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15 WE ALL ARE COCKROACHES: ABSURDIST DECONSTRUCTION OF TWEFIK AL- HAKIM’S FATE OF A COCKROACH
______By
Ikechukwu Emmanuel Asika, (PhD) Department of English, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam. Email: [email protected] Phone no: +23480386793214
ABSTRACT Absurdism which echoes the idea of meaninglessness and nothingness of life is rooted in the philosophical ideologies of the theatre of the Absurd, that developed in the wake of the 20th century against the ashes and degeneration brought about by the First World War. Absurdism in modern literature is often linked to existentialism, the philosophical movement associated with Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus among others. Although both existentialists and absurdists are concerned with the senselessness of human condition, the way this concern is expressed differs. Tewfiq al-Hakim is a prominent Egyptian writer and one of the pioneers of the Arabic novel and drama. The play, Fate of a Cockroach is one of the compelling dramatic performances of the theatre of the Absurd. Twefik, in the play, through the use of allegory and highly symbolic elements juxtaposed human beings side by side with cockroaches in their different worlds. With Absurdism as theoretical anchor, this paper investigates the absurdist leanings in the play allegorically manifested in the intertwined connection between cockroaches and human beings. The study revealed how the lives and travails of the cockroaches, on a larger scale, are symbolic truism and representative of the realistic aspects of human existence. The paper concludes on the literary interconnectedness between humans and cockroaches in the absurdist sphere of life as represented in the fate of Adil and the King of cockroach in the play and how the knowledge of an absurdist view of life is on immense significance in our present day society.
Keywords: Absurdism, Existentialism, Symbolism, Allegory, Realism, Human existence.
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INTRODUCTION intellectual complexities and intricacies Absurdism is the philosophical and surrounding the theatre of the absurd opines literary doctrine that human beings live in that: existential isolation in a meaningless and The human condition being what irrational world. It is an ideology believed to it is, with man’s small, helpless, have developed in the theatre of England at insecure and unreliable to fathom the wake of the 20th century following the the world in all its hopelessness, war and post-war disillusionment that left death and absurdity, the theatre people with so many unanswered questions has to confront him with the bitter about the place of individuals in the world. truth that most human endeavor is The world wars both fought in the 20th irrational and senseless, that century upturned people’s optimistic views communication between human of life, and ushered in a high degree of beings is well-nigh impossible pessimism about human life and the and that the world with forever uncertainty of the future in an irrational remain impenetrably mystery… world. The absurdist views the world as (345). empty of meaning, order and sense of Absurdism in modern literature is decorum. The ideology is a memento of the often linked to existentialism, the horror of the war years, when humans as a philosophical movement associated with result of power, revenge, vanity and other Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus among sheer political and economic reasons others. Although both existentialists and massacred one another, soldiers turned into absurdist’s are concerned with the beasts as developed sophisticated nuclear senselessness of human condition, and each weapons that claimed million of lives. seems to draw from the realization that life Martin Esslin was the first who used is meaningless, nevertheless, the way this this term “Absurd” in his book. This term is concern is expressed differs. Many basically used to describe the irrational, absurdist’s productions appear to be making nonsensical, foolish and silly aspects of cases for the idea that all human efforts are human life. It is a philosophy which based futile and that actions are pointless, others on the belief that this world is meaningless, seem to suggest that an absurd existence purposeless and irrational and also that the leaves the individual with no chance but to existence of human beings is useless, treat it as farce, a joke and a journey from meaningless and irrational. Absurdism is a nothing to nothingness. The existentialists, school of thought stating that the efforts of however, claim that the realization that life humanity to find inherent meaning will has no transcendental meaning either ultimately fail because no such meaning derived from faith or from the essence of exists at least in relation to the individual. In humanity itself, can and shall serve as a the opinion of Meyer Abrams and Geoffrey: springboard to action. An individual’s life, the term is applied to a number of works, in according to the existentialists, can be made drama and prose fiction which have in meaningful only through that individual’s common the view that the human condition actions. This sums up the areas of is essentially absurd and that this condition similarities and divergences in the can be adequately represented only in works ideological inclinations of Absurdism and of literature that are themselves Absurdism Existentialism. … (1). Esslin while looking at the
