By
1Hussaini Ibrahim Kaoje & 2Hassan
Ibrahim Kaoje
1Department of English and Literature, Federal
University Gusau Zamfara State, Nigeria
2Universal Basic Education Commission Birnin-Kebbi,
Kebbi State, Nigeria.
Email: hussainikaoj@gmail.com, hikaoje@fugusau.edu.ng
Abstract
This article examines some themes found in
Tewfik Al-Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach and other plays. The text comprises of
four plays, Viz: Fate of a Cockroach, the Song of Death, The Sultan’s Dilemma
and Not a Thing Out of Place. However, the article focuses primarily on only
one of the plays: Fate of a Cockroach. The play is a philosophical and symbolic
drama that explores several deep thematic concerns about human existence,
power, and the illusion of control. This qualitative content-based research article
employs Existentialism and Absurdity theories as theorethical frameworks for
this play. The play presents a symbolic exploration of the human condition,
using the plight of a cockroach trapped in a bathtub as a metaphor for the
futility and absurdity of existence. Through textual analysis, findings reveal
that Al-Hakim employs satire and symbolism to critique human pretensions and
expose the fragile nature of authority and control. Ultimately, the play
underscores the absurdity of life and the individual’s struggle to find meaning
within an indifferent universe.
Keywords: thematic preoccupation, Tewfik Al-Hakim,
extentialism and absurdity theories, Fate
of a cockroach.
Introduction
Tewfik Alhakim uses cockroaches and
ants as characters in his play Fate of a
Cockroach and Other Plays, which
is an indirect and scathing satire on Egyptian society and its leadership. Only
animal characters, including ants and cockroaches, predominate in the first
act. Acts two and three of the drama feature human characters. Philosophical
movements that question the meaning and purpose of human existence, such
absurdism and existentialism, have a significant influence on the contemporary
dramatic environment.
Tewfik A-Hakim, whose play Fate of a Cockroach offers a
symbolic and humorous examination of life's inherent inconsistencies, is one of
the leading contributions to this tradition in Arabic writing. Al-Hakim creates
a metaphor for the human predicament by showing a cockroach struggle miserably
in a bathtub, highlighting the pointlessness and monotony of life (Al-Hakim
45). The Theatre of the Absurd's tenets, which contend that human existence is
fundamentally meaningless and illogical, are consistent with this portrayal
(Esslin 23).
The drama illustrates the individual's encounter with an
apparently uncaring universe, which further emphasizes existentialist themes.
The idea that people frequently create false meanings to deal with existential
fear is reinforced by the cockroach king's delusion of power and final demise,
which highlight the frailty of authority and the certainty of fate (Camus 28).
The ludicrous situation from the insect world is extended to human society by
the human characters in the play, who also display conflicts stemming from
misunderstandings and divergent views of reality (Al-Hakim 52).
Al-Hakim also criticizes rationalism and scientific
determinism through the use of sarcasm and metaphor. The limitations of logic
in handling existential difficulties are shown by the scientific figure's
incapacity to sufficiently explain or resolve the cockroach's situation (Esslin
41). This interplay between the absurd and the rational situates Fate of a
Cockroach within a broader philosophical discourse that questions the
reliability of knowledge and the coherence of human experience.
This study, therefore, seeks to analyse the thematic
preoccupations in Fate of a Cockroach through the lenses of existentialism and
absurdity, with the aim of uncovering how Al-Hakim employs dramatic techniques
to reflect the complexities and contradictions of human existence. By examining
the symbolic, philosophical, and social dimensions of the play, the research
contributes to a deeper understanding of modern Arabic drama and its engagement
with universal human concerns.
Literature Review
Scholarly
attention to Tewfik Al-Hakim’s Fate of a
Cockroach and other Plays has
largely focused on its philosophical depth, dramatic technique, and socio-political
implications. Existing studies reveal Sa convergence of views on the
playwright’s use of allegory and absurdism to interrogate the human condition.
