From the opening of Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, we know that Ximenes de Cisneros has what is probably the most effective mode of conquering a people, which is destroying their culture and with it, their identity. Destroying literature and art comes first, but Cisneros sees that the language must be eradicated, too, stressing the importance of “plucking away the offending tongues” so that even oral traditions die out (4). In Tariq Ali’s novel, the importance of language is highlighted, and we can see the gradual conquering of not just a land, but of a culture. “Ximenes understand the power of ideas,” as do his fellow conquerors (5). Ideas and knowledge being subject to language is an important concept to understand because by Orientalist thinking, to know is to create. The Catholics want to prevent the Moors from speaking Arabic because their language contains their cultural identities. The destruction of identity in the novel is made apparent in the changing of names, most importantly of those who convert. The best example may be Ibn Hisham. After he converts, he is christened Pedro de Granada, mistakenly calling himself Pedro de Gharnata in front of Ximenes. The characters in the novel are most often called as their father’s sons, so when Ibn Hisham converts, his identity is no longer defined by his heritage, his culture, or his language; he takes the name Pedro, a Spanish name, loses the qualifier of son of Hisham, and Ximenes even corrects him on the pronunciation of Gharnata, which has been changed by the conquerors. Pedro is practically a new character to us, and can no longer feel as if he fits in with his own cultural roots, his most basic identity having been colonized. While Ximenes observes that Ibn Hisham “will remain a Mahometan till the day he dies,” the act of tearing away his culture by imposing a new one has its ramifications. Creation through knowledge is most apparent when it is functioning on a large scale, such as when we observe the West's creation of an opposing Other in the East. However, the novel illustrates this on an individual level, too. Similar to Ibn Hisham’s case is that of Miguel. Ibn Hisham serves to represent the altering of identity of an entire culture, but in Miguel, we see how this process actually plays out. Ama, a woman who lived with Miguel and his family since he was born, spits at the mention of Yazid’s great-uncle; the family has a running joke about how he stinks. Obviously betraying his religion turns Miguel’s family against him, but the change in his name and identity alienates him from his former culture. His family no longer calls their uncle Meekal al-Malek, so it’s as if that person has ceased to be. The Catholics created a new identity for Meekal by renaming and changing him; now known as Miguel el Malek the Bishop of Qurtuba, a new identity has been created. Ximenes de Cisneros knows what he is talking about when he offers the idea that to conquer is to stamp out the things that define a culture, one of the most important aspects being language because if words control thoughts and produce knowledge, what is created must stem from the language itself.
Names in Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree When I first began reading Tariq Ali’s novel, “Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree,” I was really intrigued by all the different stories that were happening all at once. The book being a historical novel is giving actually people who existed and their main significances in life. So the novel proves to be interesting because you are not only learning about one person but many and how they are all intertwined. I find this in my reading so far to be one of the most interesting facts of the story. Many of these people have the same father and not everyone knows these secrets. Such as Wajid al-Zindiq, He supposedly may have the same father as Zuhayr’s grandfather. But aside from that, I really found the part of Muslims being able to have more than one wife interesting. I was really fascinated because I didn’t know the Muslim faith could do that. At first I thought maybe it’s not like that now and that’s just how it was back then. But I actually researched and Muslim men are allowed to have at least four wives. However they’re restrictions about why and how they can marry wives. I also came to realize from my research that Allah has told them polygamy is legitimized and is not a bad thing to do. This part really stood out to me because I feel as if Edward Said’s orientalism is creeping back in. I did not think there was anything wrong with having many wives when reading this book but I guess I never considered it to be an option. I feel like the U.S. portrays polygamy as a bad thing and who am I to judge what others kind happiness in. Another part that I really thought of in the book was why do all of these people have so many names? I realized that certain people have no than one name and that their other names aren’t always nicknames. Beatrice for instance becomes Asma; and the old man in the cave cannot even remember the name his mother had given him because he was replaced by the name Wajid al-Zindiq. And Zuhayr is call al-Zindiq. I find it intriguing that people are given different names based on religion in Beatrice’s case and on personal attributes such as Wajid and Zuhayr. Wajid and Zuhayr’s name means free thinker which is kind of interesting because they seem to be both very intellectual characters yet very connected to one another. I believe that they are sort of one character in itself.
While reading Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree I felt a connection to Edward Said’s theories with regard to Knowledge is power. I also felt a connection to the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Throughout Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree the character Umar who is an Islamic aristocrat is reminded of when the Catholics confiscated all of the Islamic books in the city of Granada and burned them. For Umar this moment is very traumatic to him because it is destroying the history of his people. Through Edward Said’s theory of Knowledge is power this is the exact moment that the Islamic people have lost to the Catholics. The Catholics literally destroyed the knowledge of the Islamic people thus destroying the only shred of power they had left. While reading in the back of my mind Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was very prevalent. The imagery of the books burning and how that symbolized the destruction of knowledge was very relatable to the plot of Fahrenheit 451. Fahrenheit 451 is set in a futuristic world where books become obsolete so the government decides to ban them. The banning of the books leads people to live simplistic, not thoughtful lives. This world almost makes the people slaves to the ignorance that is given to them. The main character of Fahrenheit 451 is a fireman, but not in the sense that he puts out fires, he actually starts fires. He starts fires on piles of books that were banned and need to be disposed of. This relates to Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree because in Fahrenheit 451’s society the books are being destroyed, and the knowledge is dying, therefore people’s power is non-existent. When they burn all of the Islamic books they are burning the power for an entire generation of Islamic people. Future Islamic people will be robbed completely of the knowledge of their ancestors, and they are ignorant to this robbery, just like the people in Fahrenheit 451. Fahrenheit 451 is almost a prediction of what could possibly happen to the Islamic people if this suppression of Islamic work was expanded across the entire Islamic world. Again Edward Said states that Knowledge is power and the ability to controls someone’s knowledge is the ability to control someone completely. In both works Fahrenheit 451 and Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, the suppressors burn the works of literature therefore being able to hold power over them.