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In all, Absurdism focuses on with these attributes Twefik Al- situation and on characters. In an absurd Hakim gave to the Egyptian theatre drama, characters have no meaning and the foundations of respectability it purpose in their lives. They live a needed … (viii). meaningless and purposeless life in the The play, Fate of a Cockroach, first whole drama. Even their dialogues and published in 1966 is one of the compelling conversations to one another are dramatic performances of the theatre of the unmotivated and always revolve around absurd. In the opinion of Juicy Nerdy, specific and meaningless things. Hakim intended to portray humans as arrogant and self-centered. The play, as she THE PHILOSOPHY OF TEWFIK AL- further maintains, is a form of absurdist HAKIM AS A PLAYWRIGHT: A drama because it does not demonstrate some BRIEF REVIEW OF ALLIED ideals of perfection, instead it demonstrates LITERATURE that people by nature are self-centered and power plays a vital role in this play (365). Tewfik al-Hakim, born on October In the same vein, Stephen Solanke while 9, 1898 was a prominent Egyptian writer examining the serious political undertones and one of the pioneers of the Arabic novel of the play avers that: and drama. He remains one of the notable In Fate of a Cockroach, Al-Hakim voices in Arab literature till date and his satirically creates the cockroach plays in many ways marks a new future for characters to symbolize the dramatic performances in Egypt. Denys political disillusionment with the Johnson Davies remarks of him in these socialist revolutionary regime complimentary words: under Nasser's. He later criticized this period in his account entitled Tewfik Al-Hakim is the undisputed 'Awdat Alwa'ey' (the return of pioneer of dramatic writing in consciousness) Badawi, M, M. The Arabic. While Egypt has a parallelism in the play runs at the theatrical foundation going back to level of the cockroaches and more than a hundred years, the humans. The King and the Queen plays produced were until recently Cockroaches have a similar issue either heavy melodrama adapted in as the human couple Samia and cliché-ridden classical, Arabic Adil who woke up and began to from French or domestic farce, have an argument. In both often with political undertone instances in the play, though the written in colloquial language. topic of argument is different, the With his natural talent, his wide female has the upper hand. The read in French, his close study of discourse in both cases alludes to the techniques of European theatre conflictive roles between the sexes (the dramatic form was unknown which could be taken as a in classical Arabic literature), his reflection on the case of the roles interest in the problems of of women and men in Egyptian language – most pertinent in a society at that time (78). culture where the written language Fate of a Cockroach, as an absurdist differs so much from the spoken- play, centers on events on two different
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ANSU Journal of Language and Literary We are all Cockroaches: Absurdist’s Deconstruction of Twefik Studies (AJLLS) Vol.2 No.1 – Al Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach - Asika, Ikechukwu E. realms of existence. The first realm is the Egyptian playwright Tawfīq al- insect realm or insect kingdom while the Ḥakīm’s 1966 play, Fate of a second realm is the human world. In the first Cockroach has been widely part of the play, which takes place in the understood by most critics to be a insect realm, the playwright captures events juxtaposition of two separate plays, in the cockroach kingdom which is ruled by one centered around a miniature King Cockroach and his cohorts. As Ifejirika cockroach kingdom, and the other Echezona and Obumse Amechi project: a human married couple’s apartment… This structural King Cockroach’s kingdom is phenomenon provides an plagued by a lot of problems innovative way to allegorize the especially the threat posed to the nation through its presentation of nation by the more militant and two private narratives with the organized ants. The cockroach king singular referent of the Egyptian and members of his cabinet do not national narrative. Because the two have a solution to this problem and distinct narratives remain are unable to mobilize other irreconcilable but coexistent, the cockroaches to fight the ants. The notion of parallax - as a merely king lacks the ability to effectively apparent