Reunited and It Feels So Good?

She lowered her eyes to hide her overwhelming joy. She could not conceal the emotions rocking her soul. Her face seemed an extremely accurate mirror, registering everything that was inside her, no matter how small. She wanted so much to receive the happy news with a composure befitting her maternal role, but she was transported by joy. The features of her face laughingly expressed her childish delight. At the same time she felt ashamed, although she did not know why. She remained motionless for so long that Kamal's patience was exhausted. He pulled her by the hand, putting his entire weight into it until she yielded and rose. She stood for a little while in a strange confusion. Before she realized what she was doing the turned and asked, "Should I go, Mother?" p. 232

This passage is the climax to Amina's exile and it is affective because of the rhetoric stance the author takes: pathos. The passage effectively portrays both the excitement she got from a reunion with her beloved children and the shame she feels for herself. With descriptive word choice and illustrative detail the author is able to effectively lure the reader into the book as though the reader was actually Amina.

Through descriptive word choice, the reader is able to empathize with Amina because there has been a moment where we felt so happy that our inner child came out. Amina is decribed as being so happy that she couldn't conceal her inner child while trying to "receive the happy news with a composure befitting her maternal role." (232) Words such as "childish delight", "overwhelming joy", and laughingly protray the excitement she received from the news her children brought. After she is overjoyed from that moment of pardoning she quickly is blanketed with feelings of embarrassment and shamefulness. These feelings were so powerful that she "remained motionless" to the point where Kamal began to get impatient. Words such as "strange confusion", and ashamed illustrate how ashamed she was for being exiled. She then questions herself of being worthy to be by Ahmad's side by questioning her mother if she should go back.

Amina's inner child and shamefulness is described effectively with descriptive sentences. After reading the descriptive first half of the paragraph, the reader is able to imagine the feeling Amina was overcome by. The reader is able to picture Amina trying to hide a smile that occupies most of her face but then gives in to her inner child by jumping up and down. Then, suddenly this picture is flipped inside out with a feeling of shame by the illustrative second half of the paragraph. The reader then imagines Amina wide-eyed and stiff after realizing the shame she brought on herself for being exiled.

"Marriage..."

My paragraph is located in chapter 10 which is about Fahmy taking Kamal up to the roof every day to make him practice his vocabulary. It turns out that this is not the only reason why he takes him up to the roof, Fahmy actually goes up there because he likes to see the girl next door whom he is in love with. Fahmy starts stating the words so that Kamal can tell him the definition but he gets so distracted by the girl that he starts saying the words heart, love, and marriage.

My paragraph, on page 61, comes right after Fahmy has just stated the word marriage. The placement of this paragraph is very important because in it we see that the girl finally shows a reaction to what Fahmy is saying. It is important to notice that this reaction is made to the word marriage, and not heart or love. This fact shows that the are both in love with each other and that they might be willing to get married and do things the proper way because their romance is wrong to the eyes of their strict society. That the girl is letting herself be seen by Fahmy is itself an offence to their culture but even in a strict culture like theirs, there is still room for love.

Another factor that shows the love Fahmy feels for this girl is seen in Mahfouz's style of writing. He is so descriptive when it comes to showing the character's emotions. In this paragraph he writes, "he had at least been able to transmit to her a charge of the electricity blazing in his heart" (61). Here he is describing Fahmy's love for this girl and I don't think he could have chosen a better choice of words to make us feel what Fahmy feels.