The first half of Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree draws attention to the creation of the “other” by projecting one’s own biases and assumptions onto a specific group of people. Through characterization, metaphor, and other devices, Ali simultaneously builds and deconstructs the concept of the religious “other” to reveal it as an illusion. Some of the characters, Christians and Muslims alike, are clearly bigoted. However, they are all governed by a very human mix of love and vengeance, reason and passion. Ama, the grandmotherly maid, is both a victim and a proponent of persecution. Catholics generalize her as an enemy of God, and she does the same to them. Additionally, while she seems to hate Miguel and lacks patience for Zubayda, she is loving and fiercely loyal to the family as a whole. Much of the time she is grumbling and insulting both Catholics and the people around her, but when Yazid falls asleep at dinner the reader gets a glimpse of her inner tenderness. Her eyes are saddened by the realization that she cannot pick the boy up, and Umar recalls his own childhood when “she barely let his feet touch the ground” (17). Ali presents Ama as a character of contradictions, thus highlighting the complexity of human identity and dismantling the credulity of stereotypes. Because Ali uses her character to play with the idea of perception versus reality, it is only fitting that she is the one to reference the work’s title. “If things go on like this…nothing will be left of us but a fragrant memory,” she says. When Yazid inquires whom she is speaking to, she replies, “to the shadows of the pomegranate trees. At least they will be here when we are all gone” (9). The idea of a shadow outlasting a person is an interesting one. A shadow is a simplified, one-dimensional imitation of a more nuanced, three-dimensional world. Ama’s comment suggests the destructive persistency of bold, flat stereotypes, as well as the separation between them and the people they represent. The shadow is also an interesting symbol because it is created by the absence of light. Given that light often signifies knowledge, Ali hints that the creation of the “other” is a result of ignorance. The tree itself could allude to the Garden of Eden or Paradise. The Qur’an itself references pomegranates in a description of Paradise (55:68), and the fruit also has a history in both Christian and Jewish symbolism. Once again, though, the emphasis is on the shadow, not the tree itself. Therefore, Ali could also be suggesting the dangers of distorting a religion, either another’s or one’s own, into a set of simple facts rather than seeing it for the subjective, multi-faceted system that it is. The shadow metaphor also reminds me of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, in which people only know a false reality of shadow because they are bound and forced to look at a cave wall filled with projected images. It is not until one captive escapes into the daylight that he discovers reality for what it is. I wonder if this has any connection to al-Zindiq, the skeptic who lives in a cave. He is certainly selective and deliberate with the knowledge he reveals to those who visit him. However, unlike Plato’s cave, al-Zindiq’s cave is still a place of learning. I am eager to finish the book, and I hope it continues to give dimension to my own shadowy understanding of Spanish Islamic and Catholic tradition.
I really enjoyed the first half of Tariq Ali’s Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree. The plot was easy to get into; it was really interesting to hear about the Inquisition from the Islamic perspective. I learned about it in school, and though we didn’t exactly gloss over the abuse the Muslims endured, it seemed like it had happened in a whole different time. Reading it from the perspective of someone who lived through it, even though it is a fictional account, made it seem a lot more real. I think that students would benefit from reading this during their lesson on the Inquisition, because it offers a whole new angle to the same story.
Ali also included a quite shocking back story. It was a little hard to follow at times, because it seemed as if the characters were discussing family gossip spanning back from the age of their great-grandfather, but it was riveting nonetheless. I was glad the book did not focus solely on the historical events; the family drama aspect of the plot provided a nice balance.
I was a little confused by the names of the characters. A lot of them were very similar, like Zubayda, Zuhayr, and Zahra, and Asma and Ama. Also, a few of the characters are referred to by different names; Ama is also called Amira, the Archbishop is called Ximenes and Cisneros (his first and last name) interchangeably, and Wajid al-Zindiq used to be called Mohammed ibn Zaydun. However, I can only assume that this was common to the Islamic culture in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, so I am glad that Ali kept the names historically accurate, even though it was a little harder to read.
The book was also told from many different points of view. The prologue completely revolved around Ximenes de Cisneros, and then jumped to Yazid’s point of view in the first chapter. I assumed the book would remain entirely in Yaxid’s childlike perspective, but it closely follows both Umar and Zuhayr, his eldest son; Cisneros also plays a major role throughout the book, as he started off the action in the story. Surprisingly, the different points of view added to the plot rather than detracting from it, at least for me. It was a very effective way to not only show the drama and violence of the time period, but also how it affected different generations.
Having read the first half of Tariq Ali’s Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, I am glad to say that last week’s intense readings on Edward Said and the theory of Orientalism, is beginning to make a lot more sense. I love that we are able to apply these theories to a text that is not simply a fiction novel, but one that holds a vast amount of historical truth as well. I have always been fascinated by historical fiction in that it is not purely pages upon pages of dry history, but that the reader is able to identify and truly feel the persona of realistic characters who may in fact be based off of real people. In terms of the first half of Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, as I discovered today in class that a majority of the novel is in reality extremely historically accurate, even including its characters. What stood out to me originally that sparked my interest in the historical legitimacy of Ali’s novel, was when in class we discussed the ways in which Christian members of society were able to pick up on the ways in which newly “converted” Muslim’s and Jew’s were not genuinely converted at all. This façade could easily be identified by the Christian authority during the Inquisition, due to their knowledge of Muslim and Jewish traditions. For example, it is a cultural practice that Muslim’s must obtain a physical purity meaning cleanliness of the body; therefore they are constantly practicing good hygiene. The Christian’s recognized this immediately seeing as they cleaned themselves far less often. This example was prevalent in the novel and at first I did not truly understand it. I believe it is Ama who initiates a conversation with Yazid on how terribly their great-uncle Miguel smell’s due to his newly converted religion of Christianity. On page ten she explains, "Now he smell's like a horse's stable". They use his awful smell as a way to make fun of him for essentially abandoning his cultural and religious practices. Furthermore, I was extremely interested in the public bathhouse as a cultural practice, which I feel continues along the same lines of maintaining physical purity. The bath house is not really a huge setting for the novel, but I do feel that it plays some relevance in discussing the cultural practice of the books character’s, as well as it is relevant to the Inquisition as a whole. The architecture from this period was greatly luxurious, and I feel that Ali does an exquisite job in vividly describing it. He includes all aspects known of this time period, including the bathhouse, the beautiful gardens, and the extravagance of the Abdallah’s overall palace. Each of these settings I feel hold and essentially represent the heart of their culture and religion, tailored and crafted to fit it impeccably. For their great-uncle to come in and simply request that they throw this all away and take on an entirely new identity, it is unfathomable. How could they even escape their previous traditions and identity if it is in essence surrounding them? This question becomes a bit ironic in that following the inquisition, this basically happens. What used to belong to an entire sect of people, has been simply renamed and given re-ownership to someone completely new. Yet, the remains from its past are absolutely still present as an always lingering palimpsest.
