Did T.E. Lawrence really wanted to be an Arab?

[Pisces Axxxxx]

In the movie Lawrence of Arabia,there's a scene after Lawrence got captured and tortured in which he's disillusioned with fighting for the Arab cause.In fact right after he Ali states taht a a man can be anything he wants to be, Lawrence then took out a clothe and pointed at his skin(which was very fair as typical for a Western European).

 

Lawrence states something that went like this:

"THis is what determines what a mans like".

 

Not exactly in those words but basically he's saying that since his appearance is that of a "White Man" he can never fit in and suit in with the Arabs.

 

Now I always interpreted from that scene that Lawrence wanted to be an Arab and thought that by earning the respect of the Arab people and fighting for their freedom, he can be accepted as one of them in their society.In other words based on that scene and the movie's tone,I though Lawrence wanted TO BE AN ARAB.

 

Now I read some stuff on T.E. Lawrence namely parts of Seven of Pillars of Wisdom and Revolt In the Desert.However I have yet to see him state anything IMPLYING HE WISHED HE WAS ARABIC.

 

If anything,his writing contradict the movies claims.Yes Lawrence was an eccentric fellow who was extremely fascinated by the Arab people and their culture.However from what I read,Lawrence was not overly obsessed with the Arabs and did not hate himself for being European-he actually was a fan of ancient Greece and translated the Illiad an Odyssey!Additionally he was well versed in German,French,and other European languages.

 

I also recall a scene in Revolt In the Desert he was fighting the last Turkish regiment defending Damascus.Part of the regiment was German unit.Here alone,its obvious Lawrence was not as obsessed with Arabic culture and felt Western inferiority as the movie implies;HE ACTUALLY WAS AWED BY THE GERMAN TROOP'S HEROIC LAST STAND and praised their Discipline and Valor in such admiration that HE COULD NOT HAVE FELT THAT EUROPE WAS BARBARIC AND UNCULTURED AS HE HAD SHOWN IN THE MOVIE!

 

Could anyone clarify?

 

I already asked this on other history forum but came up short of responses so I thought I'd try here.

[Melvadius]

Not that I have read it except in very small extracts but possibly the 1922 'Oxford Text' of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom would provide some enlightenment since it runs to 335,000 words rather than the 'first' abridgement (1926 edition) which got cut to 250,000 words while the second abridgement of 1927 Revolt in the Desert only runs to 130,000 words.

 

It is very dangerous to base any assessment of an individuals views on what is presented in popularistic film adaptations of books let alone the books themselves. Often changes are made wholesale in them - especially when the original author is dead.

 

There is a separate issue that authors state views and opinions which may have little reality to how they thought or felt at the time of events. Although Lawrence kept notes of events and used them as the basis of his work he burnt them after writing the original draft of the Seven Pillars but then lost the original draft so had to re-write it from memory.

 

There is a site which is dedicated to T E Lawrence which seems to contain academic discussion and lots of information on the man that you may find of interest here.

[caldrail]

It does seem an unlikely idea to me. Lawrence was a misfit by nature and empathised with arabs because they didn't see his differences in quite the same way as his fellow britons.

Edited December 21, 2012 by caldrail

[Pisces Axxxxx]

I was told by a friend that by today's standards TE Lawrence would be RACIST.

 

That while he "went native" with the Arabs and certainly saw them more favorably than his contemporaries, in the end he would have thought Europeans were the superior race and superior cultures to everything else including the Arabs.

 

I even searched up claims of his racist views towards the Arabs and Arabic historians criticizing him as racist.

 

DAMN I need to pick up Seven Pillars and finally finish it.