Confusing Compliments

In the Muslim culture, a man has to provide for his wife, and the woman in return has to satisfy her husband's desires, all of them which do not harm her, or others. Their customs are to hide a woman's body with clothing most of the time only exposing her eyes for her to be able to see where she is going. This is done to prevent lustful thoughts in men, and it also eliminates the probability of choosing a mate based on physical attraction. To the Muslims, this lowers the chance of a divorce because marriages are nos based on the outside, but the inside (Islam the Eternal Path to Peace). But there is something in the XY chromosomes that makes men go crazy when a foxy lady walks by them. Yasin has too much of this, and has no idea of how to handle it.
About half way through the novel, Mahfouz shows us a little of Yasin's overexcited hormones. This is what was going through his head,
'Isn't it time yet, bitch? I've melted away, Muslims. I've dissolved like a bar of soap. Nothing's left but the suds. She knows this and doesn't care to open the window. Go ahead, play the coquette, you bitch. Didn't we agree on a date? But you're right to hold back ... one of your breasts could destroy Malta. The second would drive Hindenburg out of his mind. You've got a treasure. May our Lord be gracious to me. May our Lord be gracious to me and to every poor rogue like me who can't sleep for thinking about swelling breasts, plump buttocks, and eyes enhanced by kohl. Eyes come last, because many a blind woman with a fleshy rump and full breasts is a thousand times better than a skinny, flat-chested woman with eyes decorated with kohl. You're the performer's daughter and a neighbor of al-Tarbi'a Alley. The performer has taught you to flirt, and the alley has supplied you with its secret beauty potions. If your breasts have grown full and round, it's because so many lovers have fondled them. We agreed on this date. I'm not dreaming, open the window. Open up, bitch. Open up. You're the most beautiful creature ever to arouse my passion. Holding your lip between mine ... sucking on your nipple.... I'll wait until dawn. You'll find me very docile. If you want me to be the rear end of a donkey cart that you rock back and forth on, I'll do it. If you want me to be the ass pulling the cart, I'll do that. What a mishap, Yasin! Your life is destroyed, you son of Ahmad Abd al-Jawad. How the Australians gloat at your fate. Woe to me, expelled from the Ezbekiya entertainment district, a prisoner in al-Gamaliya. It's all the fault of the war. Kaiser Wilhelm launched it in Europe and I have become its victim here in al-Nahhasin. Open the window, delight of your mother. Open up, my delight...' (Mahfouz, 242)
Not much of a pick-up line, but it sure gives him a lot to talk about. When the reader takes a look at this passage the first thought that comes to mind is, “Is a woman supposed to reply positively to this?” If this isn't their first thought, it must be something along the lines of, “This is kinky.” Yasin gives Zubayda back to back backhanded compliments. He compliments the size of her breasts, but attributes it to the many men who have fondled with them. He also calls her a bitch right before calling her the most beautiful creature he has seen. Clearly, lust is a part of Yasin's life, and his religion doesn't seem to be very important to him. In the reader's eyes, Yasin might appear to be a good example of a bad Muslim.
Yasin's lustful comments to Zubayda wouldn't only confuse her during the attempt to decipher their vulgarity if she had heard them, but they also confuse the reader about his faith and his effectiveness. Yasin's XY chromosomes are way out of tune, and in order to get to any woman's heart, he is going to have to tone it down, and be aware of what he is saying.




"Marriage in Islam." Jannah.Org :: Islam the Eternal Path to Peace. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. .

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

Importance of Music

“During one of Sabir’s intermissions, the voice of the female vocalist happened to carry through the widows overlooking the courtyard so the men could hear her. She was singing “My lover’s departed.” Fahmy set about listening eagerly and with enormous interest. He concentrated all of his attention on absorbing the music, not because he particularly liked Jalila’s voice, but because he thought Maryam would be listening to her at that moment. The lyrics would be speaking to both of them at the same time. Jalila united the two of them in a single experience of listening and possibly feeling. She had created an occasion for their spirits to meet. All of these considerations made him revere her voice and love her song. He wished to share this one sensation with Maryam. He tried for a long time to get through to her soul by retreating deep into himself. He sought to contact the vibrations of her reactions by following his own. Notwithstanding the distance and the thick walls separating them, he wished to live for a few minutes inside her essence. To accomplish this, he attempted to determine from the lyrics the effect they would have on his beloved’s soul. What would her response be to “My lover’s departed” or It’s a long time since he sent me a letter” ? Had she been lost in a sea of memories? Had not at one of those slipped away to reveal his face? Had not her heart felt a stabbing pain or a piercing of grief? Or was she just in such a daze throughout that she saw nothing in the song but enjoyable music” (260-261).

Her voice serves as a connection between the two distant lovers. Music creates an intimacy. There’s a healthy moral intimacy and then there’s a sinful intimacy shown it the book. This paragraph is an example of the good kind of intimacy because it’s a spiritual intangible connection. We see this through the description of how connected Fahmy feels to Maryam. Then there’s the intimacy between family members shown through how Yasin feels music connects the family. He thinks to himself, “Everyone sings. It’s a family with deep roots in music” (251). However in this case the music is played in a sinful atmosphere of adultery and fornication contrasting to the music played at the respectable wedding. The music played in Zanuba’s house arouses the sinful kind of intimacy. This contrast reflects the debate about the acceptance of music in Islam. Some Muslim scholars believe music should be banned because of its association with sensuality, dancing and drinking (Kutty). Music overall is a very controversial and heavily debated topic by Muslim scholars for many years. In general Islam does not either absolutely accepts music or remains indifferent (Sabir).
Some Muslims believe music should be prohibited in Islam. Music was never completely banned in Islam. Here’s an example of an argument against Music in Islam: “In modern schools and universities, we observe independence, free expression and secular thinking being encouraged. This idea of freedom…is a predominant, underlying theme of today`s music. It is being used as a means for drilling those modern ideologies that are totally contrary to Islamic Shariah and values, into the minds of Muslims” (Music and Islam). This opinion is interesting in the way it connects music with freedom. It suggests that freedom especially in relation to secularism and modernism is something bad. There seems to be a struggle between the traditional Islamic beliefs and “modern ideologies”. almost all the members of the family had gone against Islamic rules to steel a small bit of freedom their religion doesn’t allow.
Musicians have a lot more freedom and play than any other character in the book. Jalila, for example, as a musician has sexual and social freedom but at what cost? She avoids her arranged marriage. She has the freedom to chose her lover. She is free to walk over to the men’s side in the wedding. Even though she is a known adulteress and fornicator, no one has scorn her yet for her choice of lifestyle and it is amazing in the fact that she gets to chose that lifestyle all because she is a musician.




Work Cited

Sabri, Mustafa. "A Topic of Dispute in Islam: Music." Wake Up! 1995. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. http://www.wakeup.org/anadolu/05/4/mustafa_sabri_en.html.

"Music and Islam." Inter-Islam: Relaying the same message brought by the Prophets, Prophets Adam - Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Them All). 1998. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. http://www.inter-islam.org/Prohibitions/Mansy_music.htm.

Kutty, Sheikh A. "What Does Islam Say on Music?" Islam Awareness Homepage. Aug. 2002. Web. 2010. http://www.islamawareness.net/Music/music_fatwa001.html.

