How does this passage help the reader understand Isma’s identity?
This excerpt from Homefire allows the reader to better understand Isma’s identity and her internal struggle between balancing being a Muslim and a British citizen. The excerpt opens up by emphasizing the trauma that Isma faces, “the memory of the Heathrow interrogation still jangling her nerves”. She is not only anxious about how people view her as a Muslim but the government also, “she had been able to think only of surveillance satellites”. To emphasize this feeling, Shamsie uses sibilance to repeat words that start with the letter ‘s’. This paranoia is furthered when she states she will be living “without the encumbrance of a roommate”, emphasizing her lack of trust and independence. The allusion to the story of Icarus foreshadows the relationship between Karamat and Eammon. Shamsie helps the reader understand more about Isma’s identity by establishing her close relationship with her sister, “sent it to Aneeka”. Isma is currently at the cusp of great change within her life; the symbolism of the changing of seasons is synonymous with this monumental change in her life. This passage also gives clear insight into the role of Islam in Isma’s life. She wakes up everyday for her daily prayer which emphasises her faith, values and her identity as a Muslim. The pair of gloves is used as a metaphor to not only allude to her siblings, but acknowledge that she and her sister are on two separate tracks when deliberating on what to do with Parvaiz. Overall, this paragraph strongly emphasizes the values of Isma and her identity as a British Muslim.