Critics such as M.
M. Badawi argue that Al-Hakim’s works embody a fusion of Eastern narrative
tradition and Western philosophical thought, particularly existentialism,
thereby situating his drama within a global literary framework (Badawi 112).
This perspective is supported by Roger Allen, who observes that Al-Hakim
employs symbolic characters and minimalist plots to foreground existential
concerns and the absurdity of human existence (Allen 85). These studies
highlight how Fate of a Cockroach
reflects the influence of modernist dramatic conventions.
Furthermore,
empirical analyses of the text emphasise its allegorical representation of
political and social realities. Sabry Hafez contends that the cockroach king
symbolizes flawed leadership and the failure and the failure of authoritarian
systems, reflecting postcolonial anxieties in Arab societies (Hafez 64).
Similarly, Rasheed El-Enany notes that Al-Hakim’s satire critiques human
arrogance and the illusion of control, aligning with broader themes of
absurdist theatre (El-Enany 143).
In addition,
studies adopting a comparative approach link Al-Hakim’s dramaturgy to the works
of Samuel Beckett and Albert Camus. Scholars argue that, like Beckett and Camus,
Al-Hakim presents characters trapped in meaningless situations, thereby
reinforcing the inevitability of failure and the cyclical nature of existence
(Esslin 47). This alignment with absurdist philosophy underscores the
universality in the text.
However,
despite these contributions, there remains a gap in studies that
comprehensively analyse the interplay of multiple themes – such as
existentialism, power dynamics, and human vulnerability- within a single
analytical framework. Most empirical works tend to isolate specific themes
rather than examine their interconnectedness.
In
conclusion, the reviewed literature demonstrates that Fate of a Cockroach and other
Plays has been widely recognized for its philosophical richness and
socio-political relevance. Nevertheless, this study seeks to bridge existing
gaps by offering a more integrated thematic analysis of the text.
Theoretical Framework
This
study is anchored on the theories of existentialism
and absurdism to analyse Fate of a Cockroach and other Stories by Tewfik Al- Hakim.
Existentialism, as advanced by
Jean-Paul Satire and Albert Camus, emphasizes the individual’s struggle to find
meaning in a seemingly indifferent world. This perspective is relevant in
examining the characters’ search for purpose, their confrontation with failure
and awareness of human limitations.
Existentialism is
widely understood by scholars as a philosophical movement that foregrounds
individual existence, freedom, and responsibility. According to the Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy, existentialism emerged prominently in the twentieth
century as a response to crises of meaning, emphasising human confrontation
with death, freedom, and the search for meaning in an uncertain world
(Crowell).
Similarly,
Encyclopaedia Britannica defines existentialism as a philosophy that stresses
the concreteness and individuality of human existence, where individuals must
make choices and commit to them despite uncertainty (Abbagnano). From a
classical scholarly perspective, Jean- Paul Sartre argues that “existence
precedes essence,” meaning that humans are not born with a fixed nature but
must create their identity through actions. This position underscores radical
freedom and responsibility, as individuals are countable for the meanings they
construct (Sartre).
Likewise,
Martin Heidegger conceptualises human existence as Dasein (being-there),
emphasising being-in-the-world and
the inevitability of anxiety, temporality, and death as central to
understanding existence (Heidegger qtd. in Abbagnano). Also, Soren Kierkegaard,
often regarded as the father of existentialism, presents existence as deeply subjective and rooted in individual choice,
where truth is realised through personal commitment rather than objective
systems (Crowell).
Overall, scholars
agree that existentialism is concerned with:
·
Human freedom and responsibility
·
Subjectivity and individuality
·
Anxiety, choice, and authenticity
·
The search for meaning in a
contingent world.