Mother of Islam

" A mother knows her husband's outer as well as inner character." (212) [1]. Khadija, the wife of the great Prophet Muhammad, knew just this. She provided moral support for Muhammad, she supported Muhammad financially, she kept aiding Muhammad when he was having great difficulty spreading Islam. And now that same great wife, and surely mother of kids, is away. Amina is staying at her mother's home, because she disobeyed Ahmad, she went outside in which she got exposed, and gravest of all she left the house. But once the mother of a household leaves a place that lived, breathed, functioned, harmoniously functioned with her daily chores, cooked meals, and recitals of suras from the Qu'ran, love and care for the sons and daughters, than the preceding rising conflicts between the sisters, or the reavelment of Ahmad's affair doesn't all seem to come out of the blue
anymore.
"Of all of them, Khadija and Aisha appeared to be the most distressed by the absence of their mother. In addition to their sorrow, which was shared by their brothers, the two of them had to bear the burdens of looking after the house and serving their father." [2]
The best wives are those who are the most humble, honest, and above all loyal. Amina has all these qualities. Besides possessing the best wife qualities, she is a lovely and beloved mother. But despite Amina's incredible resume, she was still kicked out from the house. It will not be long before Ahmad will suffer the consequences of doing this. The mighty Prophet Muhammad could not of spread the word of Islam without his wife Khadija, so what chances does Ahmad have of living a prosperous and happy life without Amina?

1. "Status of Woman in Islam" www.ezsoftech.com/akram/woman.asp
2. Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990

Divorce

Throughout Palace Walk, we witness a lot of sexual tension, an urge for marriage, and divorce between both young adults and adults. Divorce is the one topic that really stands out. Ahmad has already divorce his first wife and then he throws Amina, his second wife, out the house for some time also. If a couple is not actually divorce, but separated for some time. What is she to the family?

When Yasin goes to his father, Ahmad, to tell him that his mother is going to re-marry, Ahmad is shock and angry towards the situation. He tells Yasin, “Didn't we vow to consider her a person who never existed”(107). From Ahmad point of view after divorce, an ex-wife is nothing. In fact, he act as if she never even existed. But, according to Yasin, she will always be his mother and be could no forget the fact she still exist. When Ahmad throws Amina out the house, her mom refers to her as a stranger. The narrator says the following paragraph below, when describing what Amina's mother thought about the temporary separation.

When the old lady found her silent or sensed that her daughter's thoughts were wandering, she would tell her, “Patience, Amina. I fell sorry for you. A mother away from her children is a stranger. She's a stranger even if she's staying in the house where she was born” (231).

Amina's mother says she feels sorry for her and that at long as she is away from home, she is consider a stranger. Amina is being referred to as a stranger, even though she is not officially divorce. But, according to her mother and mother who lives outside her husband house is consider a stranger no matter what. A stranger is somebody that you don't know exist. Some one you know nothing of, similar to what Ahmad thinks about his first wife. But, its her children that cannot let go of her. To them she will always exsit. Why is it that divorced mothers or mothers who live outside the house are considered bad? Is it an older generation view? To Ahmad and Amina's mother a wife out the house is nothing, but the children can't seem to let go of there mother, whether bad or good.

CNN reporter, Olivia Sterns, reports that when Egyptian women get divorce they are look at as being evil or something not right. She also reports that Egypt is a very male-dominate place. Being a male-dominate place, men always blame the women for all the problems. Which we see in Palace Walk. Men are in authority throughout the book; therefore, when divorce or separation is brought forth, people always wonder what the women did to cause their husband to kick them out. It is obvious throughout Palace Walk that men are in control and that they dominate the women. This causes a separation from men and women.

Another thing Olivia Sterns mentions is that divorce rate has gone up, because of women rights. In Palace Walk, women aren't allow to do multiple things. Women aren't allowed to go to school, have a job, or even rome around outside the house because it is frowned upon. With women rights, women have the right to education and employment. Therefore, women are less willing to accept an unhappy marriage. If Amina was allowed to education and employment, will she leave Ahmad?

I think that Amina would leave Ahmad is she had the right to education and employment. When Amina mother is talking to her, she say, “I feel sorry for you”(231). She said this because Amina was depressed and because Amina didn't have anything. She had nothing to hold her up. With a background educations and a job, she'll be able to support herself and keep busy. The narrator also says that even though she was raised at her mother's home, that house could not be consider her home. And with an employment she'll be able to get her own home and will be able to live without the help of Ahmad. She is not with Ahmad because she loves him, but because she has nowhere else to do or anybody to be with.

Sterns, Olivia. "'Let's Talk About Sex, Divorce' In Egypt." CNN World. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. .

Consumed by Lust

A lot of people, including myself, believe that it is natural that an individual has a desire for a companion and pleasure. From my knowledge of the bible and the story of creation, it was intended and wired into a beings makeup to desire a member of the opposite sex. But when does this desire become too much? When this desire becomes untamed or illicit, this desire becomes lust. In Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk, we see Ahmad Abd al-Jawad's eldest son, Yasin, battle with controlling his lust and desire. As a young man, Yasin grapples with respect for women as it relates to his lust for women.
In the Qur'an 33:51, it is stated, "You may have whomever you desire; there is no blame." Does this make it okay for Muslim men to sleep with whomever they please and think of women how ever they'd like? If you'd say yes, I'd beg to differ. God took women from the flesh of men and commanded that they be respected and honored in that respect. Repeatedly in the this novel, Yasin, not only in actuality, but within his head, is seen struggling with his lust for women and respecting them. At a point when Yasin finds his lust overwhelming, he says:

Isn't it time yet bitch?...Didn't we agree on a date? But you're right to hold back...one of your breasts could destroy Malta. The second would drive Hidenburg out of his mind. You've a great treasure...May our Lord be gracious to me and to every poor rogue like me who can't sleep for thinking about swelling breasts, plumps buttocks, and eyes enhanced by kohl...Open up, bitch. Open up. You're the most beatiful creature to arouse my passion. Holding your lips between mine...sucking on your nipples...I'll wait till dawn” (242).

Wikipedia.com defines lust as the “craving for sexual intimacy, sometimes to the point of assuming a self-indulgent character.” In Islam, including many other Abrahamic religions, lust is considered an abominable sin, and to engage in sexual acts that stem from lust before marriage is also a sin. (Wikipedia). When hearing this, pay attention to the words “before marriage”. The part that says before marriage implies that after marriage, it is perfectly okay to indulge in sexual activity that stem from lust. I believe that in the novel when Ahamd says that he is going to marry off Yasin, he has this notion in mind. It seems that sexual activity before marriage is a sin, but any sexual activity after a marriage has taken place is fine, whether it's with a wife or not. As a religious person myself, I think it's safe to say that lusting for someone is wrong.
The Prophet Muhammad and the founder of Islam once said, "The fornication of the eyes is to look with lust; the fornication of the tongue is to speak lustful things; the fornication of the hands is to touch with lust; the fornication of the feet is to walk towards lust; the fornication of the heart is to desire evil." Through looking at the quote above, which is the thought of Yasin, it is easy to see that Yasin, through his lust, has sinned. Yasin's sin is not only a sin of the eye and tongue, it is also a sin of the heart, meaning that within him is evil according to Muhammad.
The novel states, “He was blinded by lust. What kind of lust was it? A lust kindled by a woman simply because she was a woman, not because of any of her qualities or associations. It was a lust that loved beauty but would not turn away from ugliness. In these crises, everything was equivalent. He was like a dog that eagerly devours whatever scraps it finds" (277). If Sigmund Feud was still living and would have read this book he'd say something to the effect of lust is a natural part of the human Psyche and is hidden deep in the Id and that it is inevitable that it will manifest itself. Because the Id, unlike the ego and super-ego, is driven by a desire for pleasure caused by tension, it is expected that Yasin would exhibit some lustful feelings and sexual tension.
As readers, should we condemn Yasin for his thoughts and acts of lust or it only natural that he reacts to women the way he does? When does desire become lust and when does looking at a women and admiring her become the uncontrollable desire known as lust?
Work Cited

“Lust.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 Feb. 2010. 23 Feb. 2010
Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990

Syed Ahamed. English Translation of the Message of The Quran. Lombard, Illinois: Book of Signs Foundation, 2006.

