Arabesques is a complex literary work that is partway a memoir blending elements of magical realism and history. The novel explores the relationship between personal identity and writing voice in how they complement each other into fruition. At the backdrop, the narrative also highlights the cross-generational clashes of the Israelis and Palestinians in the conflict-ridden regions. From an Arab Christian family residing in Israeli Shammas subverts the stereotypical aspects about identity while examining his life and history. Akin to the title the narrative and the narrator embody arabesques patterns; both are convoluted with odd and complex patterns that form their essence. Thus, with family as the basis of one’s identity, Shammas delves into his family history about two generations back.
The novel is divided into two sections “The Tale” and “The Teller” to distinguish the narrator’s journey in exploring his identity and literary voice. “The Tale” probes into Shammas’ family lineage and his upbringing but also fuses imaginations with reality blurring the lines. The tale jumps back in time during the Great War to narrate his grandparent’s history back in Galilee. He charts their story while introducing characters that play a major role later on in his inquiries. Henceforth narrates how his Palestinian father and Lebanese Arabic mother met as their faith, citizenship and lineage defied stereotypes.
Shammas is a Palestinian Christian with Israeli citizenship therefore adopted Jewish culture and uses Hebrew as his language of choice. For an artist, identity creates the framework for their literary works therefore the exploration of family lineage accomplishes this in the section. However, Shammas takes a more imaginative route to explore the nature of self by introducing another ‘Anton Shammas’. He gives his alternate self a different background while exploring the subject of otherness. From here Shammas mixes fact and fiction while undermining his own claims about the truth. Thus, the section closes as a form of an artistic journey into his psyche which acts as a basis of the subsequent tale.
“The Teller” shifts focus to Shammas as a writer traveling through Paris, New York City, and Iowa City. His supposed namesake is alluded to be Dr. Michael Abyad who will act as the inspiration for his fictional protagonist. Shammas finds a piece of himself in different individuals with different backgrounds and stories. Consequently, these writers he meets at the convention are meant to transform into characters and themes in the novel he is writing. Therefore Shammas the author explores the journey towards oneself as personal identity, story, and otherness blend to nurture a writer’s voice into fruition.