The first half of this book was actually very difficult for me to get through and understand, I found myself re-reading a couple of sections in order just to understand what was going on. One of the things we touched on in class today that was very confusing at first for me was the fact that some characters have more then one name in this book. This originally made it kind of hard for me to understand who was who in the story and who the author was talking at a certain time. Once I figured out who Tariq Ali was talking about in this instances I was able to put the pieces together and understand the book a whole lot better. To me this book is very interesting and I am glad that we have to read it because it is not a book that I would normally pick up just because I wanted to read something, though I find myself looking up some words every now and then. I found myself thinking about how I could relate to this book, in order to help myself understand it some more. I found myself returning to that thought that even though the characters in this book may be culturally different from myself as well as others reading this book also, I couldn't help but think that just a Zuhra I had myself discovered secrets from other people even family members that my parents did not want me to know. Even though I find myself relating to the book in this aspect there is still so much in this book that is foreign to me or that I can not relate to. Speaking for myself I can say that this book is opening my eyes up to so much stuff that can happen in other cultures as well as interesting me to look up things that I normally wouldn't.
Literature does not simply mirror society but instead shapes it and comments on the actualities of the society and others interacting with it. Tariq Ali reflects this idea very strongly throughout his text and it truly becomes central sentiment carried by not only those whose culture it is that is being oppressed, but also those trying to oppress. The portrayal of this sentiment in the conquistadors, who wish to convert those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as the savior to Christianity and destroy their culture, is very interesting. Initially this is attempted in a dismissive manner allowing those of different religions and language to continue their own practices of language and literature, however, it becomes understood that this would not lead the type of governance that is wanted. The Catholic Church’s wish was not merely to convert as many people as possible, but more importantly make believers of them. The only way to truly convert those same people was to cut away their culture and replace it with the oppressors own. A societies culture and language grounds the people to a common belief system and while it does not define them it does give them direction. By removing a connection with historic Islamic scripture, literature and thought they were able to take away any influence and all direction it gives to the society whose culture was being removed. It is hard to believe that Tariq Ali’s Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree is truly a Historic Fictional piece because of the importance of literature to history and culture to societies and his mirroring of that in the text. There is something very real about how he speaks about literature and the effects it’s removal can have on a society. While the story about the Farid al-Hudayl’s family is fictional the impact of the destruction of Islamic literature, or any societies literature for that matter, on them and their neighbors is one that has been felt in society even today.
Changing Perspectives in Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree
While reading the first half of Tariq Ali’s novel Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, I found myself repeatedly thinking about the unique narrative voice Ali presents throughout the text. Because Ali uses an omniscient voice within the narration of the text, we as readers are not limited to learning only one character’s thoughts or viewpoint on the Catholic Church’s growing dominance over Al-Andalus. In fact, after reading the Prologue, I thought the majority of the text would follow the character of Ximenes de Cisneros and his bloodthirsty means of converting Muslims into Catholics. Instead, Ali presents a virtual revolving door of protagonists and perspectives. From Ximenes de Cisneros, Ali transitions into the voices of nine-year-old Yazid, twenty-two year old Zuhayr, and their father Umar. Ali’s third-person omniscient narration of the text allows readers to get so close into the heads and thoughts of his characters that he actually transitions into the first person on occasion. For example, when Umar envisions talking to his Uncle Miguel while in the courtyard of his palace, Ali transitions into the first person to reflect the growing passion and desperation Umar feels when speaking of Islamic persecution. Ali writes: “The fault is also in ourselves, but how can I even think about that now? All I see is that wall of fire and behind it the gloating face of that vulture [Ximenes], celebrating his triumph” (20). Rather than the usual third-person narrative I am used to reading, which follows the emotions and thoughts of one protagonist while remaining emotionally detached from all other characters, Ali manages to portray the mindsets of each of his characters while still writing in the third person for the majority of the novel. One notable absence I discovered while reading the first half of the novel, however, was the lack of female narration. There are plenty of female characters within the book—from the wet-nurse Ama, to sisters Hind and Kulthum, to their mother Zubayda and Great-Aunt Zhara—who certainly don’t lack in adventures or experiences which could add to the overall plot of the novel. Hind is portrayed as a rebellious tomboy from the moment she is introduced in the novel, riding back into town on horseback with her father while her injured brother journeys in a wagon with the women. I can't help but wonder how different the novel could be if the character of Hind was more active in the development of the novel's plot--how does a teenage girl's perspective on growing Christian dominance in a former Islamic stronghold differ from that of her brothers' or father's perspectives? In addition, when the story of Zhara’s tumultuous childhood and failed romances is told, it is by Umar or the old man who lives in the cave. As of yet, Zhara has no voice in telling her own story—instead, the responsibility falls to either her nephew or former lover.
In reading the second half of the novel I will be interested in seeing if any of Ali’s female characters gain the chance to narrate their own stories, or if we will continue to follow the story of Catholicism’s growing stronghold in Al-Andalus through the perspectives of male characters like Umar, Zuhayr, and Yazid.