All Daughters are Made Equal

On page 236-237, we become aware of Aisha's chance to get married. This comes as a surprise because earlier in the book, we read that their family wanted Khadijah to become married before Aisha does. Aisha's excited to finally be moving on but Khadijah isn't really excited to see her little sister, to whom she shows a bit of resentment, get married before she does. Mahfouz writes, "Khadijah did not enjoy affectionate words of comfort when defeated. She received Aisha's statement with unconcealed annoyance" (237). My question at this point is whether Khadijah should be happy for her sister instead of annoyed and jealous with her. I mean, earlier in the book, on page 144, everyone was excited for her when they thought she was potentially going to get married, but now that it's shifted to her sister, she refuses to be angry. This contrast in behavior made me think about why is it so expected for older sisters to get married first. According to this website, I know that the marrying age for females in this culture is 16 and for males it's 18, but both Aisha and Khadijah are over that age. (Egypt) So why is it so important that Khadijah be married first? According to the book, they see Khadijah not being engaged as being bad luck, which I also don't understand. I think they should be happy that she got proposed to in the first place, and not complain about the order it's done in.

Also, putting so much emphasis on seeing that Khadijah be married first, creates a strained relationship between Aisha and Khadijah. Khadijah now feels resentment towards her own sister, who doesn't deserve to be treated that way. It's not like Aisha in some way made it so that she could be married first, yet Khadijah treats her like it was somehow her fault (237). She also begins to lose faith in her family and how much did she mean to them. She starts to believe that her father no longer loves her the way he used to. She loses sight in the love that keeps their family together anyways (238).


1. Egypt. Emory, 1998. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .

2. Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy). New York: Anchor, 1990. Print.

Hard to Understand

Al-Sayyid Ahmad, like any other ordinary father, wants the best for his daughters. He wants them to be protected from evil and to have a prosperous life. To bring this about, Ahmad uses his power to stimulate fear in both of his daughters, Aisha and Khadija. This fear, which has become Ahmad’s best tool to compel his daughters to respect him, has made it extremely difficult to understand why Aisha and Khadija love their father blindly. To get a better understanding of this love, I had to take into consideration their culture.
Until this point of the novel, Ahmad has proven that he is not an affectionate father. He is strict and doesn’t tolerate any approach made by any of his children to disobey his orders. It is true; most of the rules and attention in the house are directed to the boys, but this doesn’t mean that both Aisha and Khadija are being left out. Both daughters are forced to remain inside their house isolated from the rest of the world. The rules that apply to them are simply to not let any stranger see them and to learn to do the duties of the house so when marriage comes around they are prepared. When their father is around, both daughters’ heart begins to beat faster from the fear that Ahmad provokes among them. They behave like a puppy behaves when he sees his cruel master approaching. The amount of fear these girls feel towards their father cannot be compared to the love they have for him. At the end of the day, no matter what cruelties their father commits, they will continue to praise, respect, and love him.
To understand this blinded love one must take into consideration Aisha and Khadija’s culture. They are female Muslims, which means that they believe men must protect them. If they are not protected, they are considered tarts. In their culture “the role of a father in his daughter’s life is pivotal: he is the first man is her life; the one who teaches her what he, a male, thinks of her, a female; and thus shapes her sense of self-worth in the eyes of other men” (1). Ahmad has confessed to us by telling his loyal friends:
“You ask me about fathering females? It’s an evil against which we are defenseless, but let us thank God. In any case, it’s a duty. This is not to say that I don’t love my daughters. In fact, I love them as much as I do Yasin, Fahmy, and Kamal, each equally. But how can my mind be at rest when I know that I will carry them to a stranger one day. However attractive he may seem on the outside, only God knows what’s inside him. What can a weak girl do when she’s faced by a strange man far from the supervision of her father? What will her fate be if her husband divorces her one day, after her father has died? She must take refuge in her brother’s house to endure a life of neglect. I’m not afraid for any of my sons, no matter what happens to them, he’s a man and is able to confront life. But a girl… my God preserve us”. (263)
Ahmad means no harm by being strict to his daughters; he just wants to prepare them for their future. He wishes marriage wasn’t an option and that he could keep protecting his daughters, but he knows that his wish will not happen therefore all he can do is teach them to be submissive.
After reading more about the relationship between father and daughters in a Muslim community, I was able to understand why Aisha and Khadija love their father. They are aware of his cruelty, but continue to admire him. After all, thanks to Ahmad they are well respected by the rest of their community. If Ahmad shows affection, his daughters will grow weaker and will suffer the consequences once they encounter marriage.


Work cited:
(1) Zainab. "Like Father, Like Daughter." Web log post. Because Muslis matter. WordPress & Mimbo Pro, 03 Mar. 2009. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. <http://muslimmatters.org/2009/03/03/like-father-like-daughter/>.
(2) Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. New York: Anchor, 1990
(3)Photographer: Old Shoe Woman

Marriage is Lost

The topic of marriage in the book Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz has been quite a controversy in our class discussions. I didn’t really look into it until chapter 33 where Amina finds herself kicked out of her own home after Ahmad puts her out because she disobeyed him and went to the shrine of her master al-Husayn when he was gone. Curiosity struck me and I decided to research the statistics of marriages in the 1930’s. One thing I see if that Ahmad has a very unfair marriage with Amina. Her companion for life does not treat her with the respect that she should get after raising three children and one-step child. Ahmad should treat her with all of the respect that a women of her caliber needs.
As I researched I came upon some information on the decline of marriages during the 1930s. It read, “Evidence of this crisis existed in the registers of the religious courts for that and the previous year. These registers demonstrated that the number of marriages was gradually declining” (Al-Ahram Weekly). This made me realize that almost all of the marriages in Egypt during the 1930s were arranged marriages. Amina, like most girls in Egypt was married at a young age without knowing how to love. After Amina gets put out of her house for going out without permission her husband puts her out and sends her to her mothers house. Amina’s mother says, “ But your husband? … An intelligent man going on fifty… can he find no other way to express his anger than by throwing out the companion of a lifetime and separating her from her children? (202). Exactly. Amina’s mother said it loud and clear the “companion of a lifetime” this is something you don’t just give up on. My reasoning is that marriage that are arranged tend to be treated more as a treaty not something you do because you are in love and you want to make a family. This is because Ahmad and every other male take marriage as being something that you do when you are an adult. They don’t take proper care of it, and just throw people out of their homes when things stop running smoothly. Its like both the men and the women care more about their children than their own marriage and relationship with their husband or wife. Amina tells her mother, “The only thing bothering me is that I’m anxious about my children, Mother” (203). Amina makes that comment as if Ahmad was slowly being erased from the family portrait and she had lost complete affection towards him. To me this shouldn’t be like this. Marriages are being broken apart due to the lack of love that the partners feel for each other. Marriage should be something sacred that we want to experience not something we have to do when we reach adulthood.

Work Cited:
1. "Al-Ahram Weekly | Chronicles | Wedding woes." Al-Ahram Weekly | Front Page. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. .

2. Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy). New York: Anchor, 1990. Print.

What Makes a Man

“'You're the oldest brother. In addition to that, you're an employee-- in other words, you're really a man. You're the best one suited for this mission.”... “I, for my part, am no longer a boy. I have become a man and an employee, as you pointed out.”... “Fahmy...you're our man!”(215)

As I read this passage in Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz, I though what is it that qualifies a male person in the Muslim culture to become a man. If Yasin and Fahmy are men, what qualifies them to be considered this? I thought maybe Khadija tells them that they are the men for the job because she just want to butter them up to it. But we see that she does not seriously call Kamal a man, and earlier in the novel, Yasin considers himself a boy when he asks his mother did all the deeds that he considered appalling. Thus, I questioned at what point will Kamal be considered a man in their culture and at what point did Yasin become a man from the naiive boy that he was. Is there a rite a passage in the Muslim culture?
After doing some research, I was given the answer that there is no ritual in the Muslim culture as a rite of passage. This means that there is not actual physical ceremony that a young man has to go through in order for him to officially be a man. But I did find out that in the Muslim culture there are different religious expectations of a boy than a man. As a child, boys are not required to pray and commit to all the five pillars. This is because it is felt that they really don't understand what they are saying. They would just be speaking words and doing actions that they were told to do.(Erfani) Children in the Islamic religion start getting taught to read at the age of five. As they grow into teenagers, they are expected to become a more devout Muslim.(Ahmad)
Although this seemed like it applied in the book, especially with Kamal having that class that taught him about the Quran, there seemed like there was much more in the book to being a man. There is an emphasis on being employed, as mentioned in the passage, and having finished your schooling. This sort of right of passage seemed more practical than religious because it seems that one has to be considered a responsible adult with their life planned out. If this is the case, then Fahmy may not be as much of a man as Yasin because he is not employed, but he is still going to school. But he is well on his way because he is finishing up in law school.
There is not that much of a difference in the transition from childhood to manhood in the book and in the culture that we are used to. You are a man when you are considered a responsible and respectable adult. But in the Muslim culture it is a little bit more because you are expected to be a dedicated Muslim, which is part of being respectable since the religion is such a big part in the culture.


