The Cynical Djinn In The Weight Of Our Sky, By Hanna Alkaf

The Cynical Djinn Throughout literature, there are countless tales of the temptress, a figure of allure and deception who lures characters into making choices. Typically a captivating enchantress, they use their charm to enchant and deceive unsuspecting characters. This archetype of the temptress, who lures and manipulates, is uniquely portrayed in The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf. The Djinn, a frightful demon portraying mental illness, represents its role in the novel through its manipulative psychological control over the protagonist, Melati, showcasing the cunning and mysterious nature of the temptress archetype within the narrative. The Djinn in The Weight of Our Sky serves as a chilling example of the temptress archetype, manipulating Melati and worsening her

In The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf, Djinn is a temptress because of its manipulative trait. In one situation, the Djinn in Melati’s head shows visions of her mother dying in various ways if she doesn't perform compulsive actions like tapping the table a set number of times or lining everything up perfectly. The Djinn whispers, “Think of how much better you'll feel when you finally get it” (Alkaf 3). This pressures Melati to perform these tasks under the threat of visions of her mother dying. This creates constant tension in Melati’s internal struggle, driving much of the plot conflict. In another setting, when Melati wants to come clean to her mother about how she sees visions of her mother dying, the Djinn starts to question and pressure her into not telling her. From the book, the Djinn states, “She’ll think you're crazy; she’ll toss you into a mental asylum and leave you there to rot” (Alkaf 13–14). This is the Djinn pressuring her, showing her vulnerability and the potential consequences of telling her mother. It uses that to manipulate Melati into hesitation, instilling the