shift in the object caused control his subjects who do not by a change in the observer’s regard him as their king. This perspective - provides a useful apparent weakness undermines his frame to understand a more position as a king. Queen complex and tenuous relationship Cockroach, therefore, questions her of the private and the national in husband’s legitimacy as a true king the national allegory (342). since he is inept and does not even The play’s significance in Egyptian feed her. King Cockroach in a bid society is well emphasized in the critical to escape the harsh realities facing opinion of various scholars on the play. Seen him abandons the pressing issues at as a national allegory wherein the smaller hand and decides to go on private narrative of the work represents the sightseeing instead. He falls into an larger national story, Farley maintains that it empty mysterious lake which he is a wakeup call on all Egyptians to go to had gone to see and becomes work, to emerge from their slumber during trapped there (112). the Nasserist regime of 1952-1970 and go to The second part, of the play which is work to galvanize and turn around the set in the human world, centers on Adil and nation’s production-based materialist his wife. Both characters are embroiled in economy. He ends that the play is apt in gender war. They are at loggerheads over understanding how two private stories might the person that will use the bathroom first. work both individually and together to King Cockroach is eventually discovered by convey the national story of Egypt … (343). Adil in the bathing tub in the couple’s bathroom. The bathing tub turns out to be the supposedly empty mysterious lake. Moving forward, Robert Farley reveals that:
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ABSURDIST LEANINGS IN TWEFIK nothing but the outer wall of the AL-HAKIM’S FATE OF A bath. The time is night, though COCKROACH: THE COCKROACH from the viewpoint of the STEREOTYPE CUM THERAPY cockroaches it is day time. Our The play, Fate of a Cockroach is a bright day light being so blinding good example of a play that evinces to them that it causes them either to absurdism. The uniqueness of the play disappear or go to sleep (2). regarding to absurdism is in the seeming We notice how the cockroaches comparison with the lives of human beings ignorantly perceive things in their world, as and that of the cockroaches. Through the use much as the limit of their knowledge could of allegory and highly symbolic elements, allow them. This is not far from the various the playwright juxtaposed human beings and many ways we misconceive several with the cockroaches and as the play realities, elements, occurrences and progresses, the reader easily identifies that phenomenon all around us in our human the lives and fate of the cockroaches are in world. But just like the cockroaches, we too many ways symbolic of our lives and fate as have accepted them to be what we felt and humans in our lonely world. believed they are as we grope in our dark As the play begins, we are lives and daily struggles to survive and exist. introduced to a spacious courtyard few Feminism, one of the burning issues distances from the tiny hole and a crack in in our society today and which is taking the wall where the cockroaches’ actions different turns and twists and assuming all were unveiled. In truth, it was not a spacious manner of radical shapes and interpretations courtyard but a mere bath floor inside the from the different sides of the divide echo human’s bathroom but from the tiny, deeply in the play. This gender ‘war’ myopic and ignorant views of the world of coincidentally or consciously pursued in the the cockroaches, the bath floor is a very play, either way, sits atop of the dramatic spacious courtyard which they neither know tussle in the cockroach world vividly what it is nor who built it. Nightfall holds manifested in the life of the king and his significant meaning to these creatures being queen as the playwright depicts: the suited time they operate and perform Queen: (Aroused to anger): I’m a their duties, which is to search for survival, a queen! Don’t forget I’m the rather monotonous existence akin to that of queen humans. The first hint of absurdist King: And I’m the king! inclination occurs at the very opening of the Queen: I’m exactly the same as play, as we learn how the cockroaches view you- there’s no difference the bath floor as very spacious courtyard between us at all. which in the real sense of it, is just an King: there is a difference. ordinary floor. The playwright begins thus: Queen: And what, prithee, might The scene is a spacious courtyard- this difference be? as viewed of course by the King: My whiskers. cockroaches. In actual fact the Queen: Just as you have whiskers, courtyard is nothing more than the so have I. bathroom floor in an ordinary flat. King: Yes but my whiskers are In the front part of this courtyard longer than yours. stands an immense wall, which is Queen: That is a trifling difference.
