‘An Englishman – in
other words, the kind of man he imagined to embody all the perfections of the
human race.’ (p.43 Palace Walk).
A novel which lends itself beautifully to the complex history
of Egypt, this is a masterpiece by writer and Nobel Prize winner Naguib
Mahfouz. The story is set amongst the chaos of the Egyptian revolution of 1919,
witness to the British occupation of Egypt and Sudan in the wake of the British-ordered
exile of revolutionary leader Saad Zaghlul, and numerous other members of the
Wafd Party. Naguib Mahfouz himself witnessed this revolution, the major events
of which took place on the very street in which he resided. He is the first,
and to date, the only Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature. This
man’s very influence saw the rise of national fiction, at a time in which
novels were unknown in Arabic literature, having been shunned to the ranks of
popular culture.
Mahfouz completed the Cairo trilogy in 1952, publishing the
first Part – Palace Walk, in 1956,
followed by the publication of the final two parts – Palace of Desire and Sugar
Street in 1957, for which he obtained the State Literary Prize for the
Novel. Mahfouz gained his literary education through the popular story-telling
of the bard in the coffee-house next to his family home. This is a reminder of
the very nature of the coffee-house at this period in time; it was a culture of
its own: a place to exchange great ideas, to debate, to confront, and most
importantly, to learn. Great minds would come together to inform and educate,
to rebel and reflect. Mahfouz was a liberal Wafdist – the Wafd party holding
the majority, and working to end the British occupation in the country.
Palace Walk (Bayn al
Qasrayn) begins its story in 1917
during WWI, ending with the outbreak of the 1919 nationalist revolution. The
year 1912 saw Egypt become a British protectorate. WWI saw a shift in
mentalities; where political agitation had previously rested almost entirely
with the educated elite, this tumultuous period saw nationalist fever spread to
the masses as a result of Egypt’s increasing involvement in the war. By the end
of WWI, Egypt was demanding the return of its independence. Led by Saad Zaglul
of the Wafd Party, a mass movement for the full independence of Egypt and Sudan
was underway. Fearing social unrest, the British took action and removed
Zaghlul and the main Wafd leaders from the action, exiling them to Malta.
Massive demonstrations ensued, bringing together men and women, Muslims and
Christians, and people from all walks of life together under one banner, with
the aim of creating an independent Egypt. Hundreds of Egyptians were killed in
the uprisings, but not in vain, as this resulted finally in the declaration of
independence for Egypt in 1922. A story that is remarkably current; this is a
reflection of the strength of national identity streaming through Egypt at this
very moment in time. The Arab Spring has laid witness to the coming together of
the Egyptian peoples as a nation to overcome their oppression under the
dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. This is a nation with a complex history and as
of yet, a problematic present; but this is a country with promise and a great
deal to offer.
This cleverly written
novel is about the structure of the family unit, the role of the patriarch and
matriarch within that unit, and the political repercussions that ensue as
barriers are broken and roles become reversed over time. This is a political
allegory, adopting the Jawad family structure to mirror the political
ramifications and urban culture of a life in twentieth century Egypt. Ahmad Abd
al-Jawad is the epitome of the Egyptian patriarch, a nostalgic and somewhat inspirational
character, allegedly based on Mahfouz’s own father figure.
‘It is ironic that the most memorable patriarch
in modern Arabic literature is the one who portrays the decline of patriarchy
and its distribution and stature.’ (From the Introduction by Sabry Hafez)
We are constantly at odds with the gender balance in this
story; the seeds for the downfall of the patriarch are planted early on, with
Abd al Jawad’s own son Yasin catching him in his lewd, sexualised environment
of alcohol, music and women. This subversion of patriarchal dominance continues
with his second son, Fahmy who refuses to sever his links with the patriotic
movement, leading ultimately to his untimely and tragic death at the end of the
first Part. The youngest of the sons, Kamal continues in this disobedience to
his father’s wishes when he opts to follow the path of an academic, a leader in
education and enlightenment, when his father insists on him following the path
of a lawyer, a reputable career path for his son. Contrastingly, the role of
the mother, Amina grows in strength as the narrative develops. The loyalty held
by the children for their mother is made unmistakably clear from the outset of
the novel, in their plot to demand the return of Amina after she is banned from
the household, for visiting the shrine of al-Husayn, a formidable act of
disobedience to her husband.
Every member of the Jawad family plays an integral role in
forming the subtle layers that make up and support the patriarchal narrative.
This allegorical quality uses the novel to bring Egyptian traditions to the
forefront of the subject matter, whilst alluding to an undertone of the
national reality and the rise of national identity, in a tone that circumvents
political authoritarian control, posing a challenge to the prevailing political
establishment. The Cairo Trilogy is a book for anyone who wishes to learn about
the richness of this country’s past and its potential for prosperity and wealth
in the future.
Originally published in The Arab Review
Originally published in The Arab Review
