Western literature gives us a representation of the attitude of Westerners toward Morocco throughout recent history. Five works of literature written in different time periods from the years 1890 to 2007 are examined to determine the evolution of how the West views Morocco including its traditions and cultures. In Pierre Loti’s book, Au Moroc (In Morocco) which was published in 1890, Loti gives us a very romantic view of Morocco. Loti describes his visit to Morocco in near poetry as he travels with the French minister on a visit to the Sultan. Loti states, “Fez, which is the goal of our journey, is far away, under the burning sun, in the heart of this closed unchanging country, whole life remains the same today as it was 1000 years ago”( Loti, Pg. 19). Loti seems to worship the simplicity of the ancient life. He deplores the modernization of Tangiers, as compared to the more primitive remainder of Morocco.
Primarily, Loti gives us beautiful views of the landscapes and people as he travel through Morocco. But he also reveals to us the many gross injustices of the Morocco of 1890: slavery and the abuse of Jews, women, the poor and animals. But instead of deploring these injustices, Loti seems to embraces the nostalgia for times past. In the Preface, Loti says, “No one need expect to find it dissertations on the political condition of Monaco, on its future, or what is to be done to bring it into harmony with the modern movement” (Loti, Pg. 5). Indeed, Loti praises the Sultan, “As to his majesty, the Sultan, I am glad that he is handsome; that he will have neither press nor
…show more content…
The students become priests are apt to preach a religious war. Rather than studying modern math or literature, the students study the ancient topics of astrology, alchemy, and divination. They study the mystic numbers, the influence of stars and demons, which Loti states have disappeared from the rest of the world. (Loti, Pg.
The French occupation is a confrontation between exported modernity and an old regime: the French revolutionaries and their dominance over the Ottoman social order that is markedly different in contrast; and, al-Jabarti reports on how it transfers cross-culturally. Levels of contestation, open and/or secretive acceptances give way to losses and gains driven by high emotion – even for this writer. He “describes very carefully every step in the negotiation of the organization of society, from administration to inheritance, from property to charity or from justice to deliberation.”
Moroccan traveler, Ibn Battuta, is well-known for being one of the greatest travelers of his time. Battuta’s descriptive account of his travels to East and West Africa in the fourteenth century provides important insight into African Islamic life at that point in time. Although Battuta and the peoples in black Africa shared the same religion, he comes to realize that sharing a religion is not enough to completely relate to a different group of people. The story of Ibn Battuta in Black Africa illustrates the difficulties he faced in relating to these peoples due to the non-traditional role of women, different religious customs, and frequent misinterpretation of situations.
After a journey into the dark history of Europe and Africa with Sven Lindqvist, I found myself shocked. It’s earth shattering. Ideas and historical events are presented through a journal/proposal of his unique view on racism. Lindqvist raises questions as to where racism was spurred and why what happened in late 1800’s and early 1900’s lead to the holocaust. Including religion, personal human values, advanced warfare and even societies’ impact as a whole. His travels through the Sahara and Africa in the early chapters show a more current day view of society over seas. The description of the desolate continent and harsh conditions paints a picture of what previous civilization lived through. He explains that part of the reason he has traveled to the desert is to feel the space all around him, a definite emptiness if you will. As his travels progress he introduces his own family life that pertains to the human emotion, which is also a big focus point in this book. Childhood beatings over taking the lord’s name in vain, dropped calls from his daughter that leave him torn and sad. He does an excellent job on taking the reader on a personal journey with him through his current day traveling and even his early life. Linking these personal experiences and tying in histories misconceptions of “right and wrong” is what makes this book so valuable. Lindqvist gives a relevant and educated answer to the question of how racism became such a terrible tribulation in all parts of the world.
Contrary to his own experiences with the French Jesuit missionaries’ educational methods, Malidoma invokes his audience in the first part of his story through an innocence in tone and a profoundness in concept. This statement also parallels the plight of African indigenous culture in the presence of the white man. To be more specific, Malidoma explained that the Western world seemed to attack the traditions of Africa or several countries, which the white man did not understand. Although they feared much of the white man’s culture, Africans tended to accept the non-threatening aspects of other cultures as different and even tried to incorporate ideas into their own lives. Malidoma himself went even further in this approach by being educated in both societies. In his life, he has tried to understand the motives and values of both cultures, point out the differences, and even draw out some parallels in the two. Malidoma recognizes the equality of importance of both cultures. Of Water and Spirit seems to be his way of trying to instill this same recognition to other...