Tariq Ali's Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree is very captivating in it's approach. It begins with oppression, the injustice of book burning which almost anyone can empathize with. Thrusting onto the reader a harsh reality surrounding a historical event creates a statement that cannot easily be ignored; this is truth, this is an actual event in the past, real people experienced this injustice.
Ali then moves into one specific family and their life within this hostile environment. He portrays the family in a very relatable way, perhaps like any American family. Yazid is the memorable little brother, just being awakened to the injustices in the world and bringing to light ideas such as innocense, naivete, and optimism. Hind is the rebellious older sister, trying to find her own way in the world that does not include a husband, something women have struggled with for centuries. And so it goes from the older brother, mother, and father who all play familiar roles known universally through the nuclear family. This approach, through a tight knit family, opens doors for anyone who is unfamiliar with their religion and culture to fall in love with this family. Like any character in a book, once the reader is attached they only want the best for them, hope to see them through to a happy ending, stand by their side in the face of adversity. In this way Ali connects his reader thoroughly to the book, opening the door to explore cultural and societal differences.
Said Meets Ali: Knowledge as a Source of Power and Authority
In the beginning of the novel, Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, Tariq Ali introduces the concept of knowledge and power as a central theme within his historical representation of the Spanish Inquisition. I found myself applying Edward Said’s theory of knowledge and power in colonial imperialism to the way in which the Spanish clergymen first attempted to impose Catholicism on the Semitic religions of Judaism and Islam. In the same way that the imperial powers of Western Europe, especially England, studied the cultural history of the Orient before conquering them and projecting their own ideological beliefs, the leaders of the Inquisition first attempted to study the theological history of Islam in order to persuade Spanish Muslims to convert.
In Said’s notion of Orientalism, he stresses the importance of knowledge as a source of power for England in their conquest of Egypt. As proof that knowledge served to legitimize British occupation in the late 1800s, Said highlights the words of Britain’s Prime Minister Arthur Balfour when he declares, “We know the civilization of Egypt better than we know any other country” (Ashcroft and Ahluwalia 56). This knowledge becomes a pretext for domination, where “To have knowledge of such a thing [as Egypt] is to dominate it, to have authority of it… since we know it and it exists, in a sense, as we know it” (Ashcroft and Ahluwalia 56). The West’s knowledge and perspective of the Orient becomes a construct born out of the “various disciplines by which they are known by Europeans” (Ashcroft and Ahluwalia 57), and such a perspective gave way to the West’s sense of superiority over the East. This becomes the basis of Said’s understanding of Orientalism, which can also applied to the Inquisition as represented in Shades of the Pomegranate Tree.
At the outset of the novel, Ali gives his readers insight into the historical context of the Inquisition’s Islamic ethnocide by describing the destruction of Islamic texts and the consequent destruction of the Islamic intellectual presence in Spain. The way scholars in the service of the Church urged Ximenes de Cisneros to exclude Arabic texts on medicine and astronomy from the index of banned books provides an example of how Spain was able to use knowledge from the East to their advantage, while simultaneously eliminating any information that would become an obstacle to their authority over the Islamic community, especially cultural or religious texts. Ximenes de Cisneros believed that in order to dominate the Jewish and Muslim population, their culture, as the Spanish perceived it, would have to be “completely erased” (Ali 4).
Before Archbishop Ximenes de Cisneros began dominating the Islamic population, Archbishop Talavera attempted first to accumulate knowledge of Islamic theology and argue for the superiority of Catholicism. This knowledge laid the foundation necessary for Ximenes de Cisneros to later dominate the Islamic presence in Spain. Talavera and his fellow clergymen learned how to read Arabic and use this language as an opportunity to persuade Muslims to convert (Ali 20-21). In the same vein, even Ximenes himself engaged in theological disputes with Islamic scholars (Ali 21). This however ended in violence, when Ximenes started to crush his opposition through torture and forced conversion, thus establishing a Catholic superiority.
Edward Said’s connection between knowledge and power in colonial imperialism provides the framework for understanding how the Inquisition was able to succeed in dominating the Islamic and Jewish community. The knowledge and perspective Spanish clergymen had of Islamic tradition and theology became the basis for their campaign to eradicate it.
What we’ve read so far Edward Said is a very thorough and informative description of Said’s works, theories, and literary and political stances. For me, what worked best about the way the authors present Said’s work is how they constantly reference and compare Said to other literary critics, writers, and political thinkers. Personally I had never heard of Edward Said before, so the contextualization of his work in the framework of Foucault, Barthes, and Derrida, literary theorists with whom I am more familiar, makes it easier for me to understand what Said is saying and what he is reacting against. They also do not simply state that Said in some ways positively incorporated the works of Foucault into his own texts: instead they describe specifically where and how he uses Foucault or departs from Foucault’s theories. This ability to contextualize Said with other famous critics is a major strength of the book.
Particularly, I feel the authors do an excellent job of persuading the reader to side with Said’s support of the “worldliness” of the text as opposed to a strict structuralist critical approach in which everything one needs to know about the text is in the text, that is a thing of itself divorced from, and even in place or, the concrete realities of the world. Intrinsically it makes more sense for me to follow Said’s line of reasoning about the connection between the text and political realities than it does to consider the text as something outside of time and circumstance. Particularly, I liked how the authors did not simply state Said’s theories or summarize his writings, but instead provided a rich context of works that he is reacting against in order to give context and meaning to his “key ideas”. Similarly, the authors do not leave Said’s work in some sort of critical void, but instead consider some of the major criticisms written in response to Said’s books, specifically Orientalism.
As for my expectations for this class, I think that beginning with Edward Said lays a positive groundwork. Starting with a theoretical analysis of world literature and how the “West” has created the image of Orientalism is a useful way to enter into the other, fictional texts that we will be reading. Without this solid theoretical groundwork, the ensuing novels we will be reading will not be as fully appreciated in the larger context of global literature, and how different cultures and parts of the world are interacting with each other.
