Napoleon in Egypt the Two Essay

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Another area where these two authors differ significantly is with respect to their views as conqueror and conquered. Cole illustrates the French point-of-view upon entering Alexandria as one of profound disappointment. The people's worth, for the French, was measured by the shabbiness of the city. The French then felt a noble duty to make the situation better for these people. Al-Jabarti, not surprisingly, takes umbrage with this. The righteous outrage embodied in his criticism of Napoleon's letter may seem over the top, harping on points of grammar, but it illustrates effectively the outrage at the French pompousness. Al-Jabarti does not accept the right of the French to rule Egypt, nor does he accept any of their half-baked arguments for the invasion. His outrage taints much of his narrative, but it is hardly unreasonable. He demonstrates contempt towards the French for being unlike Muslims; but the French are clearly demonstrating contempt towards the Alexandrians for not being Europeans, or at least ancient Alexandrians.

While these two often disagree, there are instances where the information that they provide supports one another. They both noted the righteousness of the French. They both documented the manner in which the Egyptians fled their homes, taking everything with them as an act of defiance, and how those same individuals were robbed by the Bedouins. Cole even uses al-Jabarti has a source when discussing the impact of the French soldiers on commerce in Egypt, noting that the French were willing to pay European prices for staple goods, much more than the going rate in Egypt.

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They also both agreed that the French had difficulties once established in Egypt. They attempted to rebuild Cairo only to find it was more difficult than intended. The French had hoped for support among the merchant class, but had trouble mustering such support.

The two narratives cover the same events, but from two vastly different perspectives. Cole attempts to include some non-European thought by citing al-Jabarti multiple times, but his views are colored in large part by the way that Europeans understand the world. Al-Jabarti's view is likewise colored by his background. As a result, they cover the same ground, yet seldom discuss the same precise topics. The sense of anger in al-Jabarti's narrative contrasts with the detachment of Cole's. Cole's focus on tactics and logistics contrasts with al-Jabarti's discussions about the different people involved in the conflict and their roles. Combined, we have a much stronger picture of the French invasion of Egypt, precisely because we get two very different views of the conflict with these two narratives. By understand the perspective each author brings, we are able to gain better perspective for ourselves......

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