Love and Marriage

Naguib Mahfouz is able to give the reader a taste of the fear that Amina feels in chapter twenty-nine of Palace Walk, after the accident (her being hit by a car) has taken place. Since the novel is written in third person, we are given a description of the fear that everyone in the house feels when the question of how they will confront Ahmad is brought about. To her surprise, however, Ahmad did not resort to anger, as predicted. Instead he told her to “‘Stay in bed till God heals you’” (184). When he leaves the room, Mahfouz describes Aisha’s reaction. “Her pale face blushed when she remembered the affection he had showered on her when she had been expecting nothing but his overwhelming anger that would blow her and her future away. Yes, she felt both pride and embarrassment when she started to talk about their father’s sympathy for her in her time of need and how he had forgotten his anger because of the affection and pity that had seized hold of him” (185). “Pride” and “embarrassment” are words that do not go hand in hand. Amina seems to be lying to herself about Ahmad’s affection for her. It is as if she wishes that it were really affection that Ahmad felt instead of an obligation to their marriage.

As I have mentioned in my previous response “Love, Lust, and Custom,” in Islamic culture, marriage is something that everyone must do. Love does not necessarily play a role in every marriage. With Amina and Ahmad's marriage, as Westerners, we find ourselves scrutinizing their marriage and declaring that there is no love involved. Perhaps this is true; maybe Amina is attempting to find love in the littlest things. As human beings, we strive for love, especially women. But who are we to judge or define love? In Islamic culture, I have noticed that marriage is love. We believe that love comes before marriage, and sometimes this holds true for Islamic culture as well, but usually marriage comes first in Islamic culture and the two newlyweds must learn to love one another because divorce is frowned down upon.

In the case of Amina and Ahmad, Amina feels that Ahmad must feel some kind of affection toward her since he did not get angry at her venture outside. But there is also a feeling lingering in her private thoughts that this may not be enough. “Privately she might have wished he would complete his kind treatment of her by renouncing his night out, as was appropriate for a husband whose wife had suffered what she had. Since she knew his temperament well, though, she fabricated an excuse for him ... She would justify his departure with the excuse she had already invented...” (188). It is clear that Amina wishes for Ahmad to be more caring about her fragile situation, but in the end she gives in and accepts that she will receive no more affection from him.

In the article,“Marriage in Islam,” there is a section that discusses love and how it is viewed in Islamic culture. Love is something that does not last, it is a feeling that can end; whereas marriage is a commitment that is necessary in Islamic society. “Love blinds people to potential problems in the relationship. Arranged marriages on the other hand, are based not on physical attraction or romantic notions but rather on critical evaluation of the compatibility of the couple. This is why they often prove successful.” This article makes a valid point: successful marriages are successful only if those married are compatible. Love waivers, but if two people meet each others needs, then there would be no reason for them to part. It is somewhat of a convenience factor. So although Amina desires to be loved, this is not necessarily the case in her marriage. When Ahmad summons her to return home after dismissing her, it is not he who comes to get her from her mother's house, but her sons. The reason for summoning her must have had to do with the fact that he needs her in his life, not for love, but to carry out her duties as his wife; he needs her for the convenience.


Works Cited

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

2."Marriage in Islam." Jannah.Org :: Islam the Eternal Path to Peace. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

