Norah Al Malki

Fiction and Reality: T.e. Lawrence¿s Portrait of the Arabs in Seven Pillars of Wisdom Norah Al Malki

The Arabian 'Other' in T. E. Lawrence's (1888-1935) SPW(1935) is practically not Arabian; not even strikes one as Eastern except at few occasions. Lawrence's travel account is full of falsifications and fictions that contribute to destroying the Arabian image. SPW presents its main hero under the dual influence of war and cultural alienation, hence it is more of one man¿s life than a historical account of the Arabian revolution. Consequently, terms like "ambiguous", "inconsistent" and "contestable" best describe Lawrence's Arabian image. His reconstructed reality is never at any one time immune against falling apart as the author introduces or destroys patterns with which he charters the foreign world. These patterns, in fact, never succeed in retaining the spirit of the world inspected. Instead, they emphasize the traveler's reflective and critical appreciation of his 'Self' drawing mystifyingly on the Other's mythical or stereotypical status.