The Journey of Ibn Fattouma is a powerful exploration of the socio-political society of the Middle East, and to a greater extent, our society as a whole. Naguib Mahfouz crucially employs the use of emotive language in order to paint vivid pictures of the many lands that Ibn Fattouma travels through on his quest to find himself. This allows the reader to develop a much deeper understanding of the issues of corruption and happiness that affect everyone in society.
Most significantly, Mahfouz creates an allegorical journey for the protagonist. By having Ibn Fattouma drawn to and motivated by the thought of freedom and a sense of modernity, Mahfouz reflects on the evolution of morals in a corrupt society. This complex exploration of morality underpins the novel and forces the readers to reflect on their own moral values, and in turn, effects change in their own lives.
Throughout the novel, Mahfouz parodies the experience of real-life Ibn Battuta, who like Ibn Fattouma, embarked on many journeys throughout the Arab World in the 14th century. It is important to note that while Ibn Battuta spent his time traveling through space, Ibn Fattouma instead travels through time. As a result, this means that Ibn Fattouma is able to give a much more detailed account of the evolution of our modern society as well as its current state. Crucially, the slide away from religion to structure is reinforced by Ibn Fattouma's initial criticism of his homeland, the Land of Islam, before his finds freedom in one of the many other lands, which exert varying methods of control.