Successful Marriage

In Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk, marriage is a topic that is hard to understand, but is all the more intriguing because of it. It's been difficult for the most part, figuring out what makes a successful marriage. Why is it that Amina and Ahmad have been married for 25 years, when Ahmad has proven to not be a husband that many women crave? Ahmad sneaks out on his wife all the time with various women like Zubayda and his next-door neighbor Bahija Ridwan, yet Amina stays right there through it all. In this book, marriage is such a complex part of life that research was necessary to understand what muslims believe to be important in a marriage. According to the Qur'an, Muslims are to believe that “...among [Allah's] signs is this that He created for you spouses of your own kind, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy for one another...” (Qur'an 30:21). As devout Muslims, which is what they characters of the book (especially Ahmad) are, they should base all of their marriages off of this because this is their law for living a truly Muslim lifestyle. This is the basis of their faith and what they should believe as Muslims. Although there are other marriages in the book that are unsuccessful, Ahmad learns that what's important to keep a marriage alive is this verse in the Qur'an. During his first marriage to Haniya, Yasin's mother, he didn't practice that mercy that is mentioned in the Qur'an but he learns to use it during his marriage to Amina, which turns out to be the most successful marriage in Palace Walk.
The short-lived marriage of Yasin and Zaynab is very similar to the ones between Ahmad and Haniya, Yasin's mother. When Ahmad was married to Haniya he admitted to actually enjoying living with her, which is the only true emotion for women Ahmad is rumored to have outside of lust (106). Like Marixa said in her blog, Ahmad and Women, in the book, we haven't really seen much emotion out of Ahmad for women besides lust. Haniya seems to have been the only woman who brought a little of that out of him, that is until he met Amina. But the “love” is short-lived when Haniya shows that she's a woman who won't take just anything from her husband. Ahmad began to beat her when she would leave the house or do anything that he didn't want her to do. Instead of loving her and treating her like a human being instead of a dog that you train, their marriage ends up failing. This marriage, like many other marriages in the book including Ahmad's current marriage to Amina, could be or could've been a lot better if the husband would put his wife first instead of him trying to seem like a masculine guy who can control his wife. It also could've been successful if Ahmad had learned to practice the mercy that the Qur'an speaks on. Had Ahmad shown mercy to his wife and put her needs before his own needs to be fulfilled as a “man”, many things in his life would have been different. Yasin wouldn't have a strained relationship with his own mother, and probably wouldn't have the outlook on women that he has now.
After his marriage to Haniya, Ahmad goes on to marry Amina. Amina is a totally different wife to Ahmad than Haniya is and she proves to be more along the lines of a wife that he wants. She's quiet, meek, obedient, and most importantly, fearful of him. She's scared to do anything that Ahmad might not approve of, and when she does, her worst fear comes true. When she leaves the house and goes outside to visit al-Husayn, Ahmad finds out and kicks her out. Right then, it seems that Ahmad has gone back to the old ways that got him in trouble with his first marriage. He seems to solve his problems with women by putting them out. But, he knew that just putting her out his house would cease to function. Even though it took him until the end of the book to truly realize, he's not all powerful. Like Daniela said in her blog, He's Human After All, he at some point began to realize that he needs help with things and he can't do everything on your own. When he takes her back, he practices what the Qur'an says is important in a successful marriage, and that's mercy. The act of mercy includes showing compassion to someone and forgiving them for something they've done. When Ahmad finally learns the importance of mercy and showing it in his marriage, he admits to not being perfect and needing help in their home.
At first, Ahmad doesn't seem to be capable of loving anyone besides himself. Once he learned to show love to someone besides himself, he begins to have a successful marriage. That love, like the Qur'an stated, is necessary to have a successful marriage but not just in the book but in real life. In Ahmad's first marriage to Haniya, he doesn't truly love her and doesn't practice mercy on her. Love and mercy should go hand in hand with one another. If you truly love someone, then you show them mercy because you can look past the bad things they've done and forgive them. But, if you want to leave them just because they did something you don't agree with, then that's not love. That's why it's obvious that Ahmad loves Amina. He gets angry with her, he cheats on her and sometimes treats her badly, and I'm not saying that all those things are acceptable for a husband to do to his wife. But, at the end of the day, he always thinks of his wife. When he's taken away by the British soldiers, his mind goes to his family, and it's not just the kids but her as well. Even though Ahmad is still a selfish man, he learns to make room for someone else in his life, and apparently Amina was good enough to fit the bill of that person.




Works Cited
1.The Holy Quran. Maulana Muhammad Ali, 2002. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. .

2.Barajas, Daniela. "He's Human After All." Web log post. He's Human After All. 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. .

3.Rodriguez, Marixa. "Ahmad and Women." Web Log post. Digging Even Deeper: Ahmad and Women. 20 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2010. .