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King: So it seems to you. of food, security, kingship, politics, health, Queen: To you rather. It is your religion, and quest for survival manifested in sickly imagination that their continual struggle with the ants. In all always makes it appear to these problems, the one that poses the you that there is a difference greatest threat as exemplified in the play is between us. their insecurity with the ants. Though they King: The difference exists- I can are far bigger in sizes than the ants, be clearly seen by anyone nevertheless, the cockroaches are helpless with eyes to see. If you don’t before them and this is not far from the fate believe me, ask the Minister, of human beings in our absurd existence. the Priest, the Savant and all The symbolic implication of this in those worthy gentlemen connection with the fate of the cockroaches connected with the court (3). and our human world is in the seemingly
The argument goes on and on among observation and realization that humans all the two cockroaches in the manner similar to helpless in the face of little things that they our ever ensuing war of sexes. The cannot conquer or change, little things we implication of this struggle and war of have come to embrace as our fate and words in defense of ones sex between the inevitable part of our existence in an absurd king and queen is later to be made manifest world. The playwright recreates this thus: when we encountered Adil and Samia, the Queen: Don’t remind me of ants! two major human characters in the play. It A king like you claiming you is seen that the couple were on their own have worth and authority and you gender war but in sharp contrast to what we don’t know how to solve the ant witnessed in the cockroaches’ world where problem! the king, the male seem to have upper hand, King: The ant problem! Ah… um… the reverse is clearly the case in the human Queen: Their being a continual threat to world. Adil, the husband of Samia is under us. A queen like me in my threat from several impositions of the wife position and with my beauty, who constructed the tenet of feminism in an elegance, and pomp, can’t take a entirely different order. In her view, men are step without trembling for fear meant to be loyal, submissive and caring to that I might slip and fall on my their wives, a situation Samia fully exploits back- and woe to me should I fall to the disadvantage of her husband. It is on my back, for I would quickly worthy to note that it is part of the become a prey to the armies of psychological effects of this situation that ants. makes it easier for Adil to identify his fate King: Be careful therefore, that you do with the fate of the cockroach struggling to not fall on your back. escape from his bathtub as the play Queen: Is that the only solution you progresses. have? King: Do you want from one day to the At another level of comparison, the next, a solution to a problem that cockroaches, just like humans, are bothered is as old as time? with myriads problems just like humans too Queen: Then shut up and don’t boast are bothered with doses of them. The about the length of your cockroaches are bothered with the problems whiskers! (4)
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The ‘ant’ problem, as old as time, is King: And what is the true nature of symbolic and in many ways represents the these moving mountains and fate of human beings. Irrespective of our this annihilating, choking beauties, pomp, elegance, riches, power, rain? fame, glory and glamour, diseases, natural Queen: These moving mountains and disasters, accidents, and many other this choking rain, are they occurrences constitute death to us at any intended to destroy us? given time and place and as we pity the fate Savant: These are all questions of the cockroaches in the hands of ants, our which cannot be answered sympathies are risen to our own fate and scientifically. helplessness in our human world. As the Queen: Then why do these play progresses, we have a case in our hand catastrophes only occur when which is a typical manifestation of the fate we are assembled together? of the cockroaches in the hands of the ants Savant: I don’t known, your majesty. as the Minister’s son became a victim. It is All that science can do is to only a matter of time before the Minister record these phenomena, to reports in the death of his son. He is carried link upon the connection away by the ants. His foot slipped and he between them and deduce a fell to the ground of course he fell on his scientific law… (13). back and is unable to turn on his front and The symbolic implication of the get to his feet. And then the ants spot him, above in human existence is enshrined in the surround him, smother him, and carry him many problems that