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ReplyDeleteCreation through Destruction
ReplyDeleteFrom the opening of Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, we know that Ximenes de Cisneros has what is probably the most effective mode of conquering a people, which is destroying their culture and with it, their identity. Destroying literature and art comes first, but Cisneros sees that the language must be eradicated, too, stressing the importance of “plucking away the offending tongues” so that even oral traditions die out (4). In Tariq Ali’s novel, the importance of language is highlighted, and we can see the gradual conquering of not just a land, but of a culture.
“Ximenes understand the power of ideas,” as do his fellow conquerors (5). Ideas and knowledge being subject to language is an important concept to understand because by Orientalist thinking, to know is to create. The Catholics want to prevent the Moors from speaking Arabic because their language contains their cultural identities. The destruction of identity in the novel is made apparent in the changing of names, most importantly of those who convert.
The best example may be Ibn Hisham. After he converts, he is christened Pedro de Granada, mistakenly calling himself Pedro de Gharnata in front of Ximenes. The characters in the novel are most often called as their father’s sons, so when Ibn Hisham converts, his identity is no longer defined by his heritage, his culture, or his language; he takes the name Pedro, a Spanish name, loses the qualifier of son of Hisham, and Ximenes even corrects him on the pronunciation of Gharnata, which has been changed by the conquerors. Pedro is practically a new character to us, and can no longer feel as if he fits in with his own cultural roots, his most basic identity having been colonized. While Ximenes observes that Ibn Hisham “will remain a Mahometan till the day he dies,” the act of tearing away his culture by imposing a new one has its ramifications.
Creation through knowledge is most apparent when it is functioning on a large scale, such as when we observe the West's creation of an opposing Other in the East. However, the novel illustrates this on an individual level, too. Similar to Ibn Hisham’s case is that of Miguel. Ibn Hisham serves to represent the altering of identity of an entire culture, but in Miguel, we see how this process actually plays out. Ama, a woman who lived with Miguel and his family since he was born, spits at the mention of Yazid’s great-uncle; the family has a running joke about how he stinks. Obviously betraying his religion turns Miguel’s family against him, but the change in his name and identity alienates him from his former culture. His family no longer calls their uncle Meekal al-Malek, so it’s as if that person has ceased to be. The Catholics created a new identity for Meekal by renaming and changing him; now known as Miguel el Malek the Bishop of Qurtuba, a new identity has been created.
Ximenes de Cisneros knows what he is talking about when he offers the idea that to conquer is to stamp out the things that define a culture, one of the most important aspects being language because if words control thoughts and produce knowledge, what is created must stem from the language itself.
Names in Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree
ReplyDeleteWhen I first began reading Tariq Ali’s novel, “Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree,” I was really intrigued by all the different stories that were happening all at once. The book being a historical novel is giving actually people who existed and their main significances in life. So the novel proves to be interesting because you are not only learning about one person but many and how they are all intertwined. I find this in my reading so far to be one of the most interesting facts of the story. Many of these people have the same father and not everyone knows these secrets. Such as Wajid al-Zindiq, He supposedly may have the same father as Zuhayr’s grandfather. But aside from that, I really found the part of Muslims being able to have more than one wife interesting. I was really fascinated because I didn’t know the Muslim faith could do that. At first I thought maybe it’s not like that now and that’s just how it was back then. But I actually researched and Muslim men are allowed to have at least four wives. However they’re restrictions about why and how they can marry wives. I also came to realize from my research that Allah has told them polygamy is legitimized and is not a bad thing to do. This part really stood out to me because I feel as if Edward Said’s orientalism is creeping back in. I did not think there was anything wrong with having many wives when reading this book but I guess I never considered it to be an option. I feel like the U.S. portrays polygamy as a bad thing and who am I to judge what others kind happiness in.
Another part that I really thought of in the book was why do all of these people have so many names? I realized that certain people have no than one name and that their other names aren’t always nicknames. Beatrice for instance becomes Asma; and the old man in the cave cannot even remember the name his mother had given him because he was replaced by the name Wajid al-Zindiq. And Zuhayr is call al-Zindiq. I find it intriguing that people are given different names based on religion in Beatrice’s case and on personal attributes such as Wajid and Zuhayr. Wajid and Zuhayr’s name means free thinker which is kind of interesting because they seem to be both very intellectual characters yet very connected to one another. I believe that they are sort of one character in itself.
While reading Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree I felt a connection to Edward Said’s theories with regard to Knowledge is power. I also felt a connection to the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Throughout Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree the character Umar who is an Islamic aristocrat is reminded of when the Catholics confiscated all of the Islamic books in the city of Granada and burned them. For Umar this moment is very traumatic to him because it is destroying the history of his people. Through Edward Said’s theory of Knowledge is power this is the exact moment that the Islamic people have lost to the Catholics. The Catholics literally destroyed the knowledge of the Islamic people thus destroying the only shred of power they had left.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading in the back of my mind Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was very prevalent. The imagery of the books burning and how that symbolized the destruction of knowledge was very relatable to the plot of Fahrenheit 451. Fahrenheit 451 is set in a futuristic world where books become obsolete so the government decides to ban them. The banning of the books leads people to live simplistic, not thoughtful lives. This world almost makes the people slaves to the ignorance that is given to them. The main character of Fahrenheit 451 is a fireman, but not in the sense that he puts out fires, he actually starts fires. He starts fires on piles of books that were banned and need to be disposed of. This relates to Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree because in Fahrenheit 451’s society the books are being destroyed, and the knowledge is dying, therefore people’s power is non-existent. When they burn all of the Islamic books they are burning the power for an entire generation of Islamic people. Future Islamic people will be robbed completely of the knowledge of their ancestors, and they are ignorant to this robbery, just like the people in Fahrenheit 451.
Fahrenheit 451 is almost a prediction of what could possibly happen to the Islamic people if this suppression of Islamic work was expanded across the entire Islamic world. Again Edward Said states that Knowledge is power and the ability to controls someone’s knowledge is the ability to control someone completely. In both works Fahrenheit 451 and Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, the suppressors burn the works of literature therefore being able to hold power over them.