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

Love, Lust, and Custom

Author Naguib Mahfouz introduces a new perspective in how we view love and lust in his novel, Palace Walk. What makes this particular vantage point of the dealings of lust and love so different from those we are accustomed to hearing about is that the customs of the characters’ culture hinder them at times; their customs influence their decisions when both lust and love present themselves. We see this occurrence become more pronounced in this section of the book (chapters 14 through 29) when almost all of the main characters in the novel are conflicted in their desires and their realities. True, love seems to be of a delicate subject for some whereas lust seems to come naturally to others, but no matter what it may be labeled, all of the characters are forced to take their cultural customs into consideration before any act on their desires.

When Ahmad goes to Madam Zubayda’s residence in hopes of an evening’s entertainment, he becomes conflicted when he begins flirting with her. When he is pursuing her in her home, she teasingly rejects his advances. In one instance, she claims that she must repeat her ritual ablutions. Ahmad, in return, discloses that he hopes they may pray together. In his head, however, is where conflict begins. “He privately asked God’s forgiveness as soon as he had made this joke. Although there were no limits to his impudence when he was intoxicated by his sense of humor, his heart was always troubled and uneasy until he secretly and sincerely asked God’s forgiveness for the humorous excesses of his tongue” (93). Although Ahmad demonstrates the lust that comes with being a sexual being in this scene, he does feel some remorse for abusing God in the process.

Fahmy has fallen for the neighbor girl, Maryam and wishes to ask for her engagement, but his father protests. His father does not understand why Fahmy would request this when he has not even seen her. When he asks Amina if Fahmy has laid eyes on Maryam, she replies, “Of coarse not sir. My son doesn’t lift his eyes to look at a neighbor girl or anyone else,” to which Ahmad returns by saying, “How can he want to get engaged to her if he hasn’t seen her? I didn’t know I had sons who were sneaking looks at the respectable women of our neighbors” (129). This is one of the factors that effects Ahmad’s decision in declining Fahmy’s request to marry Maryam. He is concerned that people will jump to the same conclusion as he did about his son viewing Mayam and that it would taint his family’s name. When Fahmy receives this news, he is upset that his father will not allow him to marry whom he wants whenever he sees fit, but as it is custom to obey the head of house, Fahmy complies.

Another character who has fallen victim to customs concerning the head of house that denies her love is Aisha. Everyday, an officer passes by her window and they look at one another and Aisha feels her heart fill with affection for this man. When her sister, Khadija, catches them glancing at one another she reprimands her sister. She says, “Nothing remains a secret forever, no matter how long it may be concealed. Imagine the situation for all of us if someone on the street or one of our neighbors noticed you. You know very well how people talk. Imagine what would happen if the news reached Daddy. God help us!” (141). Aisha decides to put the officer in the back of her mind as not to risk the family’s honor. When the young man requests her engagement, her father becomes furious and, like his son Fahmy, forbids it. Aisha is sure she loves the officer, but custom holds her from speaking her mind. “There was not a thing she could do about it. This was her father’s will and she could not criticize it. All she could do was submit and obey. In fact, she had to be happy and content. To be despondent would be an unforgivable offense. To protest would be a sin her conscience and sense of etiquette could not allow” (159).

Mahfouz is able to portray the thoughts and feeling of every character in a light that makes us feel like we are the ones who are conflicted. In this section of the novel, we are able to learn a lesson in Muslim culture and customs and we are able to see how these characters’ love and desires must be suppressed for the sake of the love and respect they feel for their own culture. During the talk of Aisha’s possible engagement, Yasin says. “Marriage is the fate of every living creature. Anyone not getting married today will marry tomorrow” (152). Love is something all of these characters aspire to feel, but they all understand that marriage is the custom of their culture, and submit regardless of their feelings.

Work Cited

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

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.

"...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.

Ahmad's Priorities

The passage I'm writing about is on page 10, and it's the first full paragraph. I want to focus on one sentence that states:

“At once he would get control of himself and press his lips together while stealing a glance at his wife. He would find her as usual, in front of him, with her eyes lowered. Reassured, he would return to his memories and his heart that cherished them as though from an unquenchable thirst for the pleasures of life.”