References
1. Erfani, Ali. "Muslim rituals marking the transition from childhood to adulthood - by Ali Erfani - Helium." Helium - Where Knowledge Rules. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. .

2. Ahmad, Zainib. "Muslim rituals marking the transition from childhood to adulthood - by Zainib Ahmad - Helium." Helium - Where Knowledge Rules. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. .

Yasin's view towards women

Throughout the novel Palace Walk there are moments that show many contrasts among its characters’ beliefs and actions. One of these contradictions is the way the way Yasin reacts versus the way Fahmy reacts when they find out the truth about their father, Al-Sayyid Ahmad. In their eyes their father had always been a proper, honorable, and pious man. However, they then find out that he has been going to parties to sing and drink and has been having affairs with various women. Yasin and Fahmy react very differently when they learn this truth. Fahmy condemns his actions and Yasin praises him. We get a glimpse of what they about their father’s actions on the third and fourth paragraphs on page 271.

The first of these paragraphs show Fahmy’s thoughts. He says, “‘My father doesn’t differ at all from Yasin except in having sunk lower…. There must be something I don’t know… My father hasn’t done anything wrong…. He can’t do anything wrong'" (271). To Fahmy his father was a true hero, so much so that when he learned this he believed it was a lie. When he finally accepted it as the truth the image he had of his father was marred. He no longer regarded him with the same respect and admiration. He believed he was even worse than Yasin. When Fahmy learned this truth he was appalled and condemned his father’s actions.

In the second of these paragraphs we see the way Yasin thinks. He says, “’He sings. So what’s wrong about singing? He gets drunk, and believe me, drinking is even better than eating. He has affairs and so did the Muslim caliphs…. Our father isn’t doing anything sinful'" (271). Yasin always held his father in the highest esteem. However, when he learned about this truth he became even admirable to him. Yasin thought it was great that his father acted the way he did. He thought that there was nothing wrong in having many affairs and objectifying women.

This contrast of what Fahmy thought versus what Yasin thought about their father’s actions is just one example that shows the way Yasin feels about women. Other examples are the way he describes women and how he tried to rape Umm Hanafi. With this last incident we saw what a savage animal he is. His brutal sexual desires are well described here: “He was blinded by lust. What kind of lust was it? A lust kindled by a woman simply because she was a woman, not because of any of her qualities or associations. It was a lust that loved beauty but would not turn away from ugliness. In these crises, everything was equivalent. He was like a dog that eagerly devours whatever scraps it finds" (277). When I saw the way Yasin viewed women as objects I asked myself, why?

After searching for the answer I came to the conclusion that the reason for this could be that Yasin’s mother’s marriage-divorce cycles affected him deeply. In fact, according to the Clinical Psychology of North Central Florida many children will eventually adjust to their parents' divorce, but some could continue to have problems into adulthood. Also boys tend to react to their parents' divorce becoming more aggressive and disobedient. This is the case for Yasin.

After seeing how his mother acted, getting married and divorced incessantly, he began to give marriage little importance. It was no longer a sacred union; it turned be something more like a game in which you played with a toy until you got tired of it. He also began thinking that all women were like his mother. He thought that if you gave them a chance they would all act the way she did. In this way he progressively lost respect for women until he viewed them as objects. He used them, turning to them for entertainment and pleasure while they, along with alcohol, began to be the way he coped with his pain. Because of these things Yasin began being promiscuous and celebrated his father’s promiscuity.

Source Citation

"Effects of Divorce on Children - Clinical Psychology Associates N.C. Florida, P.A." Clinical Psychology Associates of North Central Florida Gainesville Ocala Florida. Web. 24 Feb. 2010.

Is he really different?

On page 259 in the book it talks about Fahmy and his desire to be with a girl named Maryam who is in his sister's wedding. The author explains to us his inner emotions and how he really wishes that he could be with Maryam, but he is supposedly not like his brother in the way that he sees and treats women. But here in this passage it kind of sounds to me that he is beginning to lust after something he can't have. Is he turning out to be like his brother a little in the way that he views women? On the previous page it shows how Fahmy sees her and that all his emotions are consumed with her and her presence and that he looks away at her because she is so beautiful. I t also talks about how he is in love with her smile and her whole being. I believe, by reading this, that Fahmy does have urges just like the ones that his older brother has, but he has a different way of expressing himself with them. Instead of trying to force himself on them he chooses to surpress his urge to be with them and he sees them as goddesses and something to be worshiped rather than lusted after. It talks about in the passage how he sees her but begins to laugh and talk to his friends even louder in order not to think about the emotion he was feeling for her down in his heart. It is like he is ashamed to let anyone know that he is lusting over her like it is a bad thing for him to think of women in that kind of way.

Two Mothers, One Feeling.

“All she heard was the movement of people rising and then the sound of kisses and a hum of farewells. Kamal protested against being forcibly removed and started crying. Now it was her turn to say goodbye to them in an atmosphere fraught with sorrow and foot-dragging. Finally the footsteps went off, leaving her alone and apprehensive.
Amina’s light steps returned. The old lady listened anxiously. Finally she cried out to her, ‘Are you crying? ... What a dunce you are! … Can’t you bear to pass a couple of nights with your mother?’” (311).

A child’s connection to their mother is, for the most part, the greatest connection they’ll ever have with someone. Obviously, having grown in a mother’s womb and having acquired their life thanks to their mother, a child is bound to feel a stronger connection to their mother. In the Islamic world, this is the same. In marriage, motherhood is expected to be the primary concern of a woman. Sure father’s take on the responsibility of guiding their child spiritually and educating them, but the mother is to care for her children at all times. Even as the child grows up, a mother must continue to nurture her child and set an example of obedience to God and to her husband (Uhlman). In Mahfouz’s book, we see a clear connection that Amina has with her children, especially when her children go out to find her while she is at her mother’s house. This also gives us a clear example of a connection that Amina and her own mother share.

When Amina escapes the rage of her husband, al-Sayyid Ahman, she runs to her mother’s home. Mahfouz describes the two women’s juxtaposition to appear as that of an illustration of an interplay of the “amazing laws of heredity and the inflexible law of time” (203). He says that it’s like looking at the two and seeing the same person except for one is in the present and the other in her future. Yet, their relationship seems like that of a parent and their child – free of judgment and full of advice. Amina’s mother listens, advises, questions, but isn’t quick to judge. She comforts Amina when she says that she misses her children and even allows her to stay with her for the time being. What does this say about the relationship of mother and daughter at this time? It says that the mother is there for their child. She’s there to nurture her child whenever needed. She’s there because she not only cares for her children, but it is her responsibility as a mother.