replete our world. The off to their towns and villages. It is solution to one problem seems to aggravate pronounced ‘a great catastrophe, a national several others as arguably designed by fate. catastrophe …’ (7). All the king could do in The above scene is also akin to sheer his helplessness is to declare a public mockery of the fate of man in our attempt to mourning for the late son of the Minister. solve the many problems of our world. Even Again here, we can infer and argue science does not hold the answer to our favourably that the Minister’s son is numerous problems and often time, it ushers symbolic of us, our parents, children, in more problems than solutions it tends to friends, relatives and anybody we know in proffer. the face of various challenges and threats of In sheer defeat and helplessness the life. Despite our exalted positions as cockroaches turned to the priest for solution “Kings” and “Ministers” we are helpless to and the priest could only suggest prayers save one of our own in the face an ordained and sacrifices to the gods as the only and inevitable tragedy. As expected, the panacea and solution to the problems of the cockroaches rallied together to debate a ants. The priest claims that once he is lying solution. The playwright captures them in in a corner critically ill and armies of ants their helplessness: are approaching. Certain that he is done for; King: And why do these natural he calls upon the gods with a prayer form phenomena only occur when the depth of his heart. Suddenly, like a several cockroaches are miracle, something like a large dark cloud assembled? full of water descended from the skies and Savant: Science has not yet arrived at swooped down upon the armies of ants and an explanation. swept them away, clearing them off the face
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ANSU Journal of Language and Literary We are all Cockroaches: Absurdist’s Deconstruction of Twefik Studies (AJLLS) Vol.2 No.1 – Al Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach - Asika, Ikechukwu E. of the earth and he was saved (16). The Adil and encounters the cockroach trapped argument here is that since there is no inside their bath tub. She calls the attention scientific connection between the priest of the husband and unknown to them that prayer and the descending of the rain, it is was the king of all cockroaches, powerful in only good to say that it was indeed a his kingdom but now helpless and doomed miracle. While the savant argues from the in the mortal world. This again, reveals the scientific viewpoint that the rain was purely fate of human in his alien world. However a coincidence, others are tempted to see it as highly placed, at the appointed time, one a miracle and tilts towards the priest who faces ones fate and like the helpless king of seems to have a better solution. the cockroach we become helpless in the The above scenario is not far from face of death or greater threat to life. Adil what is obtainable in our human world today sees the cockroach and the first instinct is to where many of us seem to have turned to kill it but he hesitates, and it did not take religion for the answers to all our problems. long before he notices the doggedness and Even when we fail to march our desires with untiring struggle being put up by the adequate actions, we look on to religion to cockroach in its bid to survive and get out of the miracle of a ‘paradise’ on earth. As Karl the tub. The cockroach is busy struggling Marx projects, religion is truly the opium of with little knowledge that its fate is almost the masses as this is not just peculiar in the decided and the choice to live has been cockroaches’ world, but also real in our removed from it. It is now at the mercy of human world all in our attempt of survive the petulant Adil. Yet it struggles to be free, and give meaning to our meaningless to escape and live again: existence. Adil: (Looking closely) it is trying. Towards the end of the scene, the Samia: It’s slipping. king is lured by the Savant to go and watch Adil: The walls of the bath are the spectacle of a lake which is dry at night slippery. and flooded in the morning. The lake is Samia:Yes no sooner does it start formed from the water from the bath tub in climbing than it slips and the bathroom which is flooded when falls. humans, Adil and Samia take their bath. The Adil: But it goes on trying. king and the Savant have gone to watch this Samaia: And goes on again and lake and make observations when again. unfortunately, but as it is the will of fate, the Adil: With the same procedure. king slips and fell into the bath and that is Samia: (Continuing to look) yes, yes. when his journey and fate become more Adil: Look, Samia, with all it pronounced and the title of the play more strength it’s climbing up the significant- fate of a cockroach. The slippery wall cockroach is now abandoned to his fate. All Samia: And there it is slipping back the priest can do is to recommend prayers. again. There it is fallen all the The second Act opens in the human way back. world and as earlier hinted, Samia and Adil, Adil: And it’s starting off to repeat her husband in their gender war disagrees on the attempt. virtually everything even who will first take Samia: Up it goes, up it goes. It’s his/her bath. Samia always triumph and that slipped! It’s slipped! It is was why she is in the bathroom first before fallen! (32)
