Aeb is an Arab word that loosely translates to “shame.” The concept of aeb revolves around the idea that one’s actions always reflect back on those closest to them, meaning that acting shamefully brings shame upon a person’s entire family and community.
Aeb Quotes in What the Eyes Don’t See
The What the Eyes Don’t See quotes below are all either spoken by Aeb or refer to Aeb. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 18
Quotes
Down deep, something else was eating away at me. Aeb. It was difficult to describe without using the imprecise word shame. It was not just an Iraqi thing; it was an Arabic thing. It was the idea that you were never acting independently of your family or larger community. You always had a connection to a larger group, and there were always repercussions. If you behaved badly, or strayed even a little bit from the accepted norm, you would bring shame not only upon yourself but on your people. There was nothing worse.
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Aeb Term Timeline in What the Eyes Don’t See
The timeline below shows where the term Aeb appears in What the Eyes Don’t See. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 15: Poisoned by Policy
...Bebe. But as Mark’s words sunk in, Mona began feeling worried—she didn’t want to bring aeb (Arabic for “shame”) onto her family. But even as Mona’s anxiety mounted over the course...
(full context)
Chapter 18: Aeb
...was excited and nervous, but there was also a deeper worry “eating away at” her. Aeb, an Arabic term that loosely translates to the imprecise word “shame,” denotes the idea that...
(full context)
