Behind the Veil
To an extent this fable is something of a love story. The narrator constantly makes reference to his beloved wife. One of the first uses of imagery devoted to something tangible rather than abstract is a key moment in the courtship rituals of future husband and wife:
"Halima walked alongside him wholly enveloped in a dark, flowing garment from which there showed, from the lowered veil, nothing but two eyes. But her form took on…the shape of a consummate female, her shielded jewels coming to life whenever the breeze blew against her garment, as though they were burning coals under ashes. Her foot slipped, or almost did, and she braced herself quickly so as to retain her balance, at which her head made an involuntary movement that caused the veil to drop from her face. Thus it became wholly imprinted on my sight, its beauty embedded in the nooks and crannies of my very being.”
Love and Nature
The twin aspects of nature will then persistently be placed into juxtaposition with expressions of love and affection from the narrator to his wife. Through this imagery is cemented the concept that their love is a natural extension of the world around them, inextricably connected to the expectations of ritualistic mechanism of the universe:
“As summer rolled up the last of its pages, the fact that she was to become a mother became visibly apparent. The breezes of autumn arrived, replete with humidity and the shadows of clouds, and every day I discovered something new from the world of my beloved wife. She had pride without being conceited, she loved to discuss things, she was a true believer, and she was possessed of a strength at which my heart rejoiced.”
A Sermon
A priest enters the action and proceeds to launch into a sermon of sorts. He commences with almost a secular examination of the universe, attributing a built-in equilibrium to justice in which those who smile are rewarded with smiles back and those who are good enjoyed goodness returned. From this auspicious beginning, however, things quickly turn sour and soon enough he is almost Jonathan Edwards-like in the dark turn of his imagery:
The priest went on, “Beware of dispute, beware of evil. Hatred rends the liver, greed causes indigestion to the stomach and brings about disease. Avidity is a calamitous affliction. Be joyful and play, conquer wicked thoughts with contentment.”
Philosophizing
In truth, the bulk of the imagery presented in the story is directed neither to nature, love nor religion per se, but rather more broadly toward creating a sense of philosophical contemplation. This is true even when the prose is directed toward otherwise simple description. Everything is infused with a sense of greater meaning:
“As in days past the caravan moved off with unhurried majesty. We plunged into the gentle darkness of dawn, not this time to drink deeply of poetry but to relive the blows from memories of prison, the sorrows of a wasted life. When I saw the shapes of my companions, it was a new generation of traders that I was viewing, but energy still persisted, wealth increased, and honor and glory still stalked the adventurous. As for the dreamers, perplexity was for them.”