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The cockroach’s struggle practically without respite, it climbs… demonstrates our daily struggles, toils, fears (37). and aspirations. Many times we climb; many Things reach to a height that Adil times we slip, because ‘the walls of the bath locks the bathroom to protect the cockroach are slippery.’ But we never give up, we from his wife yet with no intentions to help continue. It is not just the physical walls of it but only to thrill himself with its unending the bath tub that are slippery but struggle to live. His explanation is simple: symbolically the walls of life which are ‘because I’ve been watching it since early slippery. Adil and Samia become gods to the morning, following its every moment. It cockroach and can save or mar its life. This amazes me the amount of strength that’s is the summary of our journey in our alien stored up in it- quite remarkable strength environment, the sum total of our struggle, (59). He vows to protect the cockroach as if strength and weaknesses at the mercy of protecting it recreates his protecting his lives fate, moira, and incomprehensible elements from forces that neither care nor intervene. and occurrences far beyond our control. This In short, he recreates human beings’ true but is the reason Adil identifies himself with the unseen scenario and struggle in life. The cockroach’s struggle to survive and live playwright depicts further: again. The climatic part of the play and quite Adil: (Pointing at the cockroach) up ironic and symbolic too is Adil’s hesitation you go… up…up…another to kill the cockroach or help it to find its step go on go on. escape route out of the bath tub. It explains Samia: (Rapping at the door): Adil one thing: the elements, forces, gods and open it! supernatural are indifferent to our plights. Adil: (To the cockroach) stick to it! They are neither interested in saving us nor Stick to it! Struggle for your maiming us from an absurdist viewpoint. life! … They want to kill you We all are bound together in this level of with insecticide. Do not be existential loneliness. This Adil dramatizes afraid- I will not open the out in the scene below: door. Stick to it! Stick to it… Samia: We’ve got to put an end to what a shame! You slipped, it. you rolled over and fell down Adil: And how do we put an end to as you do each time… you it? This is something which is want to have another go. not in our hands. Once again you’ve starting to Samia: In whose hands, then? climb. Why don’t you rest a Adil: (Pointing to the cockroach). In while? Rest for a moment, his hands, it’s still climbing. brother! Give yourself a Samia: And also still falling. breathe? But what’s the point Adil: Yes it climbs, then slips, then (shouting). There is no point! rolls over, then fall to the (40) bottom of the bath-tub. In the above scenario, the absurdity Samia: It climbs, then slips, then of life is enshrined and dramatized. Adil rolls over, then falls to the identifies himself as the cockroach. He sees bottom of the bath-tub. himself as the cockroach in his own daily Adil: Exactly. Then it starts off struggle to survive under the whims and again, without resting, caprices of a careless fate. He even calls it
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‘brother’, urging it to take rest and continue. cockroach, and this is the In the end, he accepts that there is not point, secret of his concern and there is no point in its taking a rest, or affection for it (55). continuing, or struggling to live, there is no This is the point that gets the play point because however way, it is doomed to more complicated as Adil joins forces with its fate. Just like the cockroach, we all are the doctor to protect the cockroach, not to doomed too in our alien world as portrayed save it from the bath tub but to allow it to by the playwright. Samil, feeling her continue with its struggle well protected husband has gone insane, invites a doctor. from the bitterness and menaces of Samia. The doctor is able to identify a Even when Samia concurs and plays along psychological issue that has propelled Adil with him just to break the bond between him to identify himself as