At the start of the chapter, we are introduced to the “Zahra offices in Maarif Square” (p. 171), the workplace of Rauf Ilwan. It is “an enormous building” (p. 171) surrounded by cars. There is a printing press “behind the grilles of the basement windows” (p. 171). As with other descriptions of Cairo, we get a sense of the heavy crowds with the “stream of people entering the building” (p. 171); Said’s new world is far busier and more commercialized than he’s accustomed to.
Rauf’s house is another significant place in chapter three. It is very resplendent, adorned with objets d’art, vividly patterned carpets, and a “richly decorated” (p. 174) ceiling. When “A servant switched on the chandelier, … Said’s eyes were dazzled by its size, its multitude of upturned bulbs, its stars and crescents.” (p. 173). Said refers to it as a “palace” (p. 172). The thorough descriptions of its posh qualities, as we will later discover, do not only serve to describe the place, but as a marker of Rauf’s change in persona.
Throughout this chapter, emphasis is placed on the grandness and aristocratic qualities of these two new settings.
Tags: Cairo, Rauf's House, Zahra Offices
