Where is Paradise?

Does this even exist?

While reading Naguib Mahfouz’s The Journey of Ibn Fattouma, I found myself thinking of it as an almost biblical story. Like the Bible, it has a mythic quality, with an intentionally ambiguous time frame and an imaginary geography. More importantly, though, The Journey of Ibn Fattouma is a common and timeless story: the tale of a romantic quest for a better life. Because of such universality, the book can be read as an allegory. Literary critic Michael Beard, in his article “Master Narrative and Necessity in Ibn Fattouma,” explores this concept of allegory in the novel. He argues that “Ibn Fattouma changes over the course of his travels, though not in the manner of a round character; he functions as a lens through whom we are exposed to

widening backgrounds, unanticipated social alternatives.” The novel is then an allegory of the search for a lifestyle, an exploration of different societies.

Each locale Ibn Fattouma visits functions as an example of distinct cultural values. The first site, Mashriq, translates as “abode of sunrise,” which reflects the ancient, prehistoric society of the town. In Mashriq, the citizens live communally, wear no clothing, and worship the sun. Ibn Fattouma lives in the town briefly, marrying a woman named Arousa, and experiencing the culture of Mashriq. He quickly discovers, however, that Mashriq is not a paradise but a society with its own faults. In fact, Ibn Fattouma is forced to leave because he is accused of bringing his son up in godlessness, demonstrating the problems with a lack of religious tolerance.

He then proceeds onto the next destination, Haira, which functions as a divine monarchy, with the god as king. Ibn Fattouma enjoys a more civilized life there, but tries to purchase Arousa as a slave, which only results in trouble. A man with more power, the sage Daizing, wants possession of Arousa, and accuses Ibn Fattouma of ridiculing Haira religion, a false allegation that allows Daizing to throw Ibn Fattouma in jail and take Arousa. Here, Ibn Fattouma experiences the faults with a divine monarchy, namely a lack of justice and equality.

After leaving jail, Ibn Fattouma goes to Halba, a sophisticated civilization based on the modern democracy. Yet like any democracy, Halba has its faults, mainly crime and class inequality. He then journeys to Aman, an almost socialist town where everyone works. The problems of crime and class inequality do not exist in Aman, but it is not a perfect society. There is no crime but there is also no fun or entertainment; it is a dreary place that Ibn Fattouma cannot wait to get out of. He then travels to Ghuroub, which is a place of preparation for Gebel, a place of meditation almost like an ashram.

It is unclear, however, whether Ibn Fattouma ever reaches Gebel, a fact that lends insight into the meaning of the story. Since Ibn Fattouma perhaps never finds his destination, the story is truly about the journey. Mahfouz suggests that this journey is the path of self-discovery, of experiencing different cultures and societies in order to better understand oneself. Ibn Fattouma sets off on his trip, dissatisfied with his own society and in search of a better one. He finds though, that none of the five places he visits is any better than his home—every society has its pros and cons. Furthermore, Ibn Fattouma, doesn’t even find Gebel, the land of paradise, perhaps suggesting that such a place cannot exist. The allegory of the novel then seems to be one of discovery, the realization that no place is perfect.