Attack on Sialkot Poem By Zulfiqar Ghose Stanza wise Summary and Analysis

Attack on Sialkot Poem By Zulfiqar Ghose 

Stanza 1:

Grandfather, eighty now, his pilgrimage

 to Mecca over, still lives there, at peace

 with his Muslim conscience. At our last meeting

 he sat in the courtyard of a mosque, still

 as an idol, while I stood outside, garish

 as a poster against the whitewashed wall

in my mohair suit and corduroy hat,

 advertising my patient secularism.

The passage reflects on the narrator's grandfather, who, at eighty, has completed his pilgrimage to Mecca and lives peacefully in Sialkot, Pakistan, with a clear Muslim conscience. During their last meeting, the grandfather sat still in a mosque's courtyard, symbolizing steadfast faith, while the narrator, dressed in modern Western attire, felt out of place, embodying a more secular, modern worldview. The contrast between the grandfather's traditional religious devotion and the narrator's secularism is emphasized by the visual imagery of the grandfather's quiet presence and the narrator's "garish" appearance.

Stanza 2:

Gunfire made Sialkot a kiln to fire

 Pakistan’s earthen-pot faith, I listened

 to the news hour after hour the whole month

 and saw maps in newspapers an arrow

 pointed at Sialkot. Grandfather’s breast-plate

 of Islam had become fragile as china

 in the intruding heresy of tanks.

 I see that arrow still : aimed at grandfather.

The mention of gunfire turning Sialkot into a "kiln" metaphorically suggests that the city and its religious faith are under intense pressure and danger like clay being fired in a kiln. The "earthen-pot faith" of Pakistan, representing the fragile and vulnerable nature of religious beliefs, is threatened by the violence and conflict symbolized by tanks. Once strong and protective like a "breast-plate," the grandfather's faith is now described as fragile as "china," highlighting the delicate state of traditional beliefs in the face of modern, militarized threats. The passage explores themes of religious devotion, cultural identity, generational differences, and the impact of external conflicts on faith and tradition.

Stanza 3

It was a messy, a child’s pudding-plate

 of a town during nay first seven years.

 I pulled at grandfather’s beard and dragged down

 his turban when he carried me to school.

 He turned five times a day to Mecca, bowed

 low in prayer and at night swung me round

 the bed so that my feet did not insult

 the holy direction, the one truth he knew.

The passage continues to explore the relationship between the narrator and his grandfather, focusing on the enduring presence of tradition and religious faith in their lives. The mentioned "arrow" symbolizes a lingering threat or tension, aimed specifically at the grandfather, who represents a steadfast adherence to Islamic values and traditions. This metaphor suggests a sense of impending danger or conflict directed toward those who hold traditional beliefs.

 

The narrator describes his childhood memories in the town as chaotic and imperfect, akin to a "child’s pudding plate." Despite this, his grandfather's commitment to his faith remained unwavering. The narrator recalls moments of innocence and mischief, such as pulling at his grandfather's beard and turban, symbolizing their playful yet respectful bond.

 

The grandfather's devotion is highlighted by his daily prayers, turning five times towards Mecca, and his careful attention to ensure the narrator's feet did not face the holy direction while sleeping. This act signifies the grandfather's deep respect for his faith and his desire to impart these values to the next generation. The "one truth he knew" emphasizes the grandfather's unwavering belief in the core tenets of Islam, underscoring the contrast between traditional faith and modern, secular influences.

Stanza 4

From east and southeast the tanks, from the air

 the jets converged all month on Sialkot

 in a massive pilgrimage, bloodier than the sacrifice of goats at the end of Ramadan.

 Grandfather, the landmarks are falling, which

 way will you turn now? Islam, Islam, that’s

 all you cared for, stubborn as a child, while

 I had gone westward, begun to eat pork.

In these lines, the narrator describes a time of conflict and invasion in Sialkot, with tanks approaching from the east and southeast and jets attacking from the air. This violent convergence is likened to a "massive pilgrimage," but it is "bloodier than the sacrifice of goats at the end of Ramadan," drawing a grim parallel between a religious ritual of sacrifice and the brutal realities of war. The imagery suggests widespread destruction and chaos, with the city's landmarks falling, symbolizing the collapse of familiar structures and traditions.

 

The narrator directly addresses his grandfather, questioning where he will turn now that the situation has become dire. This question is rhetorical, highlighting the grandfather's unwavering faith in Islam, which has been his primary concern throughout his life. The grandfather's steadfastness is described as "stubborn as a child," emphasizing his rigid adherence to his beliefs despite changing circumstances.

 

In contrast, the narrator confesses to having "gone westward" and begun to "eat pork," symbolizing a departure from traditional Islamic practices and an embrace of Western secular values. This divergence in beliefs and lifestyle choices underscores the generational and ideological gap between the narrator and his grandfather, reflecting broader themes of cultural and religious conflict.

Stanza 5:

Grandfather, if the old house falls, if you

 die where you built and Sialkot collapses

 I shall have no Mecca to turn to, who

 admire cathedrals for their architecture.

 l~eligion is irrelevant to grief:

 you will not agree nor will Pakistan

 finding in this war the old Islamic

 pride rise like a congregation in a mosque.

