"Beliefs vs. Feelings"

In the story "A Handful of Dates," Salih relates through the eyes of a young boy his experiences in a critical moment that marks his passage from childhood to adulthood. In this moment he lived a dilemma between his beliefs and feelings. He disapproves the behavior of his grandfather toward his neighbors and he feels esteem for man named Masood. This is the moment in which the author's life is changed suddenly. The mosque, the …

…a great wisdom in his words and he felt sick to see a religious man like his grandfather as an evil person. In conclusion, the grandparent's business practices create a conflict with the boy's beliefs from the Koran and the way to think in the real world. Life gives us own experiences. In the real world, the life of anybody has to be directed for his or her own feelings and not for religion's teachings.