Shadows of Ignorance
ReplyDeleteThe first half of Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree draws attention to the creation of the “other” by projecting one’s own biases and assumptions onto a specific group of people. Through characterization, metaphor, and other devices, Ali simultaneously builds and deconstructs the concept of the religious “other” to reveal it as an illusion. Some of the characters, Christians and Muslims alike, are clearly bigoted. However, they are all governed by a very human mix of love and vengeance, reason and passion. Ama, the grandmotherly maid, is both a victim and a proponent of persecution. Catholics generalize her as an enemy of God, and she does the same to them. Additionally, while she seems to hate Miguel and lacks patience for Zubayda, she is loving and fiercely loyal to the family as a whole. Much of the time she is grumbling and insulting both Catholics and the people around her, but when Yazid falls asleep at dinner the reader gets a glimpse of her inner tenderness. Her eyes are saddened by the realization that she cannot pick the boy up, and Umar recalls his own childhood when “she barely let his feet touch the ground” (17). Ali presents Ama as a character of contradictions, thus highlighting the complexity of human identity and dismantling the credulity of stereotypes.
Because Ali uses her character to play with the idea of perception versus reality, it is only fitting that she is the one to reference the work’s title. “If things go on like this…nothing will be left of us but a fragrant memory,” she says. When Yazid inquires whom she is speaking to, she replies, “to the shadows of the pomegranate trees. At least they will be here when we are all gone” (9). The idea of a shadow outlasting a person is an interesting one. A shadow is a simplified, one-dimensional imitation of a more nuanced, three-dimensional world. Ama’s comment suggests the destructive persistency of bold, flat stereotypes, as well as the separation between them and the people they represent. The shadow is also an interesting symbol because it is created by the absence of light. Given that light often signifies knowledge, Ali hints that the creation of the “other” is a result of ignorance. The tree itself could allude to the Garden of Eden or Paradise. The Qur’an itself references pomegranates in a description of Paradise (55:68), and the fruit also has a history in both Christian and Jewish symbolism. Once again, though, the emphasis is on the shadow, not the tree itself. Therefore, Ali could also be suggesting the dangers of distorting a religion, either another’s or one’s own, into a set of simple facts rather than seeing it for the subjective, multi-faceted system that it is. The shadow metaphor also reminds me of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, in which people only know a false reality of shadow because they are bound and forced to look at a cave wall filled with projected images. It is not until one captive escapes into the daylight that he discovers reality for what it is. I wonder if this has any connection to al-Zindiq, the skeptic who lives in a cave. He is certainly selective and deliberate with the knowledge he reveals to those who visit him. However, unlike Plato’s cave, al-Zindiq’s cave is still a place of learning. I am eager to finish the book, and I hope it continues to give dimension to my own shadowy understanding of Spanish Islamic and Catholic tradition.
Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, Part 1
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the first half of Tariq Ali’s Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree. The plot was easy to get into; it was really interesting to hear about the Inquisition from the Islamic perspective. I learned about it in school, and though we didn’t exactly gloss over the abuse the Muslims endured, it seemed like it had happened in a whole different time. Reading it from the perspective of someone who lived through it, even though it is a fictional account, made it seem a lot more real. I think that students would benefit from reading this during their lesson on the Inquisition, because it offers a whole new angle to the same story.
Ali also included a quite shocking back story. It was a little hard to follow at times, because it seemed as if the characters were discussing family gossip spanning back from the age of their great-grandfather, but it was riveting nonetheless. I was glad the book did not focus solely on the historical events; the family drama aspect of the plot provided a nice balance.
I was a little confused by the names of the characters. A lot of them were very similar, like Zubayda, Zuhayr, and Zahra, and Asma and Ama. Also, a few of the characters are referred to by different names; Ama is also called Amira, the Archbishop is called Ximenes and Cisneros (his first and last name) interchangeably, and Wajid al-Zindiq used to be called Mohammed ibn Zaydun. However, I can only assume that this was common to the Islamic culture in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, so I am glad that Ali kept the names historically accurate, even though it was a little harder to read.
The book was also told from many different points of view. The prologue completely revolved around Ximenes de Cisneros, and then jumped to Yazid’s point of view in the first chapter. I assumed the book would remain entirely in Yaxid’s childlike perspective, but it closely follows both Umar and Zuhayr, his eldest son; Cisneros also plays a major role throughout the book, as he started off the action in the story. Surprisingly, the different points of view added to the plot rather than detracting from it, at least for me. It was a very effective way to not only show the drama and violence of the time period, but also how it affected different generations.
Why Does Great-Uncle Miguel Smell So Bad?
ReplyDeleteHaving read the first half of Tariq Ali’s Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, I am glad to say that last week’s intense readings on Edward Said and the theory of Orientalism, is beginning to make a lot more sense. I love that we are able to apply these theories to a text that is not simply a fiction novel, but one that holds a vast amount of historical truth as well. I have always been fascinated by historical fiction in that it is not purely pages upon pages of dry history, but that the reader is able to identify and truly feel the persona of realistic characters who may in fact be based off of real people. In terms of the first half of Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, as I discovered today in class that a majority of the novel is in reality extremely historically accurate, even including its characters.
What stood out to me originally that sparked my interest in the historical legitimacy of Ali’s novel, was when in class we discussed the ways in which Christian members of society were able to pick up on the ways in which newly “converted” Muslim’s and Jew’s were not genuinely converted at all. This façade could easily be identified by the Christian authority during the Inquisition, due to their knowledge of Muslim and Jewish traditions. For example, it is a cultural practice that Muslim’s must obtain a physical purity meaning cleanliness of the body; therefore they are constantly practicing good hygiene. The Christian’s recognized this immediately seeing as they cleaned themselves far less often. This example was prevalent in the novel and at first I did not truly understand it. I believe it is Ama who initiates a conversation with Yazid on how terribly their great-uncle Miguel smell’s due to his newly converted religion of Christianity. On page ten she explains, "Now he smell's like a horse's stable". They use his awful smell as a way to make fun of him for essentially abandoning his cultural and religious practices. Furthermore, I was extremely interested in the public bathhouse as a cultural practice, which I feel continues along the same lines of maintaining physical purity.
