In this story by Jane Bowles an American woman living alone in a Moroccan hotel is befriended by a Moslem woman who appears to know a lot about her movements. On the pretext of taking her to a wedding, the Moslem woman leads her to a dimly lit room where a group of other Moslem women ask probing questions about her life and presence in the city. Uncomfortable about the personal nature of the questions, she rudely refuses their offer of refreshments and abruptly leaves. Themes include women’s independence, identity, isolation and loneliness, cultural division.
The interview in the dimly lit room was clearly a set-up (perhaps by friends and family of the Betsouls) to get to know Jeanie. Although their questions may have seemed intrusive by Western standards, they may well have been considered polite conversation in Moroccan culture. When Jeanie reaches the wall where she first met Zodelia, she recalls how once she had reached out to touch the face of a clown because it had awakened some longing. Alone in the city, she is an outsider caught in the void between two very different cultures. Could the “longing” be for greater connection with the local community? If so, she may have just destroyed her chances!