Morocco Transcript. Hopes on the Horizon: Africa in the 1990's. 1995-2005. PBS Online. 10 Oct. 2004. <http://www.pbs.org/hopes/morocco/transcript.html>.
Many of Scheherazade’s tales are familiar throughout the world including Aladdin and his magic lamp, Ali Baba and the 40 thieves, Abou Hassan the sleeper, Sinbad the sailor, and others. These tales are filled with witches, genies, flying carpets and winged horses, as well as beautiful princesses, dashing desert horsemen, camel caravans and heartless kings. Their magic, romance, exotic settings, and strange characters have long contributed to Western perceptions of the East as “mysterious”.
In L'aventure ambiguë, the colonization of Senegal by the French have led to different and often conflicting views from different characters, clashes of different cultures and practices of religion, as well as the education that was provided by the Diallobé and from the new foreign schools. These few examples are useful in explaining the term victim', i.e. what he is a victim of, and later on how these forces may have influenced him over the course of the story. To simplify this essay, my essay will be focused mainly on Westernisation' and 'Africanism', as I believe that all these factors come under those headings.
Pinault, David. "The Thousand and One Nights in Arabic Literature and Society." Journal of the American Oriental Society 119 (1999):536-537.
Joyce, James. "Araby." 1914. Literature and Ourselves. Henderson, Gloria, ed. Boston, Longman Press. 2009. 984-988.
Gillo Pontecorvo’s masterful film The Battle of Algiers artfully depicts the violent Algerian uprising from 1954-1962 against French colonial rule in the city of Algiers. Pontecorvo’s film is one of the most historically accurate representations about decolonization in the 20th century. When the film was first released, it was banned in France due to its controversial subject and realistic depiction of the violent methods both used during the Algerian uprising. Pontecorvo is brutally honest in his depiction of the atrocities that the FLN and French authorities committed during the battle.
The region of Maghreb, situated along the north-west African coast, has been an Arab-dominated area for more than a thousand years. Today’s Maghreb consists of five countries: Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. Most of the indigenous population regard themselves as Arabs, though there are also many non-Arabs, too. Those include the Berbers, who also regard the Maghreb as their homeland. The region’s language is predominantly Arabic, but to better facilitate international trade and business activities, major languages such as English French, and Italian are also spoken in some Maghreb countries. Religion is overwhelmingly Muslim, with only the smallest percentage being those of the Christian and Jewish faiths. The political systems of the countries are similar. Algeria, Mauritania, Tunisia, Libya all have presidents, while Morocco has a king. Following the Arab Spring, the transformation of power has changed Tunisia and Libya. Also, the king of Morocco pointed to a new constitution and a reduction of his power by elected government. The Mauritania military au...
These European Influences are the cause of Guy’s displeasure and thirst for more. The hard two-caste system divides Haiti so definitively that it leaves no room for the poor to...
In one of his speeches, Tayep Salih states that “one of the main themes of Season of Migration to the North is […] the confrontation between the Arab Muslim World and the Western European one. […] I have re-defined the so-called East/West relationship as essentially one of conflict, while it had previously been treated in romantic terms. We know better now” (Hassan, 248). Salih’s confrontation with the West may be seen as an attempt to avenge the devastating consequences of its colonial past, reclaim the image of the African and Arabian, exposing the inherent artificiality and repressive attitudes embedded in its derogatory, misrepresented portrayal. However, Salih also shows it as an encounter that delves into the present complexities of
Morocco is a country of 446,550 square kilometers that is located in Northern Africa between Algeria and Western Sahara. It borders both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In 788, around 100 years after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a succession of Moroccan Muslim dynasties began to reign in Morocco. The current Moroccan royal family belongs to the Alawite dynasty, which dates back from the 17th century. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and began a 50 year period of trade rivalry amongst other European powers. Shortly after this in 1912, the French made Morocco a protectorate country. The French rule ended in 1956 with Morocco’s independence. Sultan Mohammed V, the current monarch’s grandfather, organized