Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasyfan
So I would agree that this entire incident is useful as being revelatory about the author, the English attitude in general. and about the ruling structures of Egypt.
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Not just the English, but the whole "colonial" attitude of the 19th and early 20th century.
Around 1915 or so, Howard Carter (the future discover of the tomb of King Tutankhamon) held the position of "Inspector of Antiquities" for the Luxor area (which includes the Valley of the Kings). One day, some drunken French tourists tried to force their way into one of the tombs, past the Egyptian guard who was on duty at the tomb. He wouldn't let them in, and Carter was sacked from his job by the (French) director of the Antiquities Service because he refused to discipline the guard for doing his duty. Laying hands on European visitors by blocking their entrance to the tomb was an unforgivable offence.
But we have to remember that, represensible as we find these attitudes, these people were a product of the society that they grew up in, and to them, this was the natural order of things. We really can't blame them for following the conventions of their society.