Existentialism
is widely understood by scholars as a philosophical movement that foregrounds
individual existence, freedom, and responsibility. According to the Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy, existentialism emerged prominently in the twentieth
century as a response to crises of meaning, emphasising human confrontation
with death, freedom, and the search for meaning in an uncertain world
(Crowell).
Similarly,
Encyclopaedia Britannica defines existentialism as a philosophy that stresses
the concreteness and individuality of human existence, where individuals must
make choices and commit to them despite uncertainty (Abbagnano). From a
classical scholarly perspective, Jean- Paul Sartre argues that “existence
precedes essence,” meaning that humans are not born with a fixed nature but
must create their identity through actions. This position underscores radical
freedom and responsibility, as individuals are countable for the meanings they
construct (Sartre).
Likewise,
Martin Heidegger conceptualises human existence as Dasein (being-there),
emphasising being-in-the-world and
the inevitability of anxiety, temporality, and death as central to
understanding existence (Heidegger qtd. in Abbagnano). Also, Soren Kierkegaard,
often regarded as the father of existentialism, presents existence as deeply subjective and rooted in individual choice,
where truth is realised through personal commitment rather than objective
systems (Crowell).
Overall,
scholars agree that existentialism is concerned with:
·
Human freedom and responsibility
·
Subjectivity and individuality
·
Anxiety, choice, and authenticity
·
The search for meaning in a
contingent world.
Absurdism, closely associated with Albert Camus and
dramatized by Samuel Beckett, explains the conflict between humans’ desire and
chaotic, irrational nature of existence. This framework helps interprete the
futile struggles and cyclical actions depicted in the text, particularly the
symbolic experiences of the cockroach.
The theory of
absurdity- closely associated with existentialism- is most prominently
articulated by Albert Camus. Camus defines the absurd as the conflict between the human desire for
meaning and the silent, indifferent universe (Camus). Scholarly interpret
absurdity as a condition arising when humans seek rational explanations in a
world that offers none. As noted in existential scholarship, existentialism
itself acknowledges “the absurdity of human existence,” where individuals are
suspended between infinite aspirations and finite limitations (Abbagnano).
Camus,
in The Myth of Sisyphus, argues that
rather than escaping or denying the absurd, individuals must confront and
embrace it, thereby creating meaning through conscious rebellion. This position
distinguishes absurdism from nihilism, as it does not deny meaning entirely but
insists that meaning must be constructed
despite meaninglessness.
From a broader
scholarly standpoint, absurdity involves:
·
The tension between human
rationality and an irrational universe
·
Recognise of meaninglessness
·
The need for personal
meaning-making
·
A conscious acceptance of
existential contradictions.
Together,
these theories provide a lens for understanding the themes of meaninglessness,
powerlessness, and the absurdity of life in the work.
Methodology
This
study adopts a qualitative research design using content analysis to examine
the thematic preoccupations in Fate of a
Cockroach and other Plays by
Tewfik Al-Hakim. The primary data consists of selected stories from the text,
which are carefully read and analysed. Data collection involves close textual
reading, while data analysis follows a thematic coding process, where recurring
ideas and patterns are identified, categorized, and interpreted. Themes such as
failure of political leadership, the struggle for gender superiority, the
struggle for life and freedom and theme of oppression and class struggle are
systematically extracted from the text.
The
analysis is guided by the principles of qualitative content analysis, allowing
for objective, systematic, and interpretive examination of the narratives in
relation to the study’s theoretical framework.
An
Analysis of the Thematic Preoccupations in Fate
of a Cockroach
Tewfik
Al-Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach is a
simple but meaningful play that shows important problems in human couple to
explain deeper social and philosophical issues. One major theme is the failure of political leadership. The
cockroach king calls himself a ruler, but he cannot save himself from danger.
This shows that some leaders have power in name but are weak in action (Al-Hakim),
e.g: “Queen: king! I would like to ask who made you king? King: I made myself a
king.”