To me, this is when we see a lot of different sides to Ahmad. First, we see that the moments that he lets escape when he's drunk are moments that reveal that he could actually be a nice person. He shares intimate feelings with her, and things that make him happy. This, in turn, makes Amina happy because she just wants to feel like she's not a doormat that he comes home to, but his actual wife. And even though drinking is an abomination in their religion, she's kind of happy to get those memories of happy times shared with her husband. But, we then see that those moments released are just a time when he loses control of the situation, and order must be restored in the universe. He then shuts up completely and refuses to talk to her. He must feel like if he talks to her too much, and let her inside to get to know him a little more intimately, she won't fear and respect him. His entire life is based off the fact that the things she does for him are done out of her fear for him. Then he looks back up at her to make sure she has returned to her submissive state of mind, and he can relax assured that she will keep that level of fear for him.

Also from this passage, I can see that his main focus is on himself and having a good time. The things that he cherishes the most are those times when he's out partying and hanging out with his friends instead of being at home with his family. He says that those are the times that quench his thirst for pleasure and, to me, that's a problem. Why is it that he can't find the times that he's at home to be exceptionally great pleasing? In any culture, your family should be your pride and joy. Later into the paragraph it says, “...and the success and delight they occasioned, making him everyone's best friend” (10). Apparently, the joy he seeks from being “everyone's best friend” is more pleasing to him than the joy of his own family. This suggests something to me that he must have some type of problem with family in general, not just women. He's passed down those perverse beliefs about women to his son (81), but he has something else towards his family as a whole, especially to Kamal, whom he repeatedly calls a “son of a bitch” (20). In my opinion, Ahmad has messed up priorities when it comes to family, if he can't even assess the times he spends with them as more valuable than the time he spends with his colleagues getting drunk and partying.

The Love Lost Among the Disrespect

In our in class discussion, we focused a lot on how women are disrespected in the book. We placed much emphasis on how the male figures such as Mr. Ahmad and Yasin are disrespectful with their words and behavior. But I think that in the middle of all the “disrespect,” as we judge it to be, Naguib Mahfouz has placed Kamal, a character that to a certain sense still holds innocence and much love in his heart, in the book to show that there’s another side to the story. There’s a love side. The life of women isn’t only waking up early and serving the men; their lives aren’t all about being disrespected by males because, as the author shows through Kamal, there’s much love for women. Here I’m not talking about a lustful love, but a tender and sincere love from a son.

We get this sense of love for the women from Kamal when the author writes:

The truth was that [Kamal] loved the women’s company with all his heart and did not want to be separated from them even when he was working. Seeing them gave him a pleasure nothing else could equal. He loved his mother more than anything in the world. He could not imagine existing without her even for a moment. Khadija played the role of a second mother in his life... Aisha…loved him deeply, and he reciprocated her love totally. (65)

Through this quote we can see that women are loved so much. Mahfouz makes sure to show that Kamal has such a strong love, not just for his mother, but also for his sisters. Kamal holds a strong affection for these women because they are important in his life.

In class, we touched on how women are submissive and sometimes are degraded by men, but we missed to see really how important women are. Through the quote I mentioned above, I feel like we see women in a different way. Women are very special and essential in the life of males. Kamal loves his mother more than anything else in the world, which makes us see that it’s a pretty strong love. The author says, “He could not imagine existing without her even for a moment” (65). Here we see clearly the importance of women. His mother is so essential to his life that Kamal doesn’t see himself without her. He needs her to live, and that is a very strong statement about the significance of the role women hold in this society. It changes to a certain extent the negative way I thought all males treated women in the book, and the way I viewed the role of women. Women are more than just submissive human beings who should follow commands. They are the heart of men because without women, men can’t live.

I ask you all to rethink the role of women in this book. Is their role just cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the house, or is there a more important role that, we as outsider, can’t understand yet? What is really the significance of women in a males’ life? I think women are essential to men, but what do you think?