the cockroach which and the cockroach, Adil still cannot be necessitated that quantum of sympathy and persuaded or convinced otherwise as he sees connection. Part of it is the subjugation and the cockroach as an idol, a model deserving domination from his wife and his sheer daily all respect and admiration for its zealousness struggle to survive. The wife is compelled and doggedness. Though doomed and fated by the doctor to play along with him and to die, its heroism and gallantry stir a make him to exorcise the idea of identifying passion that is so strong in the heart of Adil and comparing himself as the cockroach. and later spreads to the doctor. The duo are But Adil is not relenting but rather urges the full of praise for the poor creature. The doctor to see himself in the cockroach: playwright captures thus: Adil: Listen doctor, the essence of Adil: Indeed a hero. Imagine the matter can be put into a yourself in a deep well with few words. Put yourself in walls of smooth marble and the same position. then you found it impossible Doctor: Your position? to get our despite having Adil: The position of the cockroach made exhausting efforts to … (53). so, what would you do? Antithetically, but not surprising, it Doctor: By no means- I see repeating did not take long before the doctor, just like its attempt dozens of times. Adil develops a liking for the cockroach too. Adil: Even hundreds. Since early He too sees himself, his daily and unending morning I’ve been occupied struggle in the cockroach. With this in counting up the numbers identification comes his sympathy for the of times. cockroach. But like Adil, no one is going to Doctor: Is that what you were help it, no one will save it, it will only save engaged in since morning? itself. The doctor explains to Adil’s wife Adil: Yes, I wanted to know when its thus: struggle would come to an Doctor: You want to do away with end the cockroach and he wants Doctor: (Looking into the bath with to save it from your hand? real interest): As of now it Samia: You mean, doctor… looks as if he won’t give up Doctor: Yes, in his inner yet. consciousness he has identified himself with the
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ANSU Journal of Language and Literary We are all Cockroaches: Absurdist’s Deconstruction of Twefik Studies (AJLLS) Vol.2 No.1 – Al Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach - Asika, Ikechukwu E.
Adil: Indeed. We’re tired from struggle in the bath tub, pours water and watching but it’s not tired washes it away, dead, never to be seen or from trying. saved again. The moment the doctor and Doctor: (Continuing to watch it) Adil realize what the cook has done, it is too what hope has it of escaping? late to help the cockroach. The cockroach is Adil: No hope of course. already dead and gone but leaves behind Doctor: Unless you were to intervene lessons that will last the characters for a and save it. lifetime. The duo lament sadly thus: Adil: And I shall not intervene. Doctor: And where’s the cockroach Doctor: Why not, seeing that you now? No sign is left of it, not admire it? even one of its whiskers. Adil: I must leave it to its fate… Adil: The important thing was its (68). struggle for life. To this end, and armed with the Doctor: Yes, and that is what will realization of shared fate with the remain fixed in my memory. cockroach, Adil instinctively decides to Goodbye, everyone (75). leave the cockroach to its fate, same way As expected, the ants came and humans are abandoned to their own fate in carried the cockroach away. Later, the cook, their unending struggle for survival and Umm Attiya is to wipe both the ants and meaningful existence. The doctor devastates cockroach away from the surface of Samia further when he is set to leave with existence which opens another different this revelation: ‘…However, madam, your channel of thought on the level of absurdism husband is in the right about everything and involving the fate of the ant too. I completely endorse his behaviour. There The play ends with the enduring being nothing at all untoward about it… I lessons that Adil learnt, all rooted in his myself hope that I could become like the sheer fate as a mortal tied to the fate of an cockroach …’ (90) innocent cockroach caught up in a bath tub One can put forward that in reality, on a fateful morning. In the end, when his the doctor is not wishing to become a real wife’s constant demands on him continue to cockroach but to possess the tenacity, pile up, he wishes that the cook, Umm strength and agility of the cockroach, to find Attiya would wash him away from the the constant drive to cope, struggle and be surface of the earth, like she did the full of hope for survival, never to give up cockroach and just like the cockroach, he even in the face of all impossibilities