# XXXVI explained — Seven Pillars of Wisdom > Chapter companion for Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence. ## What happens Lawrence describes his discomfort in Abdullah's camp, contrasting its frivolous atmosphere with Feisal's seriousness. He details Abdullah's idle habits, his court fool Mohammed Hassan, and his political naivety regarding British promises. Lawrence's opinion of Abdullah sours as he perceives insincerity and laziness. The chapter also introduces Sherif Shakir, a wild, athletic, and devout Bedouin warrior who is Abdullah's close companion. ## Themes in this chapter ### Honor and Deception Lawrence reflects on the interplay of honesty and deceit in diplomacy, noting that the Arab leaders are perceptive to insincerity, while British honesty can be a strategic tool. ### Futility and Meaning Lawrence feels the futility of his efforts to improve himself and others in Abdullah's camp, contrasting it with the meaningful atmosphere under Feisal. ### Culture and Otherness The chapter highlights cultural differences, such as the Bedouin lifestyle of Shakir, the role of the court fool, and the Oriental exclusion of women from politics. ## Character check-ins ### Sherif Abdulla Lawrence finds Abdullah kind but dislikes his camp; portrays him as lazy, self-indulgent, insincere, and politically naive about British promises. ### Sherif Shakir A striking figure, fair-skinned but pockmarked, athletic, devout yet wild, a fearless warrior who imitates Bedouin ways and is admired by tribes. ### Emir Feisal Mentioned as a contrast to Abdullah, representing higher thinking and responsibility. ### Colonel Bremond Sends a letter via Sergeant Prost warning Abdullah about British expansion, which provokes Abdullah's suspicion. ### Colonel Wilson Praised by Lawrence for his blunt honesty, incapable of lying, and used as an example of straightforward British diplomacy. ## Key lines > Despite his kindness and charm, I could not like Abdullah or his camp: perhaps because I was not sociable, and these people had no personal solitude: perhaps because their good humour showed me the futility of my more than Palomides’ pains, not merely to seem better than myself, but to make others better. Lawrence admits he disliked Abdullah and his camp, partly due to his own unsociability and partly because their cheerfulness made him feel his efforts to improve himself and others were pointless. _Lawrence contrasts the frivolous atmosphere of Abdullah's camp with the serious purpose he finds in Feisal's._ > I longed to tell him that the half-witted old man had obtained from us no concrete or unqualified undertaking of any sort, and that their ship might founder on the bar of his political stupidity; but that would have been to give away my English masters, and the mental tug of war between honesty and loyalty, after swaying a while, settled again expediently into deadlock. Lawrence wanted to warn Abdullah that his father had no firm British guarantees, but he held back to avoid betraying his English superiors, resulting in a stalemate between honesty and loyalty. _Highlights Lawrence's internal conflict and the precariousness of Arab expectations based on vague British promises._ > The Arab leaders showed a completeness of instinct, a reliance upon intuition, the unperceived foreknown, which left our centrifugal minds gasping. Like women, they understood and judged quickly, effortlessly, unreasonably. Lawrence observes that Arab leaders possess an intuitive, almost feminine ability to judge situations quickly and without reason, which contrasts with Western analytical thinking. _Reflects Lawrence's stereotypical view of Oriental intuition versus Western rationality._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/seven_pillars_of_wisdom_se/chapters/xxxvi - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/seven_pillars_of_wisdom_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/seven_pillars_of_wisdom_se/chapters