Seven Pillars of Wisdom · Chapter
LXI explained
Lawrence recruits sergeants Lewis and Stokes for a raid, leading them into the desert to join the Howeitat at Guweira.
What happens
Lawrence recruits sergeants Lewis and Stokes for a raid, leading them into the desert to join the Howeitat at Guweira. He observes the cultural friction between the Englishmen and Arabs, and navigates tribal tensions among the Howeitat, particularly with Auda abu Tayi, to secure support for the operation.
Themes in this chapter
Culture and Otherness
Lawrence contrasts the Englishmen's reactions to Arab society—Lewis becoming more familiar yet condescending, Stokes more insular—and reflects on the broader colonial attitudes of the British and French.
Honor and Deception
Auda's ambition to use British dependence to assert leadership over the Howeitat, and the delicate negotiations to maintain tribal cohesion.
Suffering and Endurance
The harsh conditions of the desert—extreme heat, flies, and scarcity—and the physical and mental toll on both the Arabs and the newly arrived sergeants.
Characters to notice
- T.E. Lawrence
Leads the party, observes cultural dynamics, and negotiates with Auda to resolve tribal disputes.
- Auda abu Tayi
Ambitious leader of the Howeitat, seeking to assert control over smaller sections; engages in a philosophical debate with Lawrence.
- Emir Feisal
Sends Sherif Mastur as mediator to Guweira to resolve tribal tensions.
- Sherif Mastur
Acts as mediator among the dissident Howeitat clans.
- Rahail
A young, spirited Arab follower with a mercurial temperament, noted for his animal attractiveness and forward behavior.
- Lewis
Australian sergeant who volunteers for the raid, seeking the strangeness of desert life; his behavior toward Arabs reveals underlying racial assumptions.
Key passages
“Lewis replied that he was looking for just this strangeness of life. Stokes supposed that if we did it, he could.”
Lewis said he wanted exactly this kind of unusual experience, and Stokes agreed to join if Lawrence was going.
The sergeants volunteer for the raid, motivated by a desire for adventure.
“The Englishmen in the Middle East divided into two classes. Class one, subtle and insinuating, caught the characteristics of the people about him... Class two, the John Bull of the books, became the more rampantly English the longer he was away from England.”
British men in the Middle East fell into two types: one that adapted to local ways and influenced subtly, and another that became more exaggeratedly English the longer they were abroad.
Lawrence's reflection on colonial attitudes and cultural interaction.
“Auda was ambitious to take advantage of our dependence on his help to assort the tribes. He drew the bulk-wages for the Howeitat; and, by the money, sought to compel the smaller free-sections to his leadership.”
Auda used his control over wages to pressure smaller tribal groups into accepting his authority, exploiting the British reliance on him.
Tribal politics and Auda's maneuvering for power.