But, what about Amina? Amina runs away from her family leaving her children behind and although she shows concern on page 203 when she says, “’The only thing that is bothering me is that I’m anxious about my children, Mother,’” her role as a mother is questioned. How is it possible that she was willing to simply leave her children behind? The respect she has as a mother is lowered through this act. But, towards the end of the chapter, we see something that changes this all. When Amina’s children visit her and then decide they must go, Amina’s feelings of sadness are expressed. We learn that she is crying at the departure of her sons and the emotional departure of her son, Kamal. It was clearly hard for her, as a mother, to see her son in such agony when departing from her and the fact that Amina cared and expressed her feelings over the matter make Amina’s motherly roles seem strong. The connection she has with her sons seems so strong and real just as a relationship should be.

Amina and her mother both have motherly roles in this section, but towards the end we see something that makes a motherly role all the more evident. Amina’s reaction to the departure of her children affects her relationship with her mother. The fact that Amina feels sorrow for being away from her children rather than feeling joy for being with her mother clearly upsets her mother. But then the question remains, why should her mother be upset about feeling just as horrible as Amina? Does she not understand that Amina is going through something similar? Is she putting her happiness before her child’s?

Uhlman, Kristine. "Overview Of Shari’a and Prevalent Customs In Islamic Societies - Divorce and Child Custody." 2004. ExpertLaw.com. 21 February 2010 < http://www.expertlaw.com/library/family_law/islamic_custody-3.html#100 >.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21484776@N00/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Hiding Behind The Wall

Throughout the book, Mahfouz portrays Ahmad as a tyrant that unleashes his anger with his family every chance he gets and a sinner who cheats on his wife, drinks, and lives in hypocrisy. He loves women, but not necessarily the women of his house; he loves people, but we don’t get a sense of his love for his family. Ahmad seems to be an evil father who doesn’t love his children. But when Ms. Shawkat offers Ahmad a marriage proposal between her son and Aisha, we come to see the pain he feel for not being able to marry Khadija, the oldest daughter before marrying Aisha, the youngest. We finally can clearly see that he loves his daughters so much that it hurts him to no be able to make them both happy. We get a sense of his love when the author says:

He was distressed and dejected. He had a sensitive heart, more sensitive than most people have suspected. In fact, it was too sensitive. How could anyone believe that who had only seen him grinning, bellowing, or laughing sarcastically? ...Sorrow was going to scorch his flesh and blood in a way that could spoil his whole life, making it seem ugly to him. How happy it would make him to spare no expense to delight both his daughters…Each of them was vital to him. (229)
Through this quote for the first time in the entire book, the author shows clearly that despite being extremely strict with them, Ahmad does love his daughters. Here we see Ahmad in a way that we hadn’t seen him before; we see him as a loving father, as a human being. The exposure of this side of him, made me change my point of view regarding Ahmad.

This quotes discloses a different Ahmad. From all the other accounts in the book I could never imagine that he “had a sensitive heart…In fact, it was too sensitive” (229). As I read this I started to think about the way he was toward his family in a different way. Maybe because he was too sensitive, he acted so rough with them to protect himself from being hurt by them. The anger, strictness, and sternness with the family is simply a shield to prevent the family from seeing his sensitivity. I can see now and in a way excuse Ahmad for some of his behavior. After all, I feel that many people aren’t so different from him. Many of us at some point in our lives have acted rough or even evil with people to protect ourselves; we’ve built walls to stop others from seen who we really are. Men specially are often taught to behave this way. An article form the Boston Globe says that “men are often raised to hide emotions, except for anger,” which could be another explanation of Ahmad’s behavior. So why should we judge Ahmad as rough as we have in almost every one of our class discussions?

During one of our class discussions, we questioned if Ahmad loved his children. Many of us quickly responded that he didn’t. We used the way he treats Kamal as an example of why we thought he didn’t love his children. But don’t parent sometimes scream at their children when they are upset. Sometimes they say things they don’t mean. I’m not saying this is the exact case of Ahmad but that just because a parent acts rough with his children doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love them. As Aby mentioned when we had this discussion, parents impose discipline on their children because the love them and not because they want to hurt them. I didn’t see Ahmad behavior this way until the author tells us that “sorrow was going to scorch his flesh and blood in a way that could spoil his whole life, making it seem ugly to him. How happy it would make him to spare no expense to delight both his daughters…Each of them was vital to him” (229). Here we see that seeing his children hurting hurt him because he loves them. He didn’t allow Aisha to marry the officer because she loved her older daughter so much and didn’t want to disappoint her and not because he didn’t love Aisha. When Ms. Shawkat proposes the marriage, he accepts because he can’t say no to her and because he doesn’t want to stand on the way of her Aisha’s destiny. He’s happy to marry her because he knows she will be happy, but it pains him to know her other daughter will suffer. Only a father who truly loves his daughters will be torn the way Ahmad appears to be when he can’t make both of his daughters happy.

I think that it’s important to examine this quote and re-analyze our opinion about Ahmad and everything he does to get the true meaning of him as character. So after doing some further examination of the quotes, what do you think about Ahmad? Have your opinions change about Ahmad or do they remain the same?

Sources

Osborne, Helen. “Talking health to men.” 2009. The Boston Globe. February 23, 2010.<http://www.boston.com/jobs/healthcare/oncall/articles/2009/04/08/in_other_words/?page=2>

Real Love or just Anger?

In the novel Palace Walk, we are reading about an Egyptian family who’s household is run by their father Ahmad. This Egyptian book takes place in the 1920’s when the British in 1922 had just left Egypt. Meaning that Egypt had just received their independence from Britain and were also very well influenced by the British. Lets remember that in the British culture woman were to stay home and do all of the household chores. The one thing that never happened in Britain were arrange marriages, unless of course you were royalty.
“Glancing at their mother with shame and embarrassment, Yasin laughed and said, The truth is that there’s a very strong link between the anger and the engagement”(286).
Yasin and his father Ahmad seemed to of gotten in an argument just because Yasin wants to get married. Now it seems that Ahmad is just getting angry because of the fact that Yasin doesn’t respect his decision. Why does Yasin have to say that the engagement is linked to the argument? Yasin is probably saying that so that in case his father hasn’t gotten the message maybe that statement will make it clearer. Earlier in the book we see how Yasin is proud of the fact that his father is a great lover. Yasin might be getting mad at his father because he sees that his father is a great lover and is trying to figure out why is it that his father doesn’t want him to do that to.
When the British still ran the Egyptian country they influenced the Egyptians a lot. In the British culture it was also ok for man to have a mistress but it was never ok for a woman to have a lover. Also women were not allow to write books just like in Egypt women are not allow to go to school. Thanks to Britain Egypt learned many things about discriminating women but they didn’t only learn it from the British they also learned it from the Quran. Palace Walk shows many ways in which women have no choice but to listen to the man because if they don’t then they will be embarrass and consider sluts.

http://heritage-key.com/egypt/egypt-and-era-discovery

The Way I See It

Naguib Mahfouz’s Palace Walk allows us, as readers, to delve into the minds of each and every character rather than only providing us with the opinions of one. By writing the novel in third person, Mahfouz is able to give us snippets of how each character feels and the way they view a certain situation or conflict that is presented in the novel. This allows us to see the effects that it has on each of the characters and how this, in turn, defines them as a person. The novel becomes the way they see it rather than the way one character sees it. This is what makes every character in the novel essential: the fact that they all have a say, even if they are not allowed to speak it aloud.

At the beginning of the novel, we are given a look into Amina’s daily routine. She appears to be a submissive wife whose views are suppressed, and as we are Westerners, we would assume that she is unhappy. We also assume that her husband, al-Sayyid Ahmad, is the leading cause of Amina’s unhappiness. However, when Mahfouz allows us the pleasure of viewing Amina’s thoughts on the matter, we see that Amina is very happy and feels very fortunate to have Ahmad as a husband. We also come to realize how much of an impact Ahmad has on his children. In this case, it is the women who hold him in high esteem.

The mother and her two girls went at once to the balcony. They stood at the window overlooking al-Nahhasin street to observe through the holes of its wodden grille the men of the family on the street. The father could be seen moving in a slow and dignified fashion. He projected an aura of grandeur and good looks, raising his hands in greeting from time to time. Uncle Hasanayn, the barber, Hajj Darwish, who sold beans, al-Fuli, the milkman, and al-Bayumi, the drinks vendor, all rose to greet him. The women watched him with eyes filled with love and pride... This moment was one of the happiest of the mother’s day (23).

