Pages 100-110

By: Tiffany Jorge

(Edited by Noelia Valero)

In these pages we are introduced with a somewhat confusing exposition on the Arabic term takallouf. Rushdie describes it as an untranslatable social restraint so extreme as to keep a victim from expressing what he or she truly means. As stated in the text “Takallouf is a member of that opaque, worldwide sect of concepts, which refuse to travel across linguistic frontiers” (104).  It manifests itself in the sense of honor that restrains the military officer Raza from challenging the drunken civilian Isky over Pinkie and obliges him to accept him as a friend for years. As the chapter ends, the Hyder and Harappa spouses are both separated and Hyder's power is rising under the sole influence of the hateful mystic Dawood. The author's personal postscript, by now expected, is colorful but mysterious. As a spiritually born-again, Isky also attains political power.

Takallouf: (Page 104)Urdu – [ta-ka-LOOF] Takallouf can be loosely translated as “formality,” and it often refers to the prodigious amount of preparation put into hosting a tea or dinner. However, it can also have a deeper, more culturally constructed meaning.

In Rushdie’s Shame, a husband finds out his wife has cheated on him and in response murders her lover. Although both husband and wife are aware of what has happened, neither of them talk of it because of the “law” of takallouf.

Read more at http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/20-more-awesomely-untranslatable-words-from-around-the-world/#IfjccQF0HufSzq8p.99 

Teetotal: (page 106) Of, relating to, or practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/teetotal

Verandah: (page 110) is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, and built around a central structure.  A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verandah