There are no limits

In my Mexican culture, spouses are obligated to bestow respect to their other half. I have seen this in my grandparents, parents, and sister. It is for this same reason that it’s hard for me to understand the way marriage is portrayed in the novel Palace Walk. Egyptian Muslims portray marriage as a symbol of power, the ability to support a family financially. Once married, women are kept trapped in the walls of their houses without permit to leave the house unsupervised by their husband. Women must also be submissive to their husband to the point they would almost worship them as their God.

Amina is an exemplary example of a married Muslim woman. She is submissive to her husband to the point where she believes the fear he kindles in her is nothing but love. There is no other place she wishes to be at, but by her husband’s side, Mr. Ahmad. His companionship gives her strength to make of her life a better one. For a fact, he is the reason why she no longer needs an alarm to awake her at the middle of the night to wait for her dearest husband arriving from late night partying. Amina does not care if she has no input in any of the decisions her husband makes. She is not bothered if Ahmad arrives home past midnight, half drunk, and with an attitude that proves he enjoys spending time with his friends more than spending time with her. Above all this, Amina shows her husband that he is a successful man by making her opinion whatever he wishes it to be.

In one occasion, while Ahmad was drinking coffee, Amina informed him that one of Fahmy’s friends had asked for a request to become engaged to Aisha (154). Furious Ahmad awoke and made his disapproval clear. He was not going to tolerate his younger daughter marrying before his older daughter. Ahmad then asked Amina for her opinion. She responded saying that her opinion was the same as his and that she had no opinion of her own (156). This proves that Amina is not brave to share her own opinion with her husband. Her opinion was the opposite of Ahmad’s. She would gladly accept the proposal the officer had made to marry her younger daughter Aisha. Even though she knows she has an opinion of her own, she refuses to let Ahmad be aware of it. She knows her husband well, and knows that it’s best to do anything that will keep him satisfied.

Another occasion that proves the blind love Amina has towards her husband is when she fails to lie about the incident she suffered. Every member of the house was ready to make up the incident their mother had rather than confessing the truth to their father. They were going to hide the fact that while he was gone, Amina had disobeyed him by leaving the house to visit her master al- Husayn. All the children, the servant, and Amina planned to tell Ahmad that she had fallen down the stairs. This would keep Amina out of trouble and would bring her husband’s pity towards her. Amina was convinced to be able to lie to her husband and keep her secret well hidden, but once she faced her husband, her enthusiasm to lie vanished. Amina pleaded for strength to keep her secret, but was defeated by her husband’s amazement and increased tone of voice. She had no other option but to confess. Once she confessed that she was “struck by an automobile” (183), Amina “could no longer bear to hesitate. She resolved to give a complete confession, no matter what the consequences. She was like a person who risks his life in a dangerous surgical operation to get relief from a painful disease he can no longer endure” (183). This is how far her devotion to her husband goes.

I’m not stating that lying to a husband is something positive. I know is not, but a wife should not be afraid to tell the truth to their own husband. This case is very complicated for me to understand since it’s another culture. I believe Amina, and other Muslims, have no trouble admitting that it is okay for a woman to fear their beloved and honorable husbands. Their beliefs allow them to force themselves to be submissive to an extreme degree.

Work cited: Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990