Permeable Boundaries in The Arab of the Future

For me, one of the most striking features of The Arab of the Future is its portrayal of the permeable boundaries between countries and cultures. Abdel-Razak seems to have immense freedom of movement in the narrative: he leaves Syria to study in Paris, meeting and marrying Clementine while there; he is offered a professorship at Oxford; and he moves his family from France to Libya, back to France, and then to Syria. Despite the one moment of uncertainty with Syrian customs on pages 68-69, the Sattouf family appears to have few restrictions placed upon their international and intra-national travels. A prime example of this freedom of movement is when the Sattouf’s visit the Isle of Jersey to collect Abdel-Razak’s salary from his time teaching in Libya (152-153). Not only does this show the international exchange of money at play behind-the-scenes of the narrative, but it also highlights the scope of the international movement of the Sattouf family (work in Libya leads to money in Jersey which leads to the prospects of a new home in Syria). Finally, alongside of the immediate Sattouf family, their extended family also enjoys freedom of movement, as family members visit one another from country to country.

In addition to physical movement, cultural boundaries also appear quite permeable. Abdel-Razak speaks French and Arabic, and it is likely that Clementine learns to speak and read Arabic to some degree as well. Also, Clementine’s short tenure as a French language radio newscaster in Libya and her purchase of Paris Match in Syria suggests that she is not the only French speaker in either country. Abdel-Razak listens to Radio Monte Carlo in France as well as in Libya; he enjoys eating “toutes” in both Libya and Syria; and the Libyan government supplies the Canadian drink Tang as a part of its food rations. Finally, the children in both France and Syria seem equally fascinated with vulgar language. While there are important cultural distinctions between each of the countries within the narrative, there nevertheless seems to be many similarities.

On the one hand, the narrative’s emphasis on permeable international boundaries does have its limitations, which is visually suggested by the different colors washed over scenes taking place in each locale. While some movement and interactions may be permitted, complex and significant distinctions persist, and they cannot be overlooked. On the other hand, the permeable boundaries provide an important perspective on the openness of Levant and North African countries with their European neighbors. Unlike the Iron Curtain which forcefully limited physical and cultural interaction between Soviet and NATO countries, the boundaries between Syria, France, and Libya appear much less restrictive. Whereas certain Arabic countries are often portrayed to Westerners as closed-off to the rest of the world, as insulated and wary of letting their citizens travel to or learn about European societies, The Arab of the Future tells a different narrative. Instead, it suggests that people in Syria and Libya, if they have the financial and educational means to do so, can indeed experience European culture, and they have the freedom to emigrate. Therefore, the myriad motivating forces behind expatriate return to these countries, rather than their isolation and distinction from Europe, appears to drive Abdel-Razak’s continual movement back to Syria.