In this passage, it is obvious that the women are proud to have such a well respected head of the house. His rough demeanor must be attributed to his willingness to gain respect in the household and amongst his peers. That does not mean, however that he is an uncaring man.
Although his family both fears and respects him, we are able to see a side of Ahmad that his family never sees because he keeps up a façade at home, but when in public, for some reason he is able to be himself.

The truth was that he was dreaded and feared only in his own family. With everyone else—friends, acquaintances, and customers—he was a different person. He received his share of respect and esteem but above all else was loved. He was loved for the charm of his personality more than for any of his many other fine characteristics. His acquaintances did not know what he was like at home. The members of his family did not know him as others did (36).

Because Mahfouz gives us the different perspectives of each character, we are able to see a character for who they really are. Our initial, hateful thoughts toward Ahmad can now be replaced with a sense of understanding. He has to be harsh at home in order to gain respect within the family. Getting his family to respect his is all he’s ever known; it was the way he was raised. This does not mean that he is incapable of loving them, he just happens to show it in a different way.

Seeing the way each character views a situation enlightens a reader. We are able to see the truth instead of just getting one character’s view. If Mahfouz had not written the novel in third person, we would never know who Ahmad was outside of the house. We would only see the way Amina and the children viewed him. By writing the novel in third person, we are able to sympathize with and understand Ahmad better. It is a way for him to get his say.

Work Cited

Mahfouz, Naguib. Palace Walk. Toronto: First American Edition, 1991. Print.

Ahmad and Women

One of the things that I have noticed in the book is that Ahmad has many affairs with different women, yet he only loves himself. Ahmad looks and treats women as if they were objects. He sees his wife, Amina, as a thing that has no feelings or thoughts. He thinks that Amina’s only purpose or duty is to serve him, obey him, and satisfy any of his needs. Ahmad is a selfish conceited man who only sees women in a lustful way. Mahfouz says, “Despite his great number of amorous adventures, out of all the different varieties of love, al-Sayyid Ahmad had experiences only lust”.(99) For example, when he sees Zubayda he only pays attention to the curves and not to her personality. Ahmad sees Zubayda just as a sex object and that’s the way he sees every other woman in the book. He believes that women are only used for pleasure and that’s why he has never intended to look beyond a body to actually try to fall in love. Ahmad is like an animal who has no senses but is always in heat. He doesn’t think about others but only expects everyone to congratulate him on having such a great sense of humor. Ahmad is conceited and thinks that he is better than any other man. This ego is one of the major reasons why he believes that he can get any woman. As I was reading an article on men stereotypes, I came to the conclusion that Ahamd's ego is what is keeping him away from his family. Ahamd feels that he can't show any type of weakness in front of his family and this then leads him to look for other women so that he won't feel so alone. His ego makes Ahmad always sounds confident. For example, when Zubayda goes to his store he tries to seduce her without any shame. He doesn’t care that he is married or that he is committing a sin, instead he believes he is too great even for God to punish him.

Taylor. "Shattering The Ego and The Manly Man Stereotype". August 12, 2009. March 1, 2010.

Hope

“Everything had ended. It would be incorporated into the family history and forgotten. How did her heart fit in with all this? She did not have a heart. No one imagined she had one. So in reality it did not exist. How alienated she felt. She was lost and abandoned. They were not part of her. She was not part of him. She was alone, banished, disowned. How could she forget that a single word bestowed by her father’s tongue would suffice to change the face of the world and turn her into a new person? Just one word, the expression “yes” would be enough to produce a miracle. It would not have cost him a tenth of effort that went into the long discussion leading to his refusal. Yet he had willed otherwise and had been pleased to let her suffer all this torment“ (160).

Naguib Mahfouz uses short simple sentences to express the emotions felt by Aisha. Its complicated for Aisha to wrap her head around her lost dream and the short sentences reflect how she’s trying to understand it all. Words like “alone” “banished” and “disowned” suggest Aisha is losing the connection with her family feeling like an exile because she feels like they don’t understand what she’s going through. However they do understand. Later the her older sister expresses her sympathies and her brother understands because he experienced the same thing with the dejection of his marriage proposal. Khadija even gives her a bit of hope to hold on to when it seems to Aisha all hope is lost. Her family makes her feel that she belongs by showing they understand. Even young Kamal shows his deep love for sisters when their feeling depressed. She interprets the no from her father as if a part of her died. Her life is not in her own hands. She has no control over her future. Her heart does not get to chose what it wants, her father, who knows nothing about her, does.
Ahmad’s cruelty to his children destroys their hope. Because of her father’s inconsiderate decision Aisha “ bade farewell to the last of her hopes, regret became an inseparable part of her” (160). She is forced to accept the future laid out by a man that doesn’t even know her. Her personal desires and goals doesn’t matter much because she will always have to submit to the man of the house. When hope dies so does ambition. However it is different for the men of the house. Although Ahmad can squander the hopes of his son, he can only do it for so long. Fahmy knew,“…how happy he would have felt about the present, how hopeful he would have been about the future, how content he would have been with life as a whole, had it not been for his father’s stern will” (151). He is at least allowed to think this way because he will not have to submit to his father’s will forever. Soon he will be grown and allowed to make his own decisions. In contrast, his sister, Aisha, does not think one bad thing about her father because she submits to him in love and fear. In her very thoughts, she doesn’t curse him in any way when he takes away all her hope. This is so because she and most women in Islam are so accustomed to submission that its not in her spirit to do such a thing.

A Woman's Worth

Growing up, I was always taught that women, like a diamond, are to be cherished and treated with respect. But when and where did that become the accepted view? As we see from observing the treatment of women in Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk, not to long ago, women where no more than objects, a mere possession of a gentlemen. A general characteristic of property or an object is the essence of being controlled or used for the benefit of someone else. The word “object” has an implication the entity, object, has no ability to choose, a right given to every human by God.In the novel, when the women are sent by a suitor to get a feel for Aisha and are misunderstood as to be observing Khadija, Khadija says:
What's this meeting that's being inflicted on me? Picture yourself in my place, surrounded by strangers. You don't know the least thing about them or their background. Have they come with good intentions or am I just an amusing spectacle for them? What will become of me if they are abusive faultfinders, like me...huh? She laughed briefly. “What can I do but sit beside them politely and submissively while they stare at me from left to right, front and back? I'll have to obey their orders without the slightest hesitation. If they ask me to stand, I stand. 'Walk'—I walk.'Sit'--- I sit. Nothing will slip by them: the way I sit or stand, if I'm silent or speak, my limbs and features. In addition to putting up with all this abuse, we must be nice to them and lavishly praise their kindness and generosity....(147).
Imagine attending a Art Gallery, but when you step into that dim-lit room filled with various works of art, there are women on display. What is one to think when a human being is being put out on display and looked upon as though he or she has been given a price or assigned some sort of material value? In this passage, the objectivity of women in the Islamic religion is made apparent through dialogue, marked by language.
When reading the section of the novel in which this passage is found, the thing that stood out to me was Khadija's use of the word “spectacle” as a noun to portray her, implying that there is something on display. As I said before, the thing that separates men or humans, from objects and animals is the ability to choose: the difference between a spectacle and a women is the same. Would a virtuous women show herself of and subject herself to this kind of treatment if she had a choice? The assumed answer would be no.
After reading a bit of the Qu'ran in translation, it if funny to me that it says that Muslims are to live with their wives in peace and harmony, but from Khadija's use of the phrase “I have to obey their orders without the slightest hesitation ”, that doesn't seem to be the case. How is it that man can live peacefully with his wife, when in his actions and treatment of her closely resembles that of his children? From what I understand, a wife is to be submissive to a man, but not to the extent that she would be considered a servant or lowered to the level of a child. Though Khadija is not yet married, it is apparent that she know that role of a women in their society and accepts, though not within, the “perks” that come along with being a women. I found it interesting that even though Khadija was mistaking in thinking that the visitors were there to observe her and was not yet married, she still had to act in a way that made her an object. This implies that in any circumstances relating to men, women are to subject themselves to objective treatment. So, my question to readers like myself is, what is the role of women in Islam and does she, whomever she is, have any choice in her life and the path in which goes

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

"...his young heart found hard to bear."

