The family's life and behavior always revolves around the father’s presence. But when he is gone they feel a huge relief and feel like they can act like themselves. “They would cluster under their mother’s wing with love and all-embracing affection” (52). I really like how Mahfouz compares the mother’s comfort to a wing. It really reminded me of pelicans. Pelicans are birds that will bite chunks of flesh off of their chest in order to feed their babies and if there isn’t any food. In the Catholic Church pelicans are also compared to Jesus Christ because He gave His body and life to his children. The mother of the family gives so much to her children to protect, feed, and make them feel comfort just like a pelican would. Under her wing they feel safe and protected from anything, even if it’s their father.
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Nice work with a small detail. What are the implications of this observation for the rest of the novel (or at least what you have read)?
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