The Point of No Return

When does a boy become a man? And when does a parent's rein over their children end? Throughout Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk, we get a since of Ahmad playing the fatherly role and raising his family. From my teachings as a Christian, which I'm pretty sure is the case in all religions, a father is to, as a spiritual leader, bring his children up in the way in which they should go. The bible talks about children reaching a certain age when they are to make their own decisions and lead their own lives. But what is that age in Islam or if not what is the age, when does a person reach a level of maturity that allows them to handle themselves and their actions?
Taking a look at this novel, Ahmad is seen as a strict and demanding father that does his best to raise his children in the way that they should go. But after raising his children, are they then allowed to think for themselves or are they prisoners to their father's desires? After choosing to indulge in demonstrations and is exposed as a Freedom Fighter, the author paints a picture of Fahmy's maturity, stating:

He started to bite his lips to suppress his tears. He felt ashamed at being so weak. When he was finally able to speak, he launched into a rambling plea, because he was deeply moved and wished to conceal his embarrassment: “Forgive me, Papa. I’ll obey every command of yours more than willingly, but I can’t do this. I can’t…I can’t accept shrinking back and abandoning my brothers, and I don’t think you would like me to. There’s no way life would be bearable if I did…What is my life worth?...What is the life of any man worth? Don’t be angry, Papa. Think about what I’m saying….I assure you that there’s no danger in our little, nonviolent job(426).
Does Ahmad want his sons to be men or does he want them to, like a subservient woman, follow his every wish and command without flaw. When looking at this passage, we see Fahmy, as seen in Marcell Johnson's Out With the Old, struggle for independence, though in this instance, he fights within himself and with his father rather than for his people. In this passage the word can't strikes me as extreme. When people claims that they can't, it implies that they are physically incapable of executing a task, and as a man, it seems that Fahmy is incapable of terminating his activity in demonstrations. Ahmad's intention was to raise his sons to be their own men and think for themselves, but how is that possible when he constantly shoves his views down their throats.
After reading an article called Islam 101 about the relationship between children and their parents, it is apparent that a father's duty to his sons is protection, feed, and care for until adulthood. As an adult, I believe that Fahmy should have the final say in the things in which he is associated and active in. Or should he? After reading What Makes a Man, a response written by Tianna Bruno, an authoritative reader and researcher of this novel, it has come apparent that what really makes a man a man is his career or job, and seeing that Fahmy isn't raking in big buck, he is no man.

Work Cited
Ishiguro , Kazuo. An Artist of the Floating World. New York: Vintage International, 1989.
http://www.islam101.com/sociology/parchild.htm