The Role of Men in Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree

August Heinrich

English 241

Blog Post 3

Umar, Zuhayr, and Yazid portray the role of a strong male in the Banu Hudayl, but in very different fashions. Umar acts as the voice of reason. He carefully surveys the situation facing Al Hudayl and openly, and repeatedly, defers the dilemma to fellow Moors to determine the best course of action. Umar responds to Christian threats of brutality with gentle diction, and acknowledges the moral impurity of the Christians manifested by their violent oppression of the Banu Hudayl and the extermination of their way of life. He is only violent when necessary, as he acts in the final battle against The Captain and his soldiers when his village was under attack. At home, he is fair and kind to his wife and children, who share input in family affairs, and he doesn’t discriminate or mistreat the women of the family.

Zuhayr acts as the warrior of the family, as his age appropriately resembles. He is in a stage of life where he is beginning to discover his identity. Zuhayr is determined to prove himself as a man and can become too blinded by vanity to question his decisions; which is the case when he is offended by Abu Zaid al-Ma’ari’s remarks about his religion. Though he is headstrong and impulsive, he’s focused on the protection and safety of his family first and foremost. Although he’s not the head of the household, Zuhayr feels a strong responsibility for the well being of his family and his village, and resolves to risk his life for their safety.

Yazid develops a fantastic amount in his character by the end of the novel. He was attached like a toddler to his parents, spending most of his time harassing the adults or his siblings to play a game or entertain him. As the tone of the novel grew more solemn, and the threat directed at Al-Hudayl gained became more true to reality, Yazid became more reserved. He concealed his emotions and became more reserved, and spent progressively more time in the tower reading. By the end, facing the sword, he was brave enough to maintain his composure and offer his conqueror to stay over as a guest, as his father once told him was the proper course of action. Arguably the most courageous character in the finale of the novel, Yazid accepts his death with a weak, half-smile, and dies morally superior to the Christian army.