as that could take lasting rest and find peace away seem to be the only reasonable way out in from the world of endless toils, struggles his trapped world. The cockroach leaves and sheer quest for survival. much to be admired in its sheer struggle in the face of the greatest obstacle. It refuses to CONCLUSION give up, to accept that it is doomed rather to Tewfik Al-Hakim’s Fate of a bear it out heroically and nobly till the very Cockroach adopts the tenets of absurdism end. Sadly, its fate is at last decided by the and the characters exhibit its philosophical cook, just the moment Adil steps out to ease doctrines. The cockroach is trapped and off for some moments. The cook, unaware unable to get out of the bath tub but never of the events and symbolic implication of ceased or rested in its effort to make it out the cockroach’s presence, its unending of the bath tub alive. Tirelessly it toils and
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ANSU Journal of Language and Literary We are all Cockroaches: Absurdist’s Deconstruction of Twefik Studies (AJLLS) Vol.2 No.1 – Al Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach - Asika, Ikechukwu E. ceaselessly it struggles and wins the and meaninglessness of human life. Al- admiration of Adil, Samia’s husband. The Hakim’s play creates a world (society) cockroach’s struggle, he understands, where man wants and hopes for something summarizes the inner and outward struggles to give a meaning to his life but ends up in of all human beings in their alien world. The emptiness, pity and sheer struggle towards cockroach is abandoned to his fate exactly an already determined condition or fate. the way humans are abandoned to their To this end, the play, Fate of a various fates and just like the cockroach Cockroach dramatizes the fate of a they await whatever fate has in stock for cockroach on the surface level but on the them. deeper level dramatizes our fate in our In the play, the playwright uses the absurd world as the title simply implies the symbolic ideas gleaned from the world of fate of man in his absurd and alien world’. the cockroaches to attempt a definition of This is an enduring lesson that is apt in our our human world and fate from the absurdist modern day society as we continue to perspective. The cockroaches in their world plunge ourselves deeper in the sheer struggle are preys and ironically, humans too are to acquire fame, wealth, and vanities, a preys in their human world. They are preys struggle and rat race that have come to to fate, diseases and many natural disasters. redefine our world. The implication and the Their world seems tiny, small and dark and realities of these absurdist tenets in human so is their human world when placed on a existence ought to live in our minds- we all greater scale to things beyond the limits of are cockroaches and this idea can lead to their human knowledge. Humans, just like fuller understanding of our limitations and the cockroaches, are in constant fear and destinies as mortals and the need to live life struggle against the several hidden dangers with dignity, integrity, love, togetherness and uncertainties of this world. and enjoy it with openness while the Again, the cockroaches in their struggle lasts. kingdom are faced with myriads of problems WORKS CITED which they can only search for lasting Abrams, Meyers and Harpham Geoffery. A solutions. This is familiar to humans in their Glossary of Literary Terms. world. Absurdist thinkers believe that these Wadsworth, 2005. problems will never end the same way our struggles and quest for survival and Asika, Ikechukwu. “Absurdism in Samuel meaningful existence will never end. Adil Beckett’s Waiting for Godot” The learns his lessons which are lessons to us all. Modern Period of English Literature: As he is coming to terms with these realities Panoramic Issues and Perspectives. of his life, Samia resumes her barrages of SCOA Heritage, 2013. endless demands on him that he has no choice but to utter unconsciously shouting Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus and that Umm Attiya should wipe him out of other Essays.Knopf, 1955. existence just like the cockroach, a situation that reveals his inner thoughts: he envies the Collins English Dictionary- Complete and cockroach which now rests perfectly and Unabridged. HarperCollins Publishers, safe from the toils and struggles of the 2003. world. Through the characters and events recreated in the play, we see the nothingness
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ANSU Journal of Language and Literary We are all Cockroaches: Absurdist’s Deconstruction of Twefik Studies (AJLLS) Vol.2 No.1 – Al Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach - Asika, Ikechukwu E.
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