Another important
theme is the struggle for gender
superiority. The relationship between Adil and Samia shows constant
disagreement and competition. Instead of understanding each other, they try to
control one another. This reflects how gender conflict can create tension and
lack of peace in relationships (Al-Hakim):
Queen: I’m exactly the same as you- there’s no
difference between us at all.
King: there is difference.
Queen: And what, prithee, might this
difference be?
King: My whiskers. Queen: Just as you have
whiskers, so have I.
King: Yes but my whiskers are longer than
yours. Queen: That is a trifling difference.
King: So it seems to you.
Similarly, the
play also presents the struggle for life
and freedom. The cockroach tries many times to escape from the bathtub but
fails. This represents how individuals struggle to survive and be free in a
difficult and uncaring world. It shows that even with effort, freedom is not
always possible (Al-Hakim), e.g:
Adil: (to the cockroach) stick to it! Stick to
it! Struggle for your life!...They want
to kill you with insecticide. Do not be
afraid- I will open the door. Stick to it! Stick
to it… what a shame! You slipped, you rolled
over and fell down as you do each time
… you want to have another go. once again
you’re starting to climb. Why don’t you
Rest for a moment, brother! give yourself a
breathe? But what’s the point(shouting).
There is no point! (40)
Consequently,
there is the theme of oppression and
class struggle. The cockroach’s condition and the human situation both
suggest that some individuals are trapped in systems where they have power.
This reflects inequality and how weaker groups often suffer under stronger
forces (Al-Hakim), e.g: Queen: Are there no creatures superior to us? Savant:
No, we are the most superior creatures on the face of the earth.
Furthermore,
Fate of a Cockroach uses simple
characters and situations to present serious themes about leadership, gender
conflict, survival, and oppression. These themes help readers understand the
challenges people face in society and everyday life (Al-Hakim). The following
themes are replete in Tewfik Al-Hakim’s Fate
of a Cockroach:
1.
The
Theme of the Failure of Political Leadership
The theme of poor leadership is
depicted in Al-Hakim's Fate of a Cockroach. The majority of literary critics
claim that the play is essentially an allegory intended to parody the poor
leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt's second prime minister. As a result,
the play is seen as a political parody of the shortcomings of Nasser's
government. Furthermore, the failure of political leaders in the majority of
African nations, including Nigeria, is a worldwide phenomenon.
Tewfik uses the persona of the
self-appointed amateur King cockroach and the equally untrained members of his
cabinet to illustrate the malaise of poor leadership. There is no democratic
election of the government. In the realm of cockroaches, the King cockroach
asserts his dominance. The Queen challenges the cunning methods he used to
become king by having the following conversation with him:
Queen: king! I would like to ask who made you
king?
King: I made myself a king.
Queen: and what devious means and measures
brought you to the throne and placed you on
the seat of kingship?
King: (indignantly) means and measures? Pardon
me for saying so but you are stupid.
There is not a precise, meaningful standard by which to
choose his cabinet members. He offers a really unimportant premise—his long
whiskers—when the Queen puts pressure on him to provide one for his
self-selection as King. However, it has not been proven beyond a reasonable
doubt that he has the longest whiskers among cockroaches. He is reminded by the
Queen that it is very possible to have another cockroach with longer whiskers
than his. Other cockroaches "had no time for whisker measuring,"
therefore this cannot be confirmed (5).
Regarding the other members of his
cabinet, the conversation that follows between him and the queen discloses the
rather bizarrely trivial standards by which they are appointed.
Queen: So how did I
end up as queen?
King: By common sense logic. As I was the king
and you were the female I loved and lived
with, so you were of necessity queen.
Queen: And your Minister, how did he become a
minister?
King: His talent nominated him for the office
of minister, just as mine did for the throne.
Queen: We know about your talent, the length
of your whiskers. But what are your minister’s
talent?
King: His consummate concern for proposing
disconcerting problems and producing
unpleasant news.
Queen: And the priest? What are his talent?
