preview

Life Of Saeed: The Pessoptimist And The Importance Of

Better Essays

In Emile Habiby’s The Secret Life of Saeed: the Pessoptimist and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest the idea that names actually mean what they say saves these two works from becoming tragedies because it gives The Importance of Being Earnest a comedic plot, the names in The Secret Life of Saeed: the Pessoptimist represent present options for Saeed, and the characters in both works live in a world that does not reject the notion that names have meaning. The characters in The Importance of Being Earnest, particularly Gwendolyn and Cecily, believe in the notion that one’s name indicates one’s characteristics. While he is under the guise of Ernest, Jack confesses his feelings to Gwendolyn and she comments that her “ideal has always …show more content…

Saeed encounters two important women in his life: Yuaad and Baqiyya. The name of Saeed’s first love, Yuaad, “means ‘will return’” (Habiby, 165). The name Baqiyya “means ‘the one who remains’” (Habiby, 167). While these names describe certain qualities of these characters they also represent two options for Saeed: returning to the homeland or staying. Another important name is the name of Saeed and Baqiyya’s son, Walaa, “which means loyal” (Habiby, 97). The decision to either return to the homeland or stay is a conflicting choice for Saeed, but these two names represent hopeful options as well. Even though Saeed is in a situation that makes him feel helpless, he still has the ability to make these choices. Both Yuaad and Baqiyya are something he can turn to during the chaos of war. Even when Baqiyya and Walaa are attacked, they do not die. The option to stay and the ability to remain loyal to the homeland do not leave Saeed, even when they seem out of reach. The same applies to Saeed’s option to return. When Yuaad is taken away she promises that she will come back. Even when Yuaad is gone, the promise of her return remains with …show more content…

In reality one’s name does not necessarily mean anything. However in both of these works the idea that a name means what it says is not merely an idea; it is actually true for the characters in these worlds. After the lengths Jack goes through to become Ernest, he discovers that his name really “is Ernest after all” (Wilde, 343). If Jack had not made that discovery he would have been forced to deal with the fact that names are utterly meaningless and that they do not necessarily dictate the characteristics of a person. Instead he receives his happy ending and he is able to marry Gwendolyn. The characters go on continuing to believe that the name Ernest gives one some sort of special value. The characters in The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist demonstrate the qualities of their names as well. Yuaad ultimately “returned to [Saeed] as she had been, the same girl” demonstrating that she really is the one who will return (Habiby, 137). Baqiyya literally is the one who remains and Walaa also demonstrates the meaning of his name when he “[takes] arms up in rebellion against the state” (Habiby, 106). The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist would have a more dismal setting if Yuaad, Baqiyya, and Walaa did not represent the qualities of their names. It would mean that these ideas of returning to the homeland, remaining, and loyalty

Get Access