The Colonial Mother and the American Other in Mohamed Hassan al Hajwi’s The European Journey

Abstract

Drawing inspiration from postcolonial theory and Marxist criticism, this article analyses Mohamed Al Hajwi's perception of France in his travelogue, Ar-Rihla al Urobiya (1919), The European Journey. The travel account initially celebrates France's technological progress and modernity, highlighting its influence on Al Hajwi's reform project for Morocco, modelled after the French system. Within this narrative, France assumes the role of a benevolent colonial power within the imperial trope of a protective maternal figure. However, this celebratory discourse undergoes a gradual erosion and eventual subversion as Al Hajwi encounters the American Other during his travels in France. His discovery of America’s formidable military prowess and its role in World War I shatters his confidence in France's supremacy, leading to a profound shift from admiration to disillusionment. Towards the end of his journey, Al Hajwi unveils the crisis and inherent vulnerability of France and Europe, underscored by war, labour strikes, and shifting global realities.