The Book of Khalid · Chapter
The City of Baal explained
This chapter provides a detailed portrait of Baalbek, the City of Baal, contrasting its ancient, majestic ruins with its modern, languid life.
What happens
This chapter provides a detailed portrait of Baalbek, the City of Baal, contrasting its ancient, majestic ruins with its modern, languid life. It describes the Acropolis, the Temple of Jupiter, and the Temple of Bacchus, reflecting on the passage of time and the layers of history. The narrative then shifts to Khalid's boyhood, detailing his hatred for school and his love for nature and the open air. It recounts his rebellion against his father and uncle, his life as a muleteer, and his eventual success, which culminates in selling his beloved mare to a tourist. This act provides him with the means to emigrate to America, a decision influenced by Shakib and inspired by the setting sun over the Mediterranean.
Themes in this chapter
East-West Clash
The chapter juxtaposes the ancient, mystical East of Baalbek with the modern, materialistic West, symbolized by the German Emperor's pilfering of ruins and the European tourist who corrupts Khalid's heart with the love of gold.
Nature and Solitude
Khalid finds his true school in the open air, loving bulbuls, beetles, and butterflies. The ruins themselves are described as being overtaken by the 'perennial grace of the seasons,' highlighting nature's endurance over human creations.
Alienation and Identity
Khalid is alienated from his family and formal education, feeling more at home with muleteers and in nature. His yearning for what lies beyond the 'seen horizon' sets him apart and drives his journey.
Critique of Modernity
The chapter critiques modern life through the 'strenuous Europeans and hustling Americans' and the 'prosaic' nature of modern absolutism compared to ancient tyrannies. The 'porcelain bathtubs in its hotels' are a symbol of this superficial modernity.
Characters to notice
- Khalid
His boyhood in Baalbek is detailed, including his rebellion against his father and uncle, his life as a muleteer, and his decision to emigrate to America after selling his mare.
- Shakib
The narrator's scribe, who provides the stories of Khalid's past and influences his decision to head West, seeing the sunset as a call from the New World.
- Najma
Khalid's cousin, whom he loves but is forbidden to see, leading to his initial rebellion.
Key passages
“The realisation is a terrible thing”
Achieving one's dream can be disappointing.
Khalid's reflection after selling his mare, suggesting that attaining his ideal made him lose interest in it.
“For the sundown was more appealing to us than the sunrise, ay, more beautiful. The one was so near, the other so far away. Yes, we beheld the Hesperian light that day, and praised Allah. It was the New World’s bonfire of hospitality: the sun called to us, and we obeyed.”
The sunset over the Mediterranean was more alluring than the sunrise because it pointed to the distant West, which seemed to beckon them to America.
Shakib's account of the moment he and Khalid decided to emigrate, framing it as a romantic and spiritual calling.
“These donkeys can teach the strenuous Europeans and hustling Americans a lesson.”
The slow, languid pace of life in Baalbek is a lesson for the frantic, busy people of the West.
Khalid's observation on the contrast between Eastern and Western approaches to life.