Another View of Vathek

[layla asrar]

I finished reading the novella, Vathek. I admit that the last section
of the book is more interesting than the first ones. Vathek is changed
after winning Nouronihar, as if he was waiting for such a woman to add
the majical touch to his life.
The only credit that I can attribute to this novella is about the
representation of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. It has
assigned him among the good party as a protector and a savior of his
followers, although it contradicts Muslim's believe, it resembles the
idea of the Chris in Christianity.
The burnt heart and the hand over the heart reminds me of the Scarlet
Letter, for the characters are agonizing from the flame of guilt in
their hearts and they constantly keeping their hands on their heart.
The agony of the inflamed heart is a symbol of guilt in both tales. I
hoped if the tale was about Eblis rather than Vathek, and I wished if
he elaborated the final parts more, for they are the most interesting
parts in the whole novella.
The character of his mother Carathis is pure evil, she is possessed
with the forbidden knowledge and the unlimited power. she has
transplanted all these evils in her son's character. Vathek at the
Eblis court is a victim of his mother more than his own faults.
I really liked the description of the episodes in Eblis palace, the
infernal creatures are partying and enjoying their time which
ironically reminds me of the parties that is held among the youth in
the West with all the drinking and the lasciviously dancing!
I did not understand why he presented the prophet Soliman with an evil
air. Soliman's tale is the replica of Vathek's life. They had once
been great kings, seduced and destined to suffer in Eblis's hell.

[rama]

Salam everyone

Now, after I finished reading the last 50 pages of Vathek, my former
opinion of it hasn't changed.
Here, we have the continuation of Nouronihar's dream of a situation
that resembles the last scene of the novel, and although it's
surrounded with darkness and sense of mystery, but she gets up happy.
Then we have Vathek's proposal to Nouronihar's hand for marriage, but
that her father excuses that she is already promised to her cousin
Gulchenrouz, then Vathek gets angry and says: "would you surrender
this divine beauty to a husband more womanish than herself". This
eagerness of Vathek to marry the girl he loves, leads her father to
think of a way out of this dilemma. So, he asks his assistants to use
the "narcotick powder" and administer it to the young couple in order
to fake their death, here I can see some traces of Romeo & Juliet.
When they wake up, they find themselves in a mountain, and then the
dwarfs tell them how they shall live on that place, and when they ask
the couple to share them in praying, "the poor children burst into
tears". But the plan isn't a success, that Nouronihar on one morning,
wakes up before everybody, and makes her way to discover her
surrounding, then she meets with Vathek and asks him: "my lord! Are
you then come hither to eat rice and hear sermons with me?", here he
supposes her a phantom, then he takes her with him, although I didn't
find an indication that they got married. The sultana Dilara, writes
to Carathis to inform her about this new situation, and the latter
uses the spirits and appears in front of Vathek, and asks him to drown
Nouronihar, he rejects this idea and thinks of killing his mother. So,
she wants to get to Gulchenrouz, but can't reach to him, that the
dwarfs protect him. A Genie asks the prophet (pbuh) for permission to
try to save Vathek from this fall. Then he takes the form of a
shepherd who plays the flute to make men realize their sins. The
shepherd asks Vathek if he is done sinning, warns Vathek about Eblis,
ruler of Hell, and asks Vathek to return home, destroy his tower,
abandon Carathis, and follow Islam, but due to his pride, he rejects
this advise, here I see that Vathek really gets chances to repent but
he who turns his back to them.
There is a mention of "the religion of Magi" that I really can't
comprehend?!
After a long journey that takes days, they get to Istakar, where
Giaour feels resistant to let him in, but because of his companion he
allows then in. In there Vathek sees Soliman tells him that he has
once been a great king, but was seduced by a Jinn and received the
power to make everyone in the world do his commands. But because of
this, he is destined to suffer in hell for all eternity, here Vathek
asks Giaour to release him, saying he will relinquish all he is
offered, but Giaour refuses. He tells him to enjoy this power before
he is tormented. Vathek orders an Ifreet to fetch Carathis from the
castle, after she kills Vathek's wives and his vizier. When she
arrives, he warns her of what happens to those who enter Eblis'
kingdom, but Carathis takes the power from Soliman regardless. She
gathers the Jinns and tries to overthrow one of the Solimans, but
Eblis delares "It is time." Carathis, Vathek, Nouronihar, and the
other denizens of hell lose "the most precious gift granted by heaven
- HOPE". They begin to feel eternal remorse for their crimes.

I see that this part of losing hope, is a part of the torment in hell,
but no where on earth, that Allah's mercy and door of repentance is
always open, except in two situations.

In the last paragraph of the novel, we have a line: "the condition of
man upon earth is to be- humble and ignorant" which echoes with the
inscription that has been on the sabers in the beginning of the story,
"We were made where everything is well made; we are the least of the
wonders of a place where all is wonderful and deserving, the sight of
the first potentate on earth". This is can't be right, to be humble is
good, but ignorant is and idea that Islam disdains it, it's to
encourage knowledge and learning that the first word in Qu'ran asks
for.