“’Oh…’ He had been having such fun talking and playing that he had almost forgotten the message he had come to deliver. Her question reminded him of his mission. He looked at her with a different eye, an eye that wished to delve deep inside her to learn the secret power that was rocking his fine, sober brother. When he realized that he as the bearer of unhappy news, his inquisitive look disintegrated. He said despondently, ‘Fahmy sent me’” (134-135).

This passage was probably the passage that really hit me the most. In this section, the author of Palace Walk, Naguib Mahfouz, introduces the story of a young boy and girl that are pretty much in love. Although young, Kamal and Maryam are shown to be in the process of falling in love. Mahfouz shows us the process in which the two engage in activities that a couple in a relationship would normally engage in. Through Mahfouz’s writing, we’re able to see that Kamal and Maryam truly care for each other. On page 134, we see how Kamal and Maryam are playful with each other.

“She stretched her hand toward his armpit, but he moved in the opposite direction and crossed his arms over his chest to protect himself. A nervous laugh escaped him, as though her fingers actually were tickling him. . . She raised her hands over her head. His fingers attacked under her arms and proceeded to tickle her as gently and quickly as possible” (134).

This passage clearly demonstrates the playful relationship that Kamal and Maryam had. It shows the affection they had for each other just as it’s shown when Mahfouz writes, “Maryam grasped his chin with her right hand and kissed his lips time and again” (134). The relationship between the two was clear and without a doubt, the feelings were real. But, as soon as Maryam asks Kamal how he was able to get away, we see sadness overcome the two. Kamal’s brother, Fahmy has chosen Maryam for himself and has already asked for permission to become engaged to her. Although permission wasn’t granted because Fahmy had yet to complete his studies, they both know that he intends on engaging her and he’ll, more than likely, succeed.

The fact that arranged marriages occurred in this time period and still do makes me extremely sad. I find it appalling how, in some cases, a couple that is in love and happy can’t stay together simply because another man has claimed her to be his first. Obviously, since I was born and raised in the United States with different customs and beliefs than those in the book, I find this very heartbreaking. But, I’m forced to read this in the eyes of the people with the customs and beliefs that are completely different than mine. To them, this is how things are supposed to go. A man finds a woman that he finds useful or “good enough” to be his wife, he asks for permission to become engaged and married, and the woman must obey. It’s how things are. As much as we’d like to go against the way of life of people like this and as much as we’d like to tell them how this is wrong, we shouldn’t. And if we could and DID, it wouldn’t be very effective. To them, we’re wrong and they’re right and there’s not much we can do about it. It is better to not judge for the sake of not being harshly judged in returned.

Yasin has gone crazy!

Photo by Ed Yourdon on Flickr. Woman with high-heeled shoes on.

“He backed away from her, as though fleeing from the tenderness of her words. Nothing could have excited his anger more than that. Filled with anger and despair, he sensed there was no longer anything to be gained from staying on in this hateful atmosphere. Turning around to make his way out, he said, “I wish I could kill you.” She lowered her eyes and said with unconcealed sorrow, “If you do, you’ll relieve me of the sufferings of my life” (120).

This passage interested me because all throughout this scene in the book, I didn’t really understand what made him so angry about his mother marrying different men after some of her marriages had failed. I feel that this is a normal thing. Most women don’t want to be alone all their lives and I don’t understand how she’s wrong for wanting companionship from a man. I feel that Yasin is probably experiencing some jealousy which is normal when boys see the women of their family, especially their mom, with men other than their father. She simply wants to be loved and I don’t feel she should be persecuted for that thinking as an American. But, looking at the source I found this is wrong in there culture. He, as well as, his father, are doing the same thing at this point in the book. They both lust after women, but are persecuting her when other men lust after her and she gives in to them. I think this whole situation shows the double standard in their culture. I don’t like how the father and the other men treat their women like dirt, and when they are ready to find something different and be with someone who wants to be with them, at least temporarily, the men have a problem with it. It’s not fair. It’s okay when the men want to go out and seek “entertainment” and wine knowing that this is against their morals and religion. I feel that this is simply wrong and inconsistent.

This passage also stood out to me because it showed the issues that Yasin deals with deep down. He wants to love women, but he is incapable of trusting them and believing they are more than a body that he can lust after. We can see how he’s like this when he talks about the girl in the window that didn’t come out when he wanted her to. He explodes with anger and calls her a “selfish smart-ass bitch” because he thinks she didn’t want to “let him see her” (73). He has some of the same issues his dad has when it comes to his feelings toward women and what their role in the world should be and is. Yasin sees women as nothing more than sex symbols (73) because he can’t make himself love them, I feel because of the grudge he holds against his mom. He talks about how he’s able to fall in love with wine for it’s own sake when women aren’t there to satisfy him. I don’t mean to sound childish, but I think that that is not fair. The fact that he gets that angry with his mom to say he wishes he could kill her is not cool. He needs to chill and realize that his mom has to have a life too and she is not wrong for trying to find someone to spend the rest of her life with.

He could also be so upset because he simply wants to acquire his mom’s fortune. He might just want to be able to be rich and get the things that his mom has. He mentions it at the end of the same scene when he’s leaving and says he didn’t achieve what he went there after which was to be able to find out if he could acquire her fortune. He wants to be able to control the things his mom plans to do in her future so that she doesn’t lose her fortune and end up broke leaving him with nothing. He once accused the man she’s planning to marry of greed which shows that he simply wants to be able to inherit the fortune that his mom was left. Yasin is a peculiar character and suffers from what I conclude to be abandonment issues that arose from his mom allowing him to leave and constantly remarrying to new men.

Pride

In the second section of the novel Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz we find out a lot more things about Amina’s family. The one interesting fact that I found out about Amina’s husband is that he is very prideful and nothing happens without him finding out about it.
“He walks along our streets morning and evening. So it’s not out of the question that people, if they learned he was marrying one of the girls, would suspect that he might have seen one of them. I would despise giving my daughter to someone if that meant stirring up doubts about my honor. No daughter of mine will marry a man until I am satisfied that his primary motive for marrying her is a sincere desire to be related to me… me … me… me. ‘No man has ever seen either of my daughters…’ Congratulations, Mrs. Amina, congratulations” (157)
In the quote above we see how it is that Amina’s husband hides his daughters from the public and all because he thinks that no one should see them. The reason for why he hides his daughters from people is so that they won’t ask for their hand because of the fact that they are beautiful but because they want to be related to him. A police officer went to Ahmad and asked him if he could marry one of his daughters. This is when Ahmad went home and talked to his wife Amina. Ahmad believes that if someone is going to marry his daughters is not due to their looks. They are going to marry his daughters because of the fact that they want to be related to him.
This to me is a show of pride. I mean no one would ever think that the only way that someone will ever marry someone’s daughter just to be related to the father of the girl. That only happens when someone is very rich and has plenty of power. Therefore Ahmad wants to believe that he has all the control even the control of whomever his daughters are going to marry. When the police officer asked him if he could marry his daughter his first thought was that the officer must have seen his daughter and that was the only reason for why he wanted to marry his daughter.
Many people have pride but in other cases people are just insecure about themselves and want to use all the power that they have to make people feel inferior to them.

Is it Love or Fear?

