Discuss the traits of Ali Mahfouz as brought out in this story ALMOST HOME by Barry McKinley.

      

Discuss the traits of Ali Mahfouz as brought out in this story ALMOST HOME by Barry McKinley.

  

Answers


Peter
Ali Mahfouz is the main character in the short story "Almost Home".
He faces an imminent deportation from Ireland. He exhibits a lot of traits as he attempts to fight back against the deportation. The writer paints Ali as deceitful. He tells people that he is a medical student and even puts a picture on face book that shows him at the surgeons' college with college books yet the books are only telephone directories. He only does menial jobs in Ireland for survival but he has not gone to study medicine.
In addition he walks with little white buds in his ears as if he is listening to music from the iPod yet he doesn't even know how to load the gadget with music.

Ali is Hardworking as he does all kinds of jobs in Ireland to cater his upkeep. For instance he slices kebab meat; while working for tw
Egyptian brothers, also he power-washes cars, scrubs pots and wipes tables.
When he just arrives in Ireland, Ali makes many friends. He is quite charming and sociable. He Makes Slattery to laugh all the time despite being in a serious situation this brings
Ali is Stubborn, He has been warned by Tarrant not to cause any problem while they travel yet he attempts to escape twice.
Furthermore, the government has tried to deport him twice, where every time he is disruptive on the plane threatening of blowing up the plane with a bomb in his possession. Despite all these he still lives in Ireland.
With all the attempts to be deported from Ireland, Ali tries all means to prevent it from happening- He threatens to blow up the plane twice; he attempts to escape from Slattery and Tarrant in
France and Spain. As a last resort he decides to drown himself in sea provided it is a way to escape from being deported. This brings out his determined nature. Ali Observes keenly enough to note that
Slattery has good French. Ali also notes that Slattery has no wedding band despite him being in mid-thirties and handsome.
Ali loses hope with life in his country, he is disillusioned, and this is what makes him to opt and go to Ireland and seek a better life. Because of poverty, his family is cramped together in the apartment'
Ali imagines of life in prison, lack of food, clothing and having to pay bribes. This shame and fear causes him to jump into the sea.
Ali manages to stay in Ireland as an illegal migrant due to his deceitful nature, and he determinedly avoids being deported

Musyoxx answered the question on February 28, 2018 at 15:56


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