While reading Leo Africanus by Amin Maalouf, the
first thing I noticed was Hasan’s lack of cultural identity. In the preface of
the novel, Hason states that “I am now called the African, but I am not from
Africa, nor from Europe nor from Arabia...I come from no country, from no city,
no tribe. I am the son of the road, my country is the caravan, my life the most
unexpected of voyages” (1). While I know the Hasan in Maalouf’s novel is based
on the historical figure Leo Africanus, I thought Maalouf’s decision in
presenting Hasan from the very first page as someone who identifies with no
particular culture, country, language, etc. may have had more than one purpose:
although the preface introduces readers to the historically accurate aspects of
Leo Africanus, it also serves to not ostracize any particular group of readers
from identifying with the main character.
When I read
a novel and the narrator is introduced as Chinese, Turkish, Spanish,
etc.—anything I am not—I immediately feel some sort of disconnect from the
narrator. It's not that I don't want to identify with the character. It’s just harder to identify with a character or have a personal
connection with him when I am not him.
Without doubt, there will be cultural differences between the narrator and
myself, at least to some degree. While I can continue to sympathize with the
narrator, I cannot empathize with him. From the beginning of Leo Africanus,
however, it is made clear to readers that the narrator identifies with no
specific nationality or religion. Hasan is obviously religious, since he
wonders what he will say to the “supreme Creator” (1) when he passes away.
However, he speaks Arabic, Castilian, and Hebrew, so as far as readers know he
could be Muslim, Christian, or Jewish. Or none of the above.
This
ambiguity in Hasan’s identity, in my opinion, serves as a tool to include all
groups of readers within the text. If Hasan were to identify as solely African,
for example, he would be excluding readers who identify as European or Arabian
from wholly identifying or empathizing with him. However, because Hasan does
not specifically identify himself as African, European, or Arabian, it does not
exclude any particular group of readers from identifying with him. While
Maalouf may just be relaying interesting facts about Leo Africanus or
introducing his readers to the main character of his novel in a poetic way, I
think Maalouf’s decision to begin the novel this way allows his readers to
better relate to and connect with the main character.
I think that this is Maalouf's intent - to point out how hard it is for us to identify other people when we do not know their origin, and it is hard to define ourself when we have many backgrounds. By introducing the character this way, it acts as a complete foreshadowing element. It immediately adds depth to Hasan. I think it is problematic, however, that you had trouble relating to the character because you were not him. After I began to read this book, I immediately became attached to the character, regardless of his cultural identity. I tried to look at the type of person he was, and how he reacted to the events unfolding around him - especially when he sees in father in the pub. I think as we complete the novel, we will get a better sense of the loss and struggle Hasan endures, thus allow us to connect with this character further.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a particularly interesting viewpoint about the fluidity of the identity of Leo Africanus, as well as the inherent difficulty of a reader in connecting with a character coming from an entirely different background. It is a simple truth that, as accepting as we may want to be, we cannot easily accept and follow the motivations and values of a character if they are too dissimilar from our own. To some extent, I think, Maalouf tries to strike a balance in regards to Leo Africanus's attributes, in order to give him a sense of worldliness. When we can see him as a man of the world, as opposed to a singular nation, we can find aspects of ourselves within him. As well, I think this serves as a testament to cultural and racial relations in general. It is crucial, however, that we learn to step outside of our comfort zone and try to see what another is seeing, before we impart judgment. In reading characters of other backgrounds, we must temporarily suspend our own identities, and try to some extent to adopt a sense of neutrality, even if we can never be entirely neutral.
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