The Oppressors

'The Oppressors' was originally written in 1968 about life in Iraq. It deals with the ordinary people of Iraq, and attempt to offer some insights into the character of the country and the future that was to unfold. It is set against the background of a privileged girls' boarding school; the life of the elite in pre-war Iraq. One of the main characters in the novella is jasim, who comes from a poor peasant background of a feudal system. He has been employed in the capital Baghdad, as a caretaker of the girl's boarding house. The story takes a sharp turn when he meets the policeman Hassan, a well established, conceited, and condescending city dweller who came to help him in guarding the girl's house after a theft. Jasim undergoes psychological changes resulting in a tragic- comic story. The two characters became rivals and continue to be so to the end. Through the two characters, the novella explores the life of the oppressed classes in Iraq at this time and what happens when they have the chance to govern or change their status . It becomes clear that the outcome is not as positive as might be hoped. Indeed the oppressed become the oppressors, depressing others and inflicting perhaps even more suffering than they themselves suffered.'