The bath house is not really a huge setting for the novel, but I do feel that it plays some relevance in discussing the cultural practice of the books character’s, as well as it is relevant to the Inquisition as a whole. The architecture from this period was greatly luxurious, and I feel that Ali does an exquisite job in vividly describing it. He includes all aspects known of this time period, including the bathhouse, the beautiful gardens, and the extravagance of the Abdallah’s overall palace. Each of these settings I feel hold and essentially represent the heart of their culture and religion, tailored and crafted to fit it impeccably. For their great-uncle to come in and simply request that they throw this all away and take on an entirely new identity, it is unfathomable. How could they even escape their previous traditions and identity if it is in essence surrounding them? This question becomes a bit ironic in that following the inquisition, this basically happens. What used to belong to an entire sect of people, has been simply renamed and given re-ownership to someone completely new. Yet, the remains from its past are absolutely still present as an always lingering palimpsest.
1st half Shadows of The Pomegranate Tree
ReplyDeleteThe first half of this book was actually very difficult for me to get through and understand, I found myself re-reading a couple of sections in order just to understand what was going on. One of the things we touched on in class today that was very confusing at first for me was the fact that some characters have more then one name in this book. This originally made it kind of hard for me to understand who was who in the story and who the author was talking at a certain time. Once I figured out who Tariq Ali was talking about in this instances I was able to put the pieces together and understand the book a whole lot better. To me this book is very interesting and I am glad that we have to read it because it is not a book that I would normally pick up just because I wanted to read something, though I find myself looking up some words every now and then.
I found myself thinking about how I could relate to this book, in order to help myself understand it some more. I found myself returning to that thought that even though the characters in this book may be culturally different from myself as well as others reading this book also, I couldn't help but think that just a Zuhra I had myself discovered secrets from other people even family members that my parents did not want me to know. Even though I find myself relating to the book in this aspect there is still so much in this book that is foreign to me or that I can not relate to. Speaking for myself I can say that this book is opening my eyes up to so much stuff that can happen in other cultures as well as interesting me to look up things that I normally wouldn't.
They Set Fire to Our Culture
ReplyDeleteLiterature does not simply mirror society but instead shapes it and comments on the actualities of the society and others interacting with it. Tariq Ali reflects this idea very strongly throughout his text and it truly becomes central sentiment carried by not only those whose culture it is that is being oppressed, but also those trying to oppress.
The portrayal of this sentiment in the conquistadors, who wish to convert those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as the savior to Christianity and destroy their culture, is very interesting. Initially this is attempted in a dismissive manner allowing those of different religions and language to continue their own practices of language and literature, however, it becomes understood that this would not lead the type of governance that is wanted. The Catholic Church’s wish was not merely to convert as many people as possible, but more importantly make believers of them. The only way to truly convert those same people was to cut away their culture and replace it with the oppressors own. A societies culture and language grounds the people to a common belief system and while it does not define them it does give them direction. By removing a connection with historic Islamic scripture, literature and thought they were able to take away any influence and all direction it gives to the society whose culture was being removed.
It is hard to believe that Tariq Ali’s Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree is truly a Historic Fictional piece because of the importance of literature to history and culture to societies and his mirroring of that in the text. There is something very real about how he speaks about literature and the effects it’s removal can have on a society. While the story about the Farid al-Hudayl’s family is fictional the impact of the destruction of Islamic literature, or any societies literature for that matter, on them and their neighbors is one that has been felt in society even today.
Changing Perspectives in Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the first half of Tariq Ali’s novel Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, I found myself repeatedly thinking about the unique narrative voice Ali presents throughout the text. Because Ali uses an omniscient voice within the narration of the text, we as readers are not limited to learning only one character’s thoughts or viewpoint on the Catholic Church’s growing dominance over Al-Andalus. In fact, after reading the Prologue, I thought the majority of the text would follow the character of Ximenes de Cisneros and his bloodthirsty means of converting Muslims into Catholics. Instead, Ali presents a virtual revolving door of protagonists and perspectives. From Ximenes de Cisneros, Ali transitions into the voices of nine-year-old Yazid, twenty-two year old Zuhayr, and their father Umar.
Ali’s third-person omniscient narration of the text allows readers to get so close into the heads and thoughts of his characters that he actually transitions into the first person on occasion. For example, when Umar envisions talking to his Uncle Miguel while in the courtyard of his palace, Ali transitions into the first person to reflect the growing passion and desperation Umar feels when speaking of Islamic persecution. Ali writes: “The fault is also in ourselves, but how can I even think about that now? All I see is that wall of fire and behind it the gloating face of that vulture [Ximenes], celebrating his triumph” (20). Rather than the usual third-person narrative I am used to reading, which follows the emotions and thoughts of one protagonist while remaining emotionally detached from all other characters, Ali manages to portray the mindsets of each of his characters while still writing in the third person for the majority of the novel.
One notable absence I discovered while reading the first half of the novel, however, was the lack of female narration. There are plenty of female characters within the book—from the wet-nurse Ama, to sisters Hind and Kulthum, to their mother Zubayda and Great-Aunt Zhara—who certainly don’t lack in adventures or experiences which could add to the overall plot of the novel. Hind is portrayed as a rebellious tomboy from the moment she is introduced in the novel, riding back into town on horseback with her father while her injured brother journeys in a wagon with the women. I can't help but wonder how different the novel could be if the character of Hind was more active in the development of the novel's plot--how does a teenage girl's perspective on growing Christian dominance in a former Islamic stronghold differ from that of her brothers' or father's perspectives? In addition, when the story of Zhara’s tumultuous childhood and failed romances is told, it is by Umar or the old man who lives in the cave. As of yet, Zhara has no voice in telling her own story—instead, the responsibility falls to either her nephew or former lover.
In reading the second half of the novel I will be interested in seeing if any of Ali’s female characters gain the chance to narrate their own stories, or if we will continue to follow the story of Catholicism’s growing stronghold in Al-Andalus through the perspectives of male characters like Umar, Zuhayr, and Yazid.
