History Literature / TheGolemAndTheJinni

* SealedBadassInACan: Both of the titles characters are arguably this, tho Chava only was for a couple of weeks (in a mere wooden crate), while Ahmed hews more closely to the trope, as he was imprisoned for 1,000 years (in a literal metal vessel as well).

* OurMonstersAreDifferent/OurGeniesAreDifferent: Chava the golem isn't an automaton, but a conscious being with her own mores & personality. Ahmed the jinni is, contrary to many contemporary depictions, a being of fire, and not air, and is unable to grant wishes even after being released from his imprisonment.

* OurMonstersAreDifferent: Chava the golem isn't an automaton, but a conscious being with her own mores & personality. Ahmed the jinni is, contrary to many contemporary depictions, a being of fire, and not air, and is unable to grant wishes even after being released from his imprisonment.

* KabbalicGolem: Chava, obviously. And part of the reason Rabbi Meyer understands her so well is that, as a child, he once created a much-less-complex mini-golem under the supervision of a (slightly eccentric) tutor.

* {{Golem}}: Chava, obviously. And part of the reason Rabbi Meyer understands her so well is that, as a child, he once created a much-less-complex mini-golem under the supervision of a (slightly eccentric) tutor.

* ImmortalitySeeker: Schaalman's goal is to find the secret to eternal life. [[spoiler: Ironically he already has it because his existence has been bound to Ahmad's ever since he sealed him in the bottle. Every time he dies he reincarnates, and this cycle will continue as long as Ahmad lives.]]

* GodIsGood: The book is ''very'' subtle about it, but there is a heavy implication that there is a higher power watching over us whilst not portraying the books' Atheist characters as being bad people because of their lack of faith.

* AllMythsAndLegendsAreTrue: When we see Schaalman's [[spoiler: past lives]] we see that [[spoiler: in every reincarnation, he became the equivalent of a priest of the dominant religion of the land he was born in, discovered the mystic arts associated with it, found that they were real, and wound up dead because of his lust for power.]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/golem_and_the_djinni.png]]

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* TrueSight: Chava and Ahmad can see through each other's human disguises to the elemental beings underneath.

* EthicalSlut: Jinns are this by nature, male or female. This attitude is basically an extension of their flame-like bodies, which makes them passionate and somewhat fickle.
** Despite this, Ahmad recoils at the idea of buying a prostitute for the evening, since he considers sex with only physical pleasure to be rather pointless.

* SuperStrength: Both Chava and Ahmad -- so that when Chava loses control, Ahmad is the only one physically able to stop her.

* Golem: Chava, obviously. And part of the reason Rabbi Meyer understands her so well is that, as a child, he once created a much-less-complex mini-golem under the supervision of a (slightly eccentric) tutor.

* TheEmpath: Chava.

* SlutShaming: Affects most of the female characters. Anna has to hide her premarital pregnancy. Sophia has to hide her fling with the jinni, and [[spoiler:her engagement is eventually broken because of the rumors]]. Chava marries a human who doesn't know what she is, and when they engage in "marital duties", it's all good for him...but the one time it starts stimulating her in a pleasurable way and she moves to pursue that, he thinks it's "immodest" and unbecoming of a wife. Because [[TheEmpath she can sense his desires]], she shuts the feeling down.

* {{Asexuality}}: It can be argued that Chava has this, although this is purely because Schaalman created her to be like "a gentleman's wife". She has a moment of sexual excitement [[spoiler: while in bed with Michael]], but her attempts to encourage that feeling die quickly after [[spoiler:she hears Michael feeling shocked at how "immodest" she is being]].

* SecretKeeper: Arbeely is this for Ahmad, Rabbi Meyer for Chava.

In 1899, the Golem wakes up in the cargo of a ship bound for NewYorkCity. Despite being inhumanly strong and made of clay, her newborn status makes her fearful and confused about the humans surrounding her. She is taken in and named Chava by a kindly old rabbi, who warns her to never let others around her learn of her true nature, lest they destroy her.

* EthicalSlut: Jinniyeh are this by nature, male or female. This attitude is basically an extension of their flame-like bodies, which makes them passionate and somewhat fickle.

** Despite this, Ahmad recoils at the idea of buying a prostitute for the evening, since he considers purely sex with only physical pleasure to be rather pointless.

!!Tropes in this novel include:

In 1899, the Golem wakes up in the cargo of a ship bound for New York City. Despite being inhumanly strong and made of clay, her newborn status makes her fearful and confused about the humans surrounding her. She is taken in and named Chava by a kindly old rabbi, who warns her to never let others around her learn of her true nature, lest they destroy her.

After months of living amongst the humans, the two meet late at night, instantly recognizing each other as different from the others around them. A friendship is struck, and slowly the threads of their lives and the peoples' around them become more and more intertwined.

'The Golem and the Jinni'(2013) is a HistoricalFantasy novel written by Helene Wecker.

'''Chava:''' True. But I look at it, and I feel a certain way. Maybe that’s its purpose.\\

'''Ahmad:''' “Yes, but it doesn’t grant wishes. It doesn’t do anything.”
'''Chava:''' “True. But I look at it, and I feel a certain way. Maybe that’s its purpose.

->''"So, it’s just stories now. And perhaps the humans did create their God. But does that make him less real? Take this arch. They created it. Now it exists.”
Ahmad: “Yes, but it doesn’t grant wishes. It doesn’t do anything.”
Chava: “True. But I look at it, and I feel a certain way. Maybe that’s its purpose."''