The Year of the Elephant, Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis

Back to the present, Zahra was disheartened when she discovered that many hours of working wool had only resulted in a small pittance of profits. She would not be able to survive by spinning wool. She decided to leave her home town and go to Casablanca, the one town she had always loved. Her faqih questioned how an uneducated woman like Zahra could survive in the big city, but Zahra was defiant and stubborn in her decision.

Zahra next told of the deterioration of her relationship with Mohammed. Mohammed changed after Independence, as did many nationalists. He lost his peasant roots, and became an elitist with his "caid" title and luxurious new mansion. Zahra told Mohammed that he is no better than the French imperialists they just kicked out of Morocco...