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Critical Analysis of Adams Progeny
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by Khalida Hussain
(Pakistani Literature in Translation)

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Submitted to: Dr.Muhammad Asif

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Aqsa Sabir (2781-M.phil English Lit 2nd, Riphah International
University Faisalabad Campus)

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Aqsa Sabir

Critical Analysis of Adams Progeny by Khalida Hussain

Outline

Introduction of the author

Summary of the story

Analysis of the form of the story

Narrative Technique
Language
Setting

Analysis of the themes of the story

Post 9/11 condition of Muslims

War on Terror and its impacts upon Muslim world
Clash of civilizations

Analysis of the Characters

Iraqi characters (Abu Hamza, Laila, Quddus and Gibreel-al-Amin)

US Army (the captain, the expert and the female soldier)

Conclusion

Influence of Modernism and Existentialism

Introduction of the Author

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Aqsa Sabir

Khalida Hussain rose to fame in 60s when symbolic short stories were the order of the day in
Urdu, replacing the well defined realism and naturalism of 30s and 40s.She emerged at this time.
She emerged at this time as an extremely moving complex and profound fictional voice in urdu.
She wrote stories charged with a feeling of menace, loss and alienation: for instance Hazar-
Paya (The Millipede), and Savari (The Wagon); these stories became symbols of what Jadidyat
or modernism had to say about human condition. After her marriage and migration to Pakistan
from India she stopped writing. She emerged with a new perspective after her break from writing
career. In her new work, she focuses on situations more than characters or plots in the
conventional sense of the term. Her stories in the second phase of her are mostly about female
identity in the traditional society of present-day Pakistan.

Summary of Adams Progeny

The story is about American invasion on Iraq in 2003. Gibreel Amin is the central character who
helps American army to locate the suicide attackers Abu Hamza, Laila and Quddus. Prior to war
they were common people. Abu Hamza was a medical doctor and Laila used to work with her
father in an oil extracting factory. The War changed their lives; their families were arrested or get
killed in blasts. Laila is dead during self imposed suicide blast where as abu Hamza gets severely
injured. All of them are arrested and take to prison. Amin observe the deteriorated condition of
prisoner. At the end of story Hamza was turned into a four legged creature, almost like a dog,
controlled by a female soldier. His masculinity was crushed,he was not even a human anymore.

Analysis of the form of the story

Form of the story is highly modernist and follows conventions of Jadidyat. The narrator is not
one of the characters of story. The word I is used only once for the narrator in present
continuous tense, But no, maybe it has stopped and I am imagining it still running. So the
story is told in form of omniscient narration and third person is used for all characters. The
narration fluctuates between past and present. The story begins and ends in present but the
climax lies in the past where Amin remembers the moments when he was with Abu Hamza, Laila
and Quddus. So like modernist fiction, the story has an abrupt beginning and flashback technique
is used to explain the background story.

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Aqsa Sabir

Language of the story is simple and less dense.Figurative language is used to a limited extent.
Some metaphors, symbols and similes are incorporated by Khalida which underlie the thematic
undertones of the story. Eyes are used as a symbol recurrently by the author. For example,
Amins eyes are full of burning sparks, the experts glassy-blue marble-like eyes, Lailas
brown eyes seemed darker than ever, Hamzas complaint-less eyes and the female soldiers
triumphant glances while carrying the four legged creature. Amins eyes denote the pain and
shamefulness he is going to face due to the guilt of betraying his own people. The American
experts eyes signify his coldness and ferocious attitude. He is the symbol of Americas foreign
policy and its shrewdness for using others as a tool for its own materialistic gains. Lailas brown
eyes seeming dark indicate darkness that is imposed by war on her life and her choice of death
for herself. Hamzas eyes show no regrets on his decision and he is not surprised by Amins
betrayal. Triumphant glance of the female soldier depicts her countrys victory and her own joy
over reducing a man into an animal. Heavy boots and uniform worn by Amin depicts his
mimicking of the US invaders.

Language is also given the status of deceptive entity, the US army thinks that Amin is unaware of
their language, but Amin does understands their language very well but he does not want them to
know that, he wants to keep them under deception. The author uses metaphor of snake for
English language, What a language it was- its words slithered hissing and spitting on ones lips
like the sting of a snake, always filling his mouth with a poisonous taste. The American soldiers
use dirty expletives and abuses for Iraqis which shows their poisonous and rigid mind-set.

Setting of the story is Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. Iraq was a menacing dryness all over the
place, everything was at the point of cracking. War has decreased Iraq and Iraqis to the
inhuman conditions. Iraqis were scouring the garbage for pieces of bread. And Guantanamo
Bay was a place which was gathering of dead people.

Thematic analysis of the story

Impacts of War on Terrot on Mulsim world

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Aqsa Sabir

The whole story is concerned with post 9/11 scenario for Muslims and impacts of war on terror
on the Muslim world. So the political shape of world opens up in Adams Progeny as one can
discern contemporary shades of Guantanamo Bay and Iraq Imbroglio. The global war on terror
was started after 11 September, 2001, the tragedy has continued until today. This war on terror
has not only shaped the new political balance in the international world but also influenced the
relationship between USA and Muslim countries. This is because terrorism is considered as
synonymous to Islam and Muslims. The war on terror has positioned Islam and Muslims in a
negative image; they are taken as serious threat to the west. Many thinkers stated that 9/11
tragedy is the evidence of clash of civilizations between Islam and West. Said, a postcolonial
critic takes Terrorism as a counter discourse to Western Imperialism.

