Similarities between Aneeka and Antigone

 One character that is extremely similar in Home Fire and Antigone is Antigone who is almost identical to Aneeka, based on what I know about the play so far. Both Antigone and Aneeka are somewhat dramatic characters, especially Antigone. They also blamed specific parts of their identity on their misgivings which are mostly valid. Antigone blamed her bloodline of Oedipus for the pain she felt which is mostly true because Oedipus being expelled from Thebes is what eventually causes her brother to die and Oedipus even cursed her brother to die by the blade of her other brother. Aneeka blames her religion for the misgivings which are also true, keep in mind I am not saying she does not like her religion even though it was the main cause of her pain. Aneeka was not able to live a happy relationship with Eamonn primarily because she is Muslim. She was spat on because she was Muslim. She was bullied and lost her dad because he was a jihad, which would not have happened if he was not Muslim, and she lost her cousin because he was manipulated into joining ISIS, which only was possible because he is Muslim. 

Aneeka and Antigone also fought for their brothers to be buried a certain way. Antigone fought for her brother to be buried with burial rights while Aneeka wanted her brother to be buried with their mother. They both also choose not to forgive their sister after she chose not to help their brother. Antigone chose not to forgive Ismene after Ismene decided to not help Antigone do the burial rights on Polynecias’s tomb and Aneeka did not forgive Isma after Isma told the police about Parvaiz for joining ISIS. 


Comments

  1. Noah English 11H BlogOctober 17, 2022 at 12:46 PM

    I completely agree with this parallel between Aneeka and Antigone—especially your point on both understanding how their family ties influence their misgivings. Antigone is more adamant about her bloodline explicitly causing problems for her. While Aneeka understands how being Muslim stands in her way, although she is much more resilient and accepting of this portion of her identity.

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  2. Griffin JonesOctober 18, 2022 at 11:10 PM

    I like that you brought up Oedipus because he does not seem to mirror Aneeka and Isma's father to my knowledge. But I also have not read Sophocles' other plays about Thebes and I wonder if there is more about Oedipus and the brothers that we don't know yet that would increase our understanding of the connections to Home Fire.

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    Replies
    1. Critical Thinkers and WritersOctober 20, 2022 at 8:42 AM

      I suspect that the Adil/Oedipus connection is more general: a father who was maligned by the state and seen as a threat or source of damage, and whose children then become burdened by that legacy...

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