The Desert Flower

So we've just finished reading a shortened version of the book The Desert Flower & it truly was an inspiring & horrifyingly graphic novel about a young girl's journey (Waris) from the deserts of Africa to the catwalks of the world.
In my opinion, the main theme of The Desert Flower is ignorance. Upon reading the first few pages of the passage, I was absolutely stunned at the standard of living in Somalia and countries of similar wealth and tradition. Although it is universally acknowledged that the residents in countries such as these, live in extreme poverty, constantly being undermined and Miss-treated by the prosperous western world or even by their own people, I was not aware of the extent of their suffering prior to reading this passage. Women, despite the fact that they do most of the work throughout the day, are treated as insignificant peasants, confiscated of any semblance of self worth and dignity "Women are the backbone of Africa; they do most of the work. Yet women are powerless to make decisions. They have no say, sometimes not even in whom they will marry."
Since the beginning of time, women have been idealised, seen as worthless inferiors with no capacity to reach as high a level of "intelligence" as the almighty male species. Men, on the other hand, were seen as impeccable in the eyes of society, thus all the wealth, power & freedom of the world was bestowed upon them alone. This extract gives an unnerving and horrifically realistic insight into the role of women in third world countries today - for example, the brutal routine of female circumcision, the absolute mutilation of a young girls body, is accepted as a social norm - in order to keep them "clean" and pure for their future husbands. To me, it is hard to comprehend how these society's conjure up the strength to allow their young, defenseless daughters, be so barbarically maimed - an action confirming them a lifetime of physical and emotional agony. "The operations are usually performed in primitive circumstances by village women using knives, scissors, even sharp stones." In these areas, women have no place in society - in a sense, no identity. Even the prospect of finding love later on in their otherwise monotonous, trapped lives, has been stolen from them. Love is seen as a delusion, a fabrication one can only dream about because in reality, you marry for wealth and security. As long as a man can provide for you, physical or emotional connection are irrelevant. "That's the best kind. He's too old to run around. He's not going to leave you. He'll look after you. And besides - he's giving me five camels."
In my opinion, the book portrays the theme of ignorance & disregard very well. Once Waris was brought over to London, it was clear to her that she had arrived in a whole other world. Suddenly she was immersed in a community of white people whom spoke a different language, ate different foods and lived very different lives. Everything Waris had become accustom to - running through the golden desert sand surrounded by some of the earths most exotic creatures, drifting to sleep under the stars & moonlight under the watchful eye of her father - had disappeared, evaporated into the abyss.
It was when Waris began her career as a model and was rapidly moving her way up the social spectrum, that the two extremes really became evident. Waris was no ordinary supermodel of the modern world; she had character, had experienced true hardship & suffering, so much so in fact that it seems almost impossible - how could life in another continent be so contrasting? The sad thing is that these people accept these practices, after all - how would they know any different? Despite being completely held captive by their lack of money & their own beliefs, they somehow find the strength to persevere - live a life of devotion to their culture, taking nothing for granted. Although the majority of them are starving, desperately clutching at their rapidly deteriorating health, that is the world they know, they are apparently content to carry on in this manner. This is displayed frequently throughout the novel, particularly when Waris' mother refuses to move to London and live a life of luxury. "Besides, I can't just sit around. If you want to do something get me a place in Somalia that I can go to when I'm tired. This is my home. This is all I've ever known."
The reason why I enjoyed the book as much as I did was because of it's brutal honesty; it bared no false pretences, left no room for misconception. From the very beginning, the harsh realities of today's world comes crashing down on the western audience, leaving us overwhelmed in emotions of anger, sympathy and in some cases - guilt. The book brings the quote "Ignorance is bliss" under intense scrutiny.