In this passage, the narrator grapples with the potential loss of his grandfather and the symbolic collapse of Sialkot, the city where their family's roots lie. The "old house" represents both their physical home and their cultural and religious heritage. The narrator expresses a profound sense of dislocation, acknowledging that if these foundations crumble, he will be left without a spiritual anchor, having distanced himself from the religious traditions that once defined his family. This is underscored by his statement, "I shall have no Mecca to turn to," highlighting his lack of a spiritual home or guiding belief.

 

The narrator contrasts his own perspective with that of his grandfather and the broader Pakistani society. While he admires cathedrals purely for their architectural beauty, indicating a secular and perhaps aesthetic appreciation of religion, he recognizes that for his grandfather and many in Pakistan, religion is a profound and integral part of life, especially during times of crisis. The line "Religion is irrelevant to grief" suggests that for the narrator, personal loss and suffering are not necessarily connected to religious belief, unlike his grandfather and others who might find solace and identity in their faith.

 

The narrator observes that, despite the war's destruction, it has sparked a resurgence of "old Islamic pride," likened to a congregation rising in a mosque. This metaphor emphasizes the collective, communal nature of the resurgence, contrasting with the narrator's individual, detached stance. The passage reflects the tension between secularism and religious tradition, generational differences, and the complexities of cultural identity in times of conflict.

The Balcony as a Naturalistic play by Jean Genet? 

Naturalism (1865-1914) is a literary movement that by using scientific principles focuses on the objective and detached observation of human nature . Naturalism also observed how environmental, social, and heredity factors impact human nature. “The Balcony” is a naturalistic play due to its setting, detached observation of human nature, pessimism, and objectivism. 

Jean Genet, a French playwright, wrote this drama after WWII in 1956. So the societal unrest, depression, lack of identity, class struggles, absurdity and meaninglessness of life, and religious dogmas were in question in all European societies same as in France. “The Balcony” drama shows a place “The Grand House” and that is also called by Irma as “The House of Illusion” as a setting that is situated in an unnamed European country. “The Grand Balcony” is a brothel house where people from all strata of society come to enjoy the roles whatever they want to become. They can fulfill their hidden desires, dreams, and illusions through their illusionary roles. For example, the roles of Judge, General, and  Bishop are performed by common people because, at  the time of WWII, these positions only belonged to the upper class. The setting serves as a theater along with a brothel house, where people impersonate them to find the meaning of life. The lack of identity and disillusionment force them to live in illusions. As their roles end, the absurdity of life again prevails and takes them to the real life of class differences. The play also shows the time of revolution, when the rebellion side was fighting against the Royal Palace. So, it is obvious that class struggle is causing this civil war. So the Balcony is a microcosm of the whole chaotic society with no balance of power, wealth, and race. Naturalist playwrights wrote in an objective and detached way.

Naturalistic playwrights detached themselves from every kind of emotion, subjective thoughts, and feelings toward the topic of the play. Jean Genet has written, “The Balcony” play in an extremely objective and detached way. Innes says,

 “Genet was a victim of this society, which he now seeks to destroy…..But he does not try to correct the society he denounces. He does not try to substitute one for another since he is against all order.’’(149)

 Genet was the son of whore; he was a revolutionary against all existing Western societies. So, he remains completely objective towards the topic of social anarchism in the play, by not giving a clear-cut view or any argument on which side he actually is, and it is also not clear which side has won the Civil War. The characters of Irma and the Chief of the Police show no real emotions toward each other; rather they give priority to their status, business, and power. Naturalistic playwrights adopted a Pessimistic or naturalistic worldview, in which characters that have less power or agency over their lives often face terrible consequences of their illusions. The characters of “The Balcony” struggle with the impotence of power and are mere puppets of fate. Characters of the play, want to escape from the cruel world outside the brothel house. To fulfill their instinctive desire for power, they masquerade themselves to gain more power. They try to refute the harsh reality of human society and establish orders to belong to the nature and realities of humans through illusions. So, actors who have performed the roles of a Bishop, a Judge, and a General in the brothel house, are those who want to escape from the established order of the world in which they live. Besides, reconciling to an unjust and conflicted world of realities with dreams and illusions results in anxiety and a lack of identity in the end. So, when they accomplish their roles, see them as:

 “…., be nothing, though reflected ad infinitum in these mirrors, nothing but…. [on] image.” 

And they lost their influence which they attempt to control their lives. Lionel Abel says,

 “The main point of Genet in the play is that the destruction of illusions and dreams is the destruction of life. In other words……the reality of life is exposed.”

 An extreme level of inferiority complex in characters leads them to Pessimism, where reality or fate is unavoidable. In the end, Madame Irma exposes her pessimism by denying theatrically:

  “You must now go home, where everything, where everything, you can be quite sure will be even falser than here”

Hence determinist belief of fate or reality plays a significant role in bringing characters to reality, from which they were escaping. In short, we can say that Genet’s play “The Balcony” is a perfect example of naturalistic play due of its setting, pessimism, detachment, and objectivism, however these scientific principles gives more depth to create a reality vs. illusion kind of play.