The Child From the Village

In the Introduction, the translators set up an interesting history of Sayyid Qutb's life. I did not know that Qutb worked as a teacher immediately following his secondary schooling, nor that he had been sent to study in the United States. The commentary on Qutb's disdain for the lack of American culture and morality is in interesting juxtaposition to the dedication he felt towards his family's honor and involvement in his village in Egypt. In the beginning of the book, his diligence in studying the Qu'ran in order to prove his school's legitimacy over the kuttab shows a dedication to the responsibility of tradition. I think it would be interesting to explore Qutb's commentary on his trip to the U.S., and how that influenced his later extremist writings.

In what I have read so far, Qutb's writings are very different from what he wrote later on his life. It is interesting that this work was written before his turn to the more radical Islamic ideologies he was later known for. I also find the writing style very interesting, as he is referring to himself as "the boy" throughout the stories. The style is very different from what I expected.

In starting to read the work, Qutb's dedication and enthusiasm for his school are interesting. The competitiveness and need for honor come through not only in Qutb's desire to please his parents, but in his own drive, particularly in the rigorous memorization of the Qu'ran in order to prove the school's worth in contrast to the kuttab. His leadership in undertaking the goal of establishing that legitimacy and his emotional connection to the school is interesting considering his later work and leadership.