges on a note which makes the unnamed hero jealous for no good reason. But then jealousy is like that - it nags and gnaws at the soul. And this is made worse by being an Arab in Jerusalem, where his self-respect is undermined on a daily basis, where family honour is at the heart of all personal relationships. A blazing row and reconciliation will not suffice. A compelling insight into the life of an occupied people.

Extract
I went from being the roommate who spends too much time at home to the invisible roommate. Most days I came home from work around four thirty, took a shower, got dressed, got my bag together and left around six fifteen for Yonatan's. My time with Wassim and Majdi was cut down to the rare weekends when we were off together and didn't go home which happened around once every two months.
Occasionally, I still considered quitting on Yonatan. I really didn't need the money. My social worker salary was enough to live on and the caretaker money went completely untouched. I did not feel the need to save up at the time, though, I had no plans for the future. The thought of the long hours in the apartment waiting for Majdi and Wassim to come back from work, was what convinced me not to quit.
Parallels
  • Othello by William Shakespeare
  • Honour by Elif Shafak
  • The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif
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Violence
Explicit sexual content