Childhood...

Why is Kamal so different from all the men in this society? Does the fact that he is ten years old make a difference. Kamal is looking for attention constantly from his brothers, especially his mother. He is the only one who seems to have a deeper respect for women. Women in this society are either used as maids such as in the case of Amina and her husband Amad or as sexual objects from which men gain pleasure. If they are house wifes as Amina,  they can't leave the house for any reason unless accompanied by their husbands, they learn about the outside world only from what by mouth of their husband, and are basically ignorant of everything except for the teachings of the Koran and what they need at home. Kamal seems to be very different from all his male brothers, he enjoys the company of his mother and two older sisters. Mahfouz describes Kamal's reason for wanting to teach his mother about what he learned at school, " The truth was that he loved the women's company with all his heart and did not want to be separated from them even when working. Seeing them gave him a pleasure nothing else could equal. He loved his mother more than anything in the world (Mahfouz 65)." Kamal spent his time trying to teach his mother  many things he found interesting and in doing that I feel that he is being inclusive with his mother. Kamal seems to think that maybe his mother shouldn't be any different from him or even men. Men are the one's who get educated in this society and Kamal makes a difference. I attribute this difference to his age and experience because he can't have so much respect and admiration for a man like his father who treats him as if he doesn't deserve respect. Mahfouz placed this paragraph to show us probably how men in this society grow out of their admiration and respect for women. Is Kamal going to change later in the story? 

P. 65, top paragraph 

The life of a muslim women.

The passage I chose to talk about I think really explain how in the Islamic culture women and their "position" in the household. ( No offense to women.)

I chose the passage on pg. 12 and the last paragraph on the page. This paragraph really describes with the rest of chapter 2 how in the Islamic culture women wait on the man to come back home and then service to there needs. Due to this many women tend to not know much about the outside world because they can't go outside or be seen by anyone besides their husband. In Palace Walk Amina loves her husband dearly, and that she waits for her husband all night and that her husband is very special to her. I think Mahfouz is puts this passage in the book just to emphasize how much the women in Islamic culture have a place to be a house wife and loyal to there husband.

Under Her Wing

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.

Page 52: Paragraph 2

I've been down this road before.

Many families have dinner together, take road trips, attend family parties together and have a great time. Now in the modern time families can get along very well without any worries of being given an ugly look for simply speaking to one another. On the first page of chapter nine the family gathers for their coffee time. When this family time is presented something else is also mentioned that in a sense takes away from the whole family bonding feeling. When we hear the word family many of us think the entire family: mom, dad, brothers, and sisters. In the chapter the first three words are, "Except for the father,..."(52). The family is gathered but not the father. These three words somehow made the feeling of the paragraph a bit more relaxed. Judging from the way the family is when the father around this is like a mini-vacation before it is time to return to work. The tension of the house seemed to be shut out for them just for that simple moment. I have been down this road before and know exactly how this feels. When my dad is around I have come to notice I watch my every move. My father is very strict and it only takes one word from him to make my entire day go downhill. It is a terrible feeling when I come home everyday and the first things you hear are complaints. I would much rather be asked about my day. Without my mother around the house is full of tension all the time. My father basically picks us up, takes us home and locks himself in his room. In a way that may seem like freedom, but the truth is its scary. My sisters and I have to make sure we are at perfect noise level and not disturb my father. If he calls for us we have to make sure we hurry to his room before he yells a second time, because then you are in trouble. As a daughter I love my father but I have to admit the tension is always there. When my sisters and I are with my mom we still watch our actions but the atmosphere is much more relaxed. The family time here is a way of viewing a broken family within the same home on a daily basis, which I have also experienced. Just reading this one paragraph can really sum up the atmosphere the families live in at the time and it is clear that it is not an easy one. The beginning of this chapter is important and its placement just shows that this can be mentioned anywhere in the story. This could have been brought up in another chapter for another day, but the fact that it is in the story somewhere near the beginning but also not at the very end gives the reader a break from all the names and tasks being done and gives the reader a taste of the loving nature of a mother. Amina's love and kindness is emphasized in this chapter to represent that her role in the family is just as important as Ahmad's , "They would cluster under the mother's wing with love and all-embracing affection" (52).

Looking Into Yasin

Chapter twelve in Palace Walk begins with Yasin leaving home, heading out into the real world. It is here that Naguib Mahfouz first goes into Yasin’s mind. Interestingly, the first paragraph opens with the sentences “When Yasin left the house he naturally knew where he was going, since he went there every evening. He appeared, however, to have no idea where he was heading. He was always like this when walking in the street" (70). It is in this manner that journeys often begin, with a character taking his first steps towards a goal but seeming to be hesitant. These few sentences also help to show how Yasin's life has become an unchaging rutine. Yet in this rutine, Yasin is constatnty searching for something new, more specifically a woman.

Mahfouz uses the first two pages of chapter twelve to give an insight into Yasin's mind. It is here, where Yasin is first introduced that the author chooses to give importance to him. It wouldn't make sense to include so much writing if Yasin wasn't going to be a developed character. It is here that we learn of Yasin's sex drive and how he fears his father. This further enforces the difference of the father in his house and at work, and it also allows for an easy transition into Ahmad's night adventures by creating a parallel between father and son. The fact that Yasin is the eldest son also fits well in this situation because it is usually the elder that resembles the father.

A Refreshing Drink of Chlidhood

On a little page called forty-seven, in a little book called Palace Walk, there's a little chapter about a little boy who's eating a little pastry. It seems totally random (although in my opinion, the whole book is pretty good at meandering) but there is a purpose to it. Kamal, the aforementioned little boy, is the youngest person we meet in the book. He's not yet 10. He is also the only one who seems to have a childhood to speak of. He likes to joke, move and play. His father likes to kick his butt for doing these things. He wants to own a candy shop just to eat candy. He likes school! What a novel idea! He likes the fact that his achievements in school bring him praise from his family, but it overshadows his mind when his dad doesn't give him one one hundredth of the praise his brother gives him. However, this doesn't even change his mind about his father, and he loves him the same. The childhood of Kamal is great thing to immerse yourself in while reading Palace Walk. It might be your only chance!

The Coffee Hour

I'm sure that most people associate "Coffee Hour" in the beginning of the day. It's usually taken to start off the day with energy. What I found to be very intriguing is how Mahfouz depicts the family's coffee tradition in the beginning paragraph of Chapter 9 to take place right before sunset.

Looking at the storyline, it appears that the coffee hour scene takes place at the end of the first day of the novel. From the first sentence, there is already a clear point that Mahfouz wants to convey. The passage starts off with, "Except for the father...."(Mahfouz 52) It might sound obvious, but Mahfouz didn't include that there for no reason. He wants to emphasize how important the father's absence will be throughout this chapter. Up until this point in the book, this is the first time that the reader gets to see the family congregating.

The setting describes Amina sitting in the center of the room with the children facing opposite her. This portrays a powerful mother who takes the position of head of the house. Surprisingly, Amina shows loyalty to the tradition imposed by Ahmad, only allowing Yasin and Fahmy to drink coffee with her and making Ahmads influence visible even though he isn't in the household. Aside from that, there is still a sense of bonding in the family since the passage does show that the rest of the children thought the conversation itself was enough to be "contented"(52).

Mahfouz sticks this paragraph in the novel to demostrate a sense of the lifestyle right before sunset. As we all know, Ahmad day really starts when he gets to party with his friends. Mahfouz uses the text to show that for Ahmads family, the day really starts when their father is absent.