1.

In an Antique Land examines the complexities of the identity of the 'self' and the
'other'. How does he explore the mysterious 'other' in the context of India, Egypt and
Iraq? Elaborate and give specific examples to support your arguments.

In an Antique land by Amitav Gosh is half narrative and half the study of small town
in Egypt. The narrator spent his time in Egypt as a student studying the lost city of
Alexandria. This book examines the author’s own heritage and experience beside the
culture of Egypt and Jewish trader who had an Indian slave in 20th century.

In 1980 author travelled to Egypt, a small village known as Lataifa, where he began
to observe and learn about the Egyptian people and their lifestyle. The narrator
attempts to gain the friendship of the villagers and gets to know them and their
beliefs and customs. He then tells them about Indian culture and customs, though
the views about both the culture doesn’t match. When the author reached Lataifa,
he struggled to reveal his identity because Lataifa was a village and it was far off
from modern technology, the native people were not aware of the incidents
happening outside their world. They had little knowledge about other countries
particularly India. Later in Lataifa the author engages in a discussion on religious
custom and he tells the people that his religion is Hinduism. People in Lataifa were
not much aware about this religion and they even tried to introduce him to Islam.
Also, in Lataifa during the month of Ramadan when Muslims fast, the author also
wanted to join them but he was stopped by saying that “only Muslims can fast
during Ramadan”. So here we can know that people are more constrained to their
custom and beliefs.

People in Lataifa had a thought that their religion and culture was superior to others.
Once Mustafa says to the author that “I know it’s cows you worship” and author
replies by saying that “In my country some people don’t eat beef because cows Give
milk and plough the fields and so on, so they are very useful” but Ustaz was not so
convinced with author’s answer. These village people have no connections with
other country people in the world. They still follow their own ancient culture and
there were no signs of evil of modern civilization. Thus, author slowly try to
understand the behaviour of the Islamic people.

Author also faced lot of communication issues because he was not very fluent in
Arabic so he was not able to express his views and opinions clearly to the people in
Lataifa. During his second visit to Egypt in 1988 again the author was confronted
with cultural problems. When he went to meet Ustaz he met Amm Taha there and
she asked the author about burning dead bodies in India and when people didn’t
agree with his point of explanation author felt so frustrated. And in Nashawy the
author meets Nabeel and Ismail. Author comes to know that Nabeel and Ismail
wanted to become officers in the village cooperative. Nabeel belonged to a poor
family and he decided to free his family from poverty. Both Nabeel and Ismail were
so determined to provide a better life to their family so they decided to go to Iraq in
search o job and finally they get a job and they send money to their family who lives
in Egypt.

Author also discuss with us about his encounter with Imam and Khamees the rat.
Imam was the man who led the daily prayers in the mosque. Imam was by
profession, a barber and a healer. People said he knew a great deal about herbs and
the old kind of medicine. Author then met Khamees the rat who was illiterate.
Author then came to know that Khamees the Rat who was called as the Rat, because
he was said to
gnaw away at things with his tongue, like a rat did with its teeth.

Author then speaks about the relation with Ben Yiju and his slave Bomma. Ben Yiju
settles down in Mangalore in India and marries a girl from the matrilineal community
of Nair. Ashu was his love and three years later Ben Yiju becomes the father of a son.
Bomma was a slave and during those period salves were used as apprentices, some
were fictive ties of unrelated kinship, some shared the bond between master and
slave which acquired a religious and spiritual dimension. Bomma was very close to
Ben Yiju his master and was more a companion and partner to him than a slave.

As a whole Amitav Gosh was interested in the lives and views of outsiders including
his own view as an Indian living in Egypt. He also explained about the cultural
variations and difficulties he had to face as a foreigner and Hindu.