Structure

Title

The title of the short story “Farida’s Eyes” by Leila Aboulela is rather straightforward, as the story revolves around Farida’s increasingly poor eyesight. Farida dreads the loss of her eyesight, at first because it would lead to bad grades, and then fearing complete blindness (ll. 122-124). The title has a symbolical meaning because it points to Farida's desire to gain knowledge and the social challenges that stand in her way. As Farida's eyesight deteriorates, she loses interest in learning.

The first time the title appears in the text, it reflects the patriarchal views in her family. Farida’s father dismisses her eyesight loss and her mother doesn't have the authority to convince him Farida needs glasses. Farida’s family is preoccupied with their financial situation and her brothers and does not prioritize Farida’s eyesight, and indirectly, her education: “No one had time for Farida’s eyes.” (ll. 106-107).

The second time the title is mentioned in the text is when Sister Carlotta visits Farida's parents and tells them, “ 'I came here today to talk about Farida's eyes.' ”  (ll. 152-153). In fact, Sister Carlotta is there to talk about Farida's future and her opportunity to succeed in life, which Farida is in danger of losing because of her poor eyesight. 

Once she gets her glasses, Farida recovers...