Veiled Women · Chapter
XXV explained
Barakah's fierce devotion to her son Muhammad is central, as she defends his spoiled behavior against criticism from friends and Turkish ladies.
What happens
Barakah's fierce devotion to her son Muhammad is central, as she defends his spoiled behavior against criticism from friends and Turkish ladies. She grapples with her identity, instructing Muhammad to hate the English yet remember his English heritage. Her friendships with Gulbeyzah and Bedr-ul-Budûr deepen, and a wedding feast ends in tragedy when the bride and groom suffocate. The singer Tâhir, devastated by his daughter's death, vows never to sing again but is eventually released from his oath by the Qadi.
Themes in this chapter
Motherhood and Legacy
Barakah's intense devotion to Muhammad and her desire for him to be her vindication against the English and Turkish ladies.
Cultural Clash and Identity
Barakah's conflicted identity as an Englishwoman living in Cairo, instructing her son to hate the English yet remember his English heritage.
Female Friendship and Solidarity
Barakah's close bond with Gulbeyzah and Bedr-ul-Budûr, who provide emotional support and shared memories.
Superstition and Tradition
The belief that children should be kept untidy to avert ill-fortune, and the ritualistic elements of the wedding and Tâhir's oath.
Characters to notice
- Barakah
Defends her son Muhammad's behavior fiercely, instructs him to hate the English while remembering his heritage, and finds solace in friendships with Gulbeyzah and Bedr-ul-Budûr.
- Gulbeyzah
Reminisces with Barakah about their past, comments on Muhammad's spoiled nature, and shows Barakah a window similar to one they once shared.
- Bedr-ul-Budûr
Joins Gulbeyzah in gently criticizing Muhammad's behavior and remains a close friend to Barakah.
- Muhammad Pasha Sâlih
Barakah's son, a spoiled and aggressive child who curses and beats slaves, praised by his mother and Umm ed-Dahak.
- Umm ed-Dahak
Relates the tragic story of the bride and groom's suffocation and Tâhir's subsequent vow, and praises Muhammad's manly spirit.
- Fitnah Khânum
Shakes her head at Muhammad's lack of discipline and is announced at the end of the chapter.
- Tâhir
The great singer whose wedding feast ends in tragedy; he vows never to sing again after his daughter's death but is later released from his oath by the Qadi.
- Amînah Khânum
Criticizes Barakah's taste for common sweets and choice of friends, urging her to be more discerning.
Key passages
“I come and dream here sometimes as of old—I, the mother of two children! sighed Gulbeyzah.”
Gulbeyzah admits she still daydreams at a familiar window, despite being a mother of two.
Gulbeyzah reveals her enduring romantic nature to Barakah.
“He is a little tyrant! said his hostess, laughing. A young savage.”
Gulbeyzah laughs while calling Muhammad a tyrant and a savage after he attacked her daughter.
Gulbeyzah criticizes Muhammad's behavior to Barakah.
“By Allah, it is difficult not to thwart a boy who claims the eyes from out one's face as his to play with!”
Gulbeyzah says it's hard not to deny a boy who demands impossible things.
Gulbeyzah explains the necessity of disciplining Muhammad.
“He took his lute and struck the chords and sang a song more mournful than was ever heard on earth till now. ... And then, with the last note— C‑r‑r‑a‑c‑k! —he broke the lute, and swore the binding oath that he would never sing again.”
Tâhir sang a heartbreaking song after his daughter's death, then smashed his lute and vowed never to sing again.
Umm ed-Dahak describes Tâhir's dramatic reaction to the tragedy.
“He did wrong to swear that oath; which was as impious as swearing to cut off his hand or foot, the work of God; and so the Qadi told him in his judgment yesterday.”
Umm ed-Dahak says Tâhir's oath was sinful because it rejected God's gifts, and the Qadi agreed.
Umm ed-Dahak explains the religious reasoning behind the Qadi's decision to release Tâhir from his vow.