King: The completely incomprehensible things
he says.
Queen: And the learned savant?
King: The strange information he has about
things that have no existence other than in his
own head.
Queen: And what induced you to put up with
this people?
King: Necessity. I found no one but them
wanting to be close to me. They are in need of
someone to whom they can pour out their
absurdities, whereas I am in need of close
companions who will call me “ Your Majesty”.
(6)
Tewfik makes an oblique reference to Nasser, who had to name
himself prime minister after being illegally elected. Egyptians lost faith in
Nasser toward the conclusion of his rule, which made it unpopular.
Tewfik illustrates this in his play by showing how the Cockroach King is
clearly cut off from the subjects of his rule. Despite being king, the
Cockroach King has little authority over his subjects. The Queen exposes this
weakness:
Your authority? Your authority
Over whom? Not over me at any rate- you are in
no way
better than me. You don’t provide me with food
or drink.
Have you ever fed me? I feed myself just as
you feed yourself.
Do you deny it? (3)
Because he does not support his
subjects, King Cockroach lacks authority over them. "In the entire
cockroach kingdom, there is no one who feeds another," he tells the Queen,
perhaps acknowledging this reality. Each cockroach aspires to have his own
bread. (3) This is a subtle critique of the Nasser regime's inability to
provide Egyptians with proper care. The Savant is compelled to say, "If
the king cannot order ten cockroaches to assemble together then what authority
has the king got?" because to King Cockroach's seeming helplessness. (11)
As a result, the ant problem—a
significant issue facing the state—cannot be solved by this self-appointed and
unqualified class of rulers. "A king like you claiming you have worth and
authority and you don't know how to solve the ant problem" is how the
Queen exposes his ineptitude (3). The security issue that beset Nasser's
administration is known as the "ant problem." "We grew up, our
fathers, our grandfathers, and our grandfathers' grandfathers, with the
problems of the ants there," bemoans King Cockroach. (7) King Cockroach
also questions why he should be forced to deal with the long-standing ant
problem. This exposes his inherent frailty and inability.
There isn't a single cabinet member
with the willpower to suggest a solution to the ant problem. They all refuse to
accept accountability and place the blame elsewhere. The Savant and Priest
assert that the matter is political and outside of their jurisdiction. The
minister professes to be grieving at the death of his son. They don't have the
strength to resist when they see the procession of ants pulling the cockroach;
instead, they just stand and complain. The Queen exclaims, " The ants are
there in front of you! They are taking the Minister's son away so they can
prepare a healthy lunch for him. Is it hard for you four massive men to attack,
smash, and free the Minister's kid from their grasp? (10). They still assign
blame and avoid accountability.
2.
The
Struggle for Gender Superiority
The theme of the fight for gender
superiority is strong in Tewfik's Fate of a Cockroach. In a typical patriarchal
society, the phallus is the center and women are pushed to the side. This
playwright, on the other hand, shows how women in a typical African society,
like Egypt, have a hard time getting away from the patriarchal hold and
dominance that is common in those societies. This gender "war,"
whether pursued coincidentally or deliberately in the play, is set against the
backdrop of the dramatic conflict in the cockroach world, as vividly
illustrated in the lives of the King and his Queen, as depicted in the
following dialogue:
Queen: (aroused to
anger): I’m a Queen! Don’t forget I’m the queen
King: And I’m the king!
Queen: I’m exactly the same as you- there’s no
difference between us at all.
King: there is difference.
Queen: And what, prithee, might this
difference be?
King: My whiskers. Queen: Just as you have
whiskers, so have I.
King: Yes but my whiskers are longer than
yours. Queen: That is a trifling difference.
King: So it seems to you.
Queen: To you rather. It is your sickly
imagination that always makes it appear to you
that there is a difference between us.
King: The difference exists- I can be clearly
seen by anyone with eyes to see. If you don’t
believe me, ask the Minister, the Priest, the
Savant and all those worthy gentlemen
connected with the court (2).