Expressing Culture Through Character
ReplyDeleteTariq Ali's Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree is very captivating in it's approach. It begins with oppression, the injustice of book burning which almost anyone can empathize with. Thrusting onto the reader a harsh reality surrounding a historical event creates a statement that cannot easily be ignored; this is truth, this is an actual event in the past, real people experienced this injustice.
Ali then moves into one specific family and their life within this hostile environment. He portrays the family in a very relatable way, perhaps like any American family. Yazid is the memorable little brother, just being awakened to the injustices in the world and bringing to light ideas such as innocense, naivete, and optimism. Hind is the rebellious older sister, trying to find her own way in the world that does not include a husband, something women have struggled with for centuries. And so it goes from the older brother, mother, and father who all play familiar roles known universally through the nuclear family. This approach, through a tight knit family, opens doors for anyone who is unfamiliar with their religion and culture to fall in love with this family. Like any character in a book, once the reader is attached they only want the best for them, hope to see them through to a happy ending, stand by their side in the face of adversity. In this way Ali connects his reader thoroughly to the book, opening the door to explore cultural and societal differences.
Said Meets Ali: Knowledge as a Source of Power and Authority
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the novel, Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, Tariq Ali introduces the concept of knowledge and power as a central theme within his historical representation of the Spanish Inquisition. I found myself applying Edward Said’s theory of knowledge and power in colonial imperialism to the way in which the Spanish clergymen first attempted to impose Catholicism on the Semitic religions of Judaism and Islam. In the same way that the imperial powers of Western Europe, especially England, studied the cultural history of the Orient before conquering them and projecting their own ideological beliefs, the leaders of the Inquisition first attempted to study the theological history of Islam in order to persuade Spanish Muslims to convert.
In Said’s notion of Orientalism, he stresses the importance of knowledge as a source of power for England in their conquest of Egypt. As proof that knowledge served to legitimize British occupation in the late 1800s, Said highlights the words of Britain’s Prime Minister Arthur Balfour when he declares, “We know the civilization of Egypt better than we know any other country” (Ashcroft and Ahluwalia 56). This knowledge becomes a pretext for domination, where “To have knowledge of such a thing [as Egypt] is to dominate it, to have authority of it… since we know it and it exists, in a sense, as we know it” (Ashcroft and Ahluwalia 56). The West’s knowledge and perspective of the Orient becomes a construct born out of the “various disciplines by which they are known by Europeans” (Ashcroft and Ahluwalia 57), and such a perspective gave way to the West’s sense of superiority over the East. This becomes the basis of Said’s understanding of Orientalism, which can also applied to the Inquisition as represented in Shades of the Pomegranate Tree.
At the outset of the novel, Ali gives his readers insight into the historical context of the Inquisition’s Islamic ethnocide by describing the destruction of Islamic texts and the consequent destruction of the Islamic intellectual presence in Spain. The way scholars in the service of the Church urged Ximenes de Cisneros to exclude Arabic texts on medicine and astronomy from the index of banned books provides an example of how Spain was able to use knowledge from the East to their advantage, while simultaneously eliminating any information that would become an obstacle to their authority over the Islamic community, especially cultural or religious texts. Ximenes de Cisneros believed that in order to dominate the Jewish and Muslim population, their culture, as the Spanish perceived it, would have to be “completely erased” (Ali 4).
Before Archbishop Ximenes de Cisneros began dominating the Islamic population, Archbishop Talavera attempted first to accumulate knowledge of Islamic theology and argue for the superiority of Catholicism. This knowledge laid the foundation necessary for Ximenes de Cisneros to later dominate the Islamic presence in Spain. Talavera and his fellow clergymen learned how to read Arabic and use this language as an opportunity to persuade Muslims to convert (Ali 20-21). In the same vein, even Ximenes himself engaged in theological disputes with Islamic scholars (Ali 21). This however ended in violence, when Ximenes started to crush his opposition through torture and forced conversion, thus establishing a Catholic superiority.
Edward Said’s connection between knowledge and power in colonial imperialism provides the framework for understanding how the Inquisition was able to succeed in dominating the Islamic and Jewish community. The knowledge and perspective Spanish clergymen had of Islamic tradition and theology became the basis for their campaign to eradicate it.
What we’ve read so far Edward Said is a very thorough and informative description of Said’s works, theories, and literary and political stances. For me, what worked best about the way the authors present Said’s work is how they constantly reference and compare Said to other literary critics, writers, and political thinkers. Personally I had never heard of Edward Said before, so the contextualization of his work in the framework of Foucault, Barthes, and Derrida, literary theorists with whom I am more familiar, makes it easier for me to understand what Said is saying and what he is reacting against. They also do not simply state that Said in some ways positively incorporated the works of Foucault into his own texts: instead they describe specifically where and how he uses Foucault or departs from Foucault’s theories. This ability to contextualize Said with other famous critics is a major strength of the book.
ReplyDeleteParticularly, I feel the authors do an excellent job of persuading the reader to side with Said’s support of the “worldliness” of the text as opposed to a strict structuralist critical approach in which everything one needs to know about the text is in the text, that is a thing of itself divorced from, and even in place or, the concrete realities of the world. Intrinsically it makes more sense for me to follow Said’s line of reasoning about the connection between the text and political realities than it does to consider the text as something outside of time and circumstance. Particularly, I liked how the authors did not simply state Said’s theories or summarize his writings, but instead provided a rich context of works that he is reacting against in order to give context and meaning to his “key ideas”. Similarly, the authors do not leave Said’s work in some sort of critical void, but instead consider some of the major criticisms written in response to Said’s books, specifically Orientalism.
As for my expectations for this class, I think that beginning with Edward Said lays a positive groundwork. Starting with a theoretical analysis of world literature and how the “West” has created the image of Orientalism is a useful way to enter into the other, fictional texts that we will be reading. Without this solid theoretical groundwork, the ensuing novels we will be reading will not be as fully appreciated in the larger context of global literature, and how different cultures and parts of the world are interacting with each other.