During my discussion topic, I brought up the place of women and how men treat them. The way women are treated throughout the book, is very different than today. Men are in power of the women, and all women must obey their husband at anytime no matter what the situation is. After this we began to discuss the relationship between the children and the fathers and how the children must obey their fathers, no matter if they disagree with the situation or not. When discussing his daughter marriage negotiations Ahmad denies the request and doesn't allow his daughter to marry. The emotions and reaction of his daughter, Aisha, really stuck out to me. In paragraph below the the narrator describes her feelings.

Although she was hurt, angry, and resentful, these emotions could not touch her father. They fell back impotently like a wild animal stopped by its trainer, whom it loves and fears. Aisha was not able to attack her father, not even in the depths of her heart. She continued in her love and devotion for him. She felt sincerely dutiful to him, as though he were a god whose decree could only be received with submission, love, and loyalty. (160-161)

Here we are able to see how much Aisha respects her father even though she strongly disagreed with her father decision of not letting her marry the officer, who she truly fell for. But, we still don't know whether or not she really respects her father, or does she just fear her father. Is it love or fear?

Obviously we can see from this paragraph that Aisha feelings are deeply hurt and that she is heart broken. Aisha is able to look past this pain and hate towards her father, and forgive him. To me she fears her father more than she loves her father. The author uses the metaphor a wild animal. He says, “They fell back impotently like a wild animal stopped by its trainer, whom it loves and fears” (160-161). They meaning emotions were lifted from her and she was able to look past that time. But, in order to tame a wild animal who must put fear in the animals heart in order for the animal to obey you. By taking over the animals, you take control of their life; therefore, to me its more fear than love. An animal knows if he goes against the owner's rule, it would be punish so it is scared to do otherwise.

Aisha is afraid to stand up against her father, because she knows there is no way around it and that she would get punished if she does so. She has been put under his command and rule. Her father has taken over her mind and life; therefore, she lets him control what she does. She has become a tamed “animal”. We have seen how the children are being controlled by Ahmad, but now the narrator is referring to the daughter as an “wild animal”.

At the end of this paragraph, the narrator describes Aisha feeling toward Ahmad by saying, “She felt sincerely dutiful to him, as though he were a god whose decree could only be received with submission, love, and loyalty” (161). The narrator says she looks to her father as a God, which to me is beyond extreme. He also says that the actions he does are done out of love and loyalty. This shows that the family held their father and wouldn't do anything to disobey him.

In the bible it says “fear God”. God is the only person we shall fear, because he can instantly change ones life. The family refer to him as God because he has the power to choose what they do in life and who they marry. By referring to their father as God, shows they fear him more than they love him. Yes, it is natural that we all love our parents because they are the ones who gave us life. But in Aisha case, it seems that she has overlook the love towards her father and has replaced it with fear. The family doesn't really have much love for their father, but are to afraid to against his orders.

Does Ahmad want his family to fear him, or is he just looking out for the best interest for his family?
Does he really love his family, or is he in love more with the power and control he has over them?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranoush/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

He's Weak

Reading Palace Walk has resulted in being more pleasant than I thought. Since I finished reading the second part I continued to read after the designated page and I found a passage relating to Ahmad that really stood out to me. The passage on page 194 talks about how Ahmad feels about forgiveness towards his wife, Amina, after a car had hit her. Prior to this passage I felt like we had started to see a new Ahmad because didn’t let his anger get the best of him and said, “Stay in bed till God heals you” (184). Soon I learned that this was just because she was hurt and he didn’t want to impose more suffering on her. In the passage the narrator describes that Ahmad started to really analyze what had happened and realized that if he didn’t take matters into account he would “loose control of his family, and the bonds holding it together would dissolve.” To me the author is trying to make us see how Ahmad is so weak that he cant even forgive his wife for the mistake that she made. It seems Ahmad feels he will become weak but to me he would only be seen as a merciful husband who is willing to forgive his poor wife. Instead Mahfouz makes us see the true side of most men in Egypt at the time and makes him say, “I don’t want to find you here when I come back this noon” (195). Such harsh words he is telling the best wife we have seen in this whole book. Amina is an amazing woman who is essentially the glue that the family needs to stay together. She is the go to person and his caretaker. She is that perfect woman behind her husband and he is loosing her on pride. My question is could he be that ignorant to not see what he has is good enough to fight and forgive for?

Serious

On page 127 a woman comes and talks to Amad about Famhy and how well and outstanding he has become. She says, "Fahmy, sir, is a fine young man. He has gained favor with you through his seriousness, success in school, and good manners, may God protect him from the evil eye. Perhaps he has entrusted his request to me hoping that his status with his father will be an argument on his behalf". (pg 127) The part that caught my eye the most in this passage is how she begins to describe Fahmy. Instead of saying something like he has an outstanding career path going, she tells him about his c and I wonder why the first thing to be mentioned is how serious Famhy has become? Why is it important at all that he has become serious? Since we have been going through the book I have come up with a great theory of my own. I believe that the reason everyone else mentions his seriousness is because they know that that is what his father praises the most in a young man, and that he feels if a man is not more serious as he gets older then he is not a man. Like the rest of the quote said by telling Amad that his son is more serious has earned him a hire standing with his father. Now instead of treating him like a child who knows nothing Famhy can now be seen as a man in front of his father. But it is wired because in our culture we like to see that a child has matured a great deal, but for them to be completely serious is not what our parents require that we become in order for us to gain a higher standing with them. When people talk about me they never mention how serious I am, they always praise that I am a talented athlete or that I have grown so much, but they have never just told my parents that her seriousness has increased. That's why it is shocking to me that the first thing this lady wants to say to Amad is that his son has more seriousness.

Amina's accidental Ahmad's reaction

This second section of Palace Walk has been very interesting. There have been many important things going on with every single character. One of the characters, Amina, experienced a particularly significant incident. This incident was how she got run over by an automobile after visiting al-Husayn’s shrine while her husband was out. While I was reading about this incident I kept thinking about how Amina’s husband was going to react when he learned about it. I thought that he might would probably beat her and hurt her more than the automobile had. However, his reaction truly surprised me. The passage that shows his reaction and that I will focus on begins on the forth paragraph on page 183 and goes on to the end of the next page.

After the doctor came to see Amina and assured everyone that she had just suffered from a fracture and would be completely healed in three weeks, everyone’s mind shifted towards what they were going to tell Al-Sayyid Ahmad. Yasin, who felt very responsible for the incident since he was the one who had proposed Amina take a walk, urged his mother to not worry. “’I assure you that we’ll think of something to tell him’” (178). Then Khadija proposed that they tell him Amina fell on the stairs. The family agreed this on and everything seemed solved.

However, when her husband arrived home and asked her what had happened to her, she froze. “At that moment all the ideas she had collected in her mind evaporated” (182). Feeling defeated se confessed the truth. This is when Al-Sayyid Ahmad gave us a surprising reaction. He stayed silent a while and then instead chastising her and shouting angrily he asked, “’What did the doctor say?…. How serious is the fracture?’” (183). Surprised with his reaction Amina assured him that there was nothing to worry about. Al-Sayyid Ahmad wanted to ask more questions but resisted his desire and left the room saying, “’Stay in bed till God heals you’” (184).

The question that comes to my mind when I think about Al-Sayyid Ahmad’s reaction is why? Why did Amina’s husband react like this when many other times, for the smallest incident he would grow angry? Why when he learned that his wife had disobeyed him, left the house when he was away when he can’t stand for anyone to look at his wife even when he is with her, did he react so graciously? One possible answer is that when he learned about the incident Amina had he overlooked her mistake and prayed to God that she recover. Even though he does treat her very harshly, Al-Sayyid Ahmad loves Amina and when he learned that she was injured he was genuinely concerned. Another thing that could’ve affected his reaction was that the reason Amina had left the house was because she had visited al-Husayn’s shrine. She wasn’t doing anything immoral, on the contrary she was doing something to express her faith. Although Al-Sayyid Ahmad usually acts as a very strict and harsh man, here we see a different side of him.