As the play goes on, the two
cockroaches continue to argue in a way that is comparable to our ongoing
struggle between the sexes. The Queen Cockroach believes that her spouse has no
authority to impose decisions on her. She states:
Your authority! Your authority over whom? Not
over me at any rate_
you are in no way better than me. You don’t
provide me with food or drink.
Have you ever fed me? I feed myself, just as
you feed yourself. Do you deny it?(3)
She goes on to say that her spouse
has no authority to determine when she wakes up or goes to bed. She just
doesn't want her spouse to control and harass her. "Let me be then,"
she says. I will choose when to work and when to be lazy, as well as when to go
to bed and wake up (4). The Cockroach King, on the other hand, takes great
pride in his long whiskers, which he believes are the sole thing that set him
apart from his wife and give him the upper hand.
Furthermore, Al-Hakim has attempted
to de-stereotype the prevalent idea of our gender stereotype in Fate of a
Cockroach, where women are portrayed as culinary specialists and males fight
with phallic swords. being unsophisticated and incapable of developing a
successful military plan against the ants' well-organized and disciplined army.
After confronting the long-standing patriarchal arrogance that never accepts
women as fighters, the Queen wishes to demonstrate her bravery, fortitude, and
valour after the Cockroach King, his Minister, and Savant refuse to fight. "Then
I shall go—I, the Queen—but I shall not say I am the Queen, but merely a
female," she declares. As women go to fight, you men stand and observe
with folded arms (17). The Queen actually believes that a woman can fight just
as well as a man.
In
Act Three, Adil calls his wife “a weak woman” (54). Adil says:
It’s a desire on my part to please her,
because she’s a woman, a weak woman.
taken up with her youth, her advancement, her
talent. I don’t like to shake her
belief in her own strength and superiority. I
would regard that as meanness,
meanness on my part as a strong man. I hold
that real manliness demands that
she be made to feel her strength and her
importance and to raise her morale(54).
Samia's wife, who developed feminism
in a completely different sequence, is threatening Adil, her husband, with a
number of demands. Samia completely takes advantage of this to her husband's
detriment because she believes that men should be devoted, obedient, and
compassionate to their women.
For
instance, she shoves her husband away when he insists on going to the bathroom
before her even after he wakes up before her. It is ironical that Adil sees his
wife as weak but is still entrapped in her dominance over him and “carries out
her orders” (32). He says “why am I so weak with you? But is it really
weakness? No! It’s impossible, it is merely that I spoil you. I spoil you
because you are a woman, a weak woman, the weaker sex” (29). Samia suppresses
her husband so much that he almost loses his identity and asks her on one
occasion “… Do you know what my true identity is?” (30). She exercises absolute
control even over his income. He laments “… You take everything that I have and
I take nothing of yours. You get hold of the whole of my salary and I can’t
touch a millieme of yours. All the payments, expenses, bills, instalments, all
come out of my pocket: your dressmaker, your hairdresser- the installments on
you car, your petrol, your fridge- your washing machine- your Butagas… “ (31).
Samia turns Adil into her errand by and orders
him around. On one occasion, she says:
“Listen, Adil, you’ve got the day off today.
You should know that I want you to spend
this day usefully. D’ you hear? There are my
clothes and dresses all crumpled up in the
wardrobe – get down to sorting them out and
hang them up at your leisure one by one so
that when I come back from work I’ll find
everything nicely sorted out and organized.
Understood?” (62).
In
another instance, the following dialogue ensues between them:
Samia: Adil, pass me the towel, will you?
Adil: (passes her the towel) the towel
Samia: And the bathrobe too.
Adil: (presenting her with the bathrobe): And
the bathrobe. You’ve got the soap and
the sponge?
Samia: The bottle of eau- de cologne please.
