The Pickup

Who is Abdu?

In her country, he is Abdu. As the reading guide provided by the book's publisher tells us,"In Arabic, the name "Abdu" literally means "servant" (and is often an abbreviated form of "Abdullah," meaning "servant of God")." While his status and work there are servile, he is not a servant to anyone or to any thing--not family, country, or god. And perhaps not even to his new wife or marriage. Abdu is for Abdu. He is ambitious and very determined to succeed at those ambitions.

In his country he is Ibrahim ibn Musa. That is "Abraham son of Moses"--the "name that he has come back to be rightfully known by." (p. 133) It is a name that denotes family heritage, cultural traditions, and faith. See PERIOD ARABIC NAMES AND NAMING PRACTICES by Da'ud ibn Auda (David B. Appleton) to learn more about how to "read" and understand Arabic names. But it is a name and identity that seems to burden him. From the moment he steps off the plane and sees his family again, he is pained and angered and embarrassed by them and "what he comes from."

Ibrahim is caught between the modern world that he aspires to and is rejected by, and the traditional world that he has rejected and tried to flee. Given these circumstances, and the timing of the book's publication, it is important to note what Ibrahim is not. The Pickup was first published in America on September 12, 2001. Ibrahim is not an "Islamic fundamentalist" nor a terrorist. 

Ibrahim is for Abdu.

Product Placement

When Abdu discusses his country with the members of The Table, he states, "Where I  come from--no capitalist economy, no socialist economy.  Nothing...Feudal." (p. 22)  He tells Julie, "Nothing much to see...It's very dry--dust, dusty. Sand."

But when Julie and Ibrahim arrive in his country, the first things that she sees from the window of their taxi are "decaying...industrial buildings, vehicle repair shops and tarpaulined nooks under Coca-Cola signs" and the "cubist shapes of buildings pierced by the index fingers of minarets." (p. 110)

Later when they return to this city, they pass by a McDonald's and alley-way bazaars where one could purchase "Nike boots, cellphones, TV consoles, hi-fi and video equipment." (p. 203)

Globalization has brought about an interesting mixture of cultures and attitudes. All the world is one big market for our things. It seems strange that Julie sees a Coke advertisement before she even sees a mosque. And what do suppose is on the menu at that Arabian McDonald's?