The Delicate Prey by Paul Bowles
"The Delicate Prey" by Paul Bowles is a short story that explores themes of vulnerability, betrayal, and the harsh realities of life in the Moroccan desert. The narrative follows three Filala tribesmen—two older brothers and their young nephew, Driss—who embark on a journey through a perilous region known for its marauding tribes. Seeking safety in numbers, they reluctantly accept a stranger, a Moungari, into their group. As the journey progresses, tensions rise, especially for Driss, who senses something sinister about their new companion.
The story takes a dark turn when the Moungari, under the influence of hashish, commits a horrific act against Driss. The narrative starkly contrasts the innocence of youth with the brutality of survival in the unforgiving landscape. In the aftermath of the violence, the justice meted out by the Filala tribe highlights the cultural significance of retribution, while also reflecting on the existential threats faced by individuals in isolated communities. Bowles masterfully weaves a tale that invites readers to confront the delicate balance between prey and predator in both human relationships and the natural world.
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The Delicate Prey by Paul Bowles
First published: 1950
Type of plot: Grotesque
Time of work: The early twentieth century
Locale: Mauretania (North Africa)