Adil: (passing her the bottle): and the eau de
cologne
Samia: And the tin of powder
Adil: passes her the powder
Samia: And now get out!
Adil: I’m out! (34)
It is noteworthy that Adil finds it simpler to compare his
condition to the cockroach's struggle to get out of his bathtub due to the
psychological impact of this circumstance.
3.
The
Theme of the Struggle for Life and Freedom
In his Introduction to
"Fate of a Cockroach and other Plays," Denys Johnson-Davies noted
that:
In Fate
of a Cockroach, man’s natural love for freedom, his refusal to despair
in the face of adversity, are exemplified in
the cockroach’s strivings to climb out
of the bath. This influence pervades his works
from The Song of Death. The Tree
Climber, The Prison of Life to Fate of a Cockroach. in the last work,
he treats the
Problems of freedom: socio-religious,
economic, psycho-cultural and even
Governmental as the text ‘deals, directly or
indirectly, with some aspects of freedom’
(vii).
The King Cockroach is determined to be free. He repeatedly
strives to get out of the bathtub. The cockroach continues to fight for
freedom, but Adil, who is watching with great enthusiasm, loses count and is
bored. He begs the insect to:
Adil: (to the cockroach) stick to it! Stick to
it! Struggle for your life!...They want
to kill you with insecticide. Do not be
afraid- I will open the door. Stick to it! Stick
to it… what a shame! You slipped, you rolled
over and fell down as you do each time
… you want to have another go. once again you’re
starting to climb. Why don’t you
Rest for a moment, brother! give yourself a
breathe? But what’s the point(shouting).
There is no point! (40)
The kingdom of cockroaches similarly
aspires to complete independence from the oppressive ants. The issue of ants
feeding on cockroaches when they slip and fall on their backs has existed for a
very long time. Nonetheless, the cockroaches plan how to escape the ants.
Liberation struggles have been a recurring theme throughout human history.
Through the radio announcer, Tewfik briefly mentions this: "and here is
the summary of the news: the black nationals rose up in revolt following the
occupation by the white colonialists by force" (30).
In
another radio station, this song is heard “the attainment of desires is not by
hoping: Things of this world are gained by striving” (30).
4.
Oppression
and Class struggle
Al-Hakim outlines several forms of
oppression that were practiced in the past in The Fate of a Cockroach,
including people over other humans, gender suppression, humans over other
creatures, and animate creatures over other animate creatures. The idea that
all of these oppressive practices stem from deeply ingrained universal
archetypal beliefs in the minds of the various creatures involved is emphasized
throughout the work. This discussion illustrates how ants oppress cockroaches:
Queen: Are there no creatures superior to us?
Savant: No, we are the most superior creatures
on the face of the earth.
King: … we are the sturdiest of creatures on
earth, is that not so, O venerable Savant?
Savant: Most certainly, Majesty.
King: Are the ants stronger than us?
Impossible… Do the ants know us?
Savant: Of course not.
King: Have they got the slightest idea of the
true facts about us, about our nature?
Do they realize that we are thinking
creatures?
Savant: The only knowledge they have about us
is that we are food for them.
King: And so, in relation to ourselves, they
are inferior creatures (21).
The strained relationship between
the human couple Adil and Samia and the King and Queen cockroaches serves as an
example of the gender struggle between men and women. It is difficult for any
gender to dominate the other. Tewfik's play Fate of a Cockroach, on the other
hand, reverses patriarchal power and depicts a society in which women rule over
males.
Conclusion
Through
symbolic representation and satire, Tewfik Al-Hakim explores complex
socio-political and philosophical issues. The integration of themes such as
leadership failure, gender conflict,
survival,
and oppression – supported by existentialist and absurdist perspectives-
demonstrates the depth and relevance of Fate
of a Cockroach and Other Stories
within modern literary discourse.
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This article is published in ALQALAM: A Journal of Language and Literary Studies, FUGUS, Volume 1, Issue 2 - June 2026
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