Gate 4-A By Naomi Shihab Nye Analysis

In the personal narrative poem “Gate 4-A,” written by Naomi Shihab Nye, the narrator goes to the aid of an elderly Palestinian woman in the Albuquerque Airport, who is in worriment and distress. The Palestinian woman doesn’t understand English and becomes hysterical when she thinks that her flight for an important medical treatment was cancelled altogether.

The theme of “Gate 4-A” is that compassion and kindness are contagious; they spread while making the world a happier place, little by little.One set of events that show an example of this theme, starts off with Naomi showing kindness and compassion. Until Naomi showed compassion and kindness toward the senior Palestinian woman, it seems as if no one has been even just considerate

That kindness and compassion, no matter how big or small, immediately comforts the woman and stops her continuous sobbing. Next, Naomi shows further compassion and kindness by calling the Palestinian woman’s son and shows kindness even to him, by comforting his worries about his mother by telling him she’ll stay with her. After that, the narrator calls the elderly woman’s other sons, Naomi’s own father, and even some Palestinian poets to chat with the senior Palestinian woman in Arabic. The father and the Palestinian poets also must have showed kindness because by this time, the old woman is laughing, patting Naomi’s knee, and amicably chatting. This is an example of how compassion and kindness are contagious. Kindness and compassion from Naomi has spread to Naomi’s father and even the poets. As a consequence, Naomi, Naomi’s father, the Palestinian woman’s sons, the Palestinian poets, and the once wailing, elderly Palestinian woman, are all content and happy. The kindness from Naomi spreads from herself, to everyone the elderly Palestinian woman talked to, and transfuses to the old Palestinian woman herself. This is the start of another example.The kindness and compassion has