The situation of Abu Hamza, Laila and Quddus depicts the plight of the nations indulged in
warfare. Hamza, a medical doctor, transforms into a suicide bomber. Death becomes an ultimate
option for themit becomes their need and choice both. Laila says,while she sees Hamza eating
a rotten bread, its better to choose your own death than to die from a bacterial infection.
Pessimism and Skepticism becomes the nature of the people suffering from war, nothing can
revive them towards a healthy outlook of life. When Amin asks Laila what will she get out of this
suicide blast she replies that she does not want to suffer the same fate like her sister sakina who
was arrested. Laila and Hamza wanted to assure that they at least had the freedom to die with
their own will.

Clash of civilizations

Clash of civilizations can be traced in comparison of Eastern and Western femininity. Lailas
scared cheeks and smoked drifted lips can be compared with the picture of Western girl in
captains wallet who had corn-colored hair and blood red lips which were parted in a lustful
way. Eastern feminine fragility has transformed into an epitome of pain and disillusionment
during this warfare, but the same warfare has no affected the western women they are enjoying
the same status of beauty, sensuousness and fragility because power is in the hands of West. US
soldiers are aware of an Eastern or Arabic Mans pride in masculinity which they sought to
extinguish in the prison. Therefore the American expert is of the view that:The quality of
maleness itself is problematic among men in general, and especially among these Arabs. Until
you convince them they are not even men, they are of no use.

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Aqsa Sabir

Existentialism and idea of Death

Existentialism emerged as a dominating philosophy in the post war world. Existence precedes
essence was its defining motto. Abu Hamzas choice of death reflects his existentialist thoughts
formulated by a war-plunged society. He spoke his heart out to the questioning of Amin by
saying Starvation and repression have been stretched on generations like tight clothing. At this
time my only concern is my need. I want to choose a better death. Death becomes a necessity as
well as choice for him. To die according to his desire becomes his proof for being a human with
his own choices; he wanted to assure his freedom as an individual.

Kierkegaards argument that life is a series of choices and these choices bring meaning or no
meaning to our life is truly applicable to Abu Hamzas ideology of death. Rather offloading the
responsibility onto society or religion, each individual is solely responsible for making his life
meaningful. Gibreel-al-Amin has an opposite approach towards death. For him existence is just
another name for keeping ones body alive under all circumstances. He has a desire to live
under all circumstances; therefore his primary needs are more important for him than his duty
towards his fellow Arabic people.

Heideggers concept of being-toward death describes the notion that men have an outermost
limit of their pursuits and a point where everything comes to an end, and that is death. Beside
Hamzas choice of death whole Adams progeny is subjected to death, whether the American
expert or the ferocious female soldier, all of their pursuits has to end someday.

Analysis of Characters

Iraqi characters are ascribed proper names whereas American military is referred with their
designations; they are devoid of any names. The author has not given them any individual
identity because they are portrayed highly mechanical without any subjective consciousness for
humanity. By doing so, the author has showed some sort of resistance to the injustices performed
by US military without taking care of the difference between innocent and wrongdoer.

Gibreel-al-Amin

This name is the name of archangel in Islam. The angel is characterized with so many qualities,
particularly his capability of keeping amanat as he was the one who was given responsibility

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Aqsa Sabir

for delivering sacred revelations to Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW). So Amin is the one who guards
any amanat. But the character in the story is incapable of guarding the trust of his fellow
people. He becomes one of the invaders by wearing their uniform only to survive or to save his
life.

Abu Hamza

The name means brave courageous and leopard like. Hamza had a strong physique so his
friends used to call him Hercules. But after his suicide attack attempt he is arrested and treated
like an animal in the prison. He degenerates into a four legged creature. The irony in the war is
that, one cannot die even according to his desire. Hamza only wanted a better death better death
but he terribly failed and ends up in a most decayed condition.

Laila

Laila means night in Arabic. She, like Hamza, also transforms into suicide bomber, caring not
about other lives. Imprisonment of her sister and father made her highly dejected. She develops
the habit of smoking. Her hands were icy cold with pain and her whole body felt trembling yet
she seemed indifferent to what ache she was going to face while tying the suicide belt on her
waist. She rested her head on Hamzas shoulder while Amin clicked their last picture as a
memory and as a reminder for world to show that they were happy for what they did. Her head
on Hamzas shoulder was the last moment of intimacy with him (Hamza was her fiance). She
was wrapped in black dress and when the bomb exploded Amin saw parts of her beautiful body
floating in the air. Darkness associated with her name prevail her whole existence.

Conclusion

Though the story appears specifically pro-Islamic but, as the title suggests, it is addressed on a
more global level, it is a cry for all Adams progeny to stop waging war on eachother and come
across alternative solutions to the problems. The differences based on race, color and religion
should not let the dignity of humanity.