And here too, with the last lines in the novel: "whilst the humble,
the despised Gulchenrouz passed whole ages in undisturbed tranquility,
and in the pure happiness of childhood" as a contrast to Vathek. But
this same character is depicted as a womanish, or even childish
person, who shows no human impulses throughout the story, at the end
he is the ideal picture of a Muslim man. Which is really so offensive
and provoking, so this is how Beckford wants the Muslims to be, just
let alone the seeking of knowledge and learning and be indulged in
"the pure happiness of childhood".

[jehan al-maghamsi]

Hello everyone,

While reading Vathek, I was reminded by a theme in Shakespeare's King Lear which is that evil can only be conquered by itself. We can see in this novella how much evil is so predominant in the character of the Caliph and his mother that even the Prophet ( Peace be upon ) him is helpless to save them from ruin as if goodness is weaker and they are only defeated by the higher powers of evil in the hall of Eblis. 

I also noticed that people at that time were really impressed with Vathek because of the notes provided by Beckford with the text which made the book appear to them an authentic presentation of the East but I found out that most of his notes were inaccurate because his primary source of information D' Herbelot's book was not only inaccurate but also offensive to the East.

[Sumaiyah T]

Hi there, 

I am totally done with this little Gothic novella. I still find it as an interesting piece of writing that has a moral lesson within its events. I don't know, after I finished the novella I sympathized with Vathek. I felt sorry for his tragic ending, yes he is a tragic character. He is a victim of his own Greek mother who succeeded in manipulating his mind and gave him a miserable type of life. I had noticed that Vathek tried couple of times to give up on his evil doings but sadly, he failed. The 1st occasion, when Vathek was asking the Indian whether he really wants to devour the 50 children and the 2nd one,  when he was with Nourinhar, where he seemed like any young man who is yearning to live his love life happily ever after but his vicious mother, once again, ruined the moment and aroused the sleeping devil in Vathek. Diamond cuts Diamond as evil conquers evil. Carathis earned her terrible punishment, so is Vathek. They are both accomplice and responsible of the chaos they had created and the murders they committed. But my question is, what if Carathis wasn't Greek? What if she was an Arabian originated? Is Beckford somehow trying to indirectly convey that Muslims are fine people by nature but they are influenced by nurture?? Nourinhar had the ability to reveal the goodness in Vathek, she had the power to tranquillize the sense of evilness within him. Is it because she is not Greek?

Another thing that I found interesting is the use of Arabic Idioms "the bread and salt" 

 

All the best :D

[Nuha B.]

Hello Everyone,
I agree that the second half of the novel was more fast-paced than the
first. I liked how the different settings allowed us to enter into the
world that these characters were living in.
I also found the descriptions of hell interesting and chilling. And
again, it can be noticed that Beckford was pretty knowledgeable about
Islam as evident by his use of Eblis to describe Satan and the many
other Islamic allusions that we encounter throughout the second part
of our reading. Also I felt that the loss of Hope to describe the
punishment of the evildoers was especially thought provoking.
In my opinion, I do not feel like Gulchenrouze was meant to represent
a positive image of a Muslim. I actually think that Fakreddin was
presented as a relatively positive image of a Muslim. He prayed all
his prayers and was kind and hospitable to his guests (hospitality
being one of the acknowledged positive characteristic of Muslims, as
we have previously read in Smith’s book).
The deeper you get into the books the more you feel that the
descriptions in the novel were vivid and really allowed you to get a
sense of the environment and atmosphere that the characters were
surrounded by.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and felt that it accomplished what it
sought out to do, to deliver a moral through a humorous and
entertaining medium. I only wish that it didn’t have to be delivered
at the sake of the image of Muslims.

On 17 ديسمبر, 19:20, layla asrar <lazord...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Mona Al-khidaidy]

Hello Everyone,

Vathek reminds me of Shakespearean tragic heroes who have (excessive
ambition) as their tragic flaw. The character of Vathek reminds me
especially Macbeth, whose excessive ambition led him to his tragic
ending. Once he started his first murder he could not stop from
sinking deep into his terrible sins which led him to his eternal
damnation in "Hell". Vathek's mother, Carathis, is similar to Lady
Macbeth in their role in the story, which is (the major influence upon
the tragic heroes). Lady Macbeth's obsession is the throne and the
kingship, but Carathis's obsession is seeking the forbidden knowledge.
One difference between Vathek and Macbeth is that Macbeth is more
calculative than Vathek. And as we see throughout the story, Vathek is
very impulsive, he inclined to act on impulse rather than
thought. I think by doing that, Beckford maybe want to indicate that
Arabs are fools.

I agree with my colleagues that Beckford's description of "Hell" is
very interesting. I really felt their agony and despair, especially
when they knew they lost "HOPE". I really was annoyed that Beckford
did not mention anything about the concept of (repentance) in Islam.
Because in Islam, "HOPE" in Allah's mercy is always available until
the sun rises from the West. No Muslim should lose "HOPE" no matter
how sinful he was.
"قل يا عبادي الذين أسرفوا على أنفسهم لا تقنطوا من رحمة الله إن الله
يغفر الذنوب جميعا إنه هو الغفور ارحيم" الزمر- 53

Thanks ...