"The Committee": Capitalism in Egyptian Society Analytical Essay by scribbler
"The Committee": Capitalism in Egyptian Society
An analysis of the theme of capitalism and consumerism in Sonallah Ibrahim's "The Committee: A Novel".
# 153433
| 1,006 words
| 1 source
| APA
| 2013
| 
Published
on May 31, 2013
in
Anthropology
(Middle Eastern)
, Literature
(World)
, Political Science
(General)
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Description:
The paper discusses how Egyptian scholar and writer Sonallah Ibrahim, through his novel "The Committee", provides a provocative and insightful commentary on how capitalism has influenced his own country's society and culture. The paper analyzes the novel's interplay between the narrator and the Committee to highlight the socio-political dominance of capitalism in Egyptian society. The paper also discusses how Ibrahim demonstrates the power of the Coca Cola brand, as it managed to break political and cultural barriers and capture consumers' loyalty from societies all over the world. The paper emphasizes Ibrahim's core objective of satirically portraying capitalism as an ideology that stagnates and demoralizes humanity more than progresses it.
From the Paper:
"The theme of capitalism and consumerism in The Committee is not uncommon to other societies' experiences of this economy type. However, the scenarios developed by Ibrahim in the novel highlights the degree at which capitalism has become an absurd reality for Egyptian society and Ibrahim's fellowmen. In the texts that follow, the themes of capitalism and consumerism are discussed as contextualized in Egyptian postmodern society. Ibrahim's novel highlights the socio-political dominance of capitalism in Egyptian society, rendering the very people who support this system as helpless and wholly subjective to capitalism's power and whims. In the novel, capitalism is represented by the Committee and the protagonist/narrator of the novel represents Egyptian society who only experienced ridicule in spite of his hope of reaping the benefits a capitalist economy can offer."Capitalism is portrayed, at best, as a powerful yet whimsically absurd force that is dominant and highly influential in Egyptian society. Ibrahim's characterization of the Committee as a 'seriously absurd' group demonstrates how the ideology of capitalism itself has been distorted to suit the whims and needs of the powers-that-be in Egyptian society. The representation of different sectors/groups in the Committee highlights the blurring of the lines that of traditional Egyptian society's structure. Replacing it is a new social order, wherein the powerful individuals/groups are those who have the biggest stake in bringing in capitalism to Egypt: multinational companies and the government (who will benefit directly from the economic rewards of capitalism in the country)."
Sample of Sources Used:
- Ibrahim, S. (2001). The Committee: A Novel. NY: Syracuse University Press.
Cite this Analytical Essay:
APA Format
"The Committee": Capitalism in Egyptian Society (2013, May 31)
Retrieved September 25, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/the-committee-capitalism-in-egyptian-society-153433/
MLA Format
""The Committee": Capitalism in Egyptian Society" 31 May 2013.
Web. 25 September. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/the-committee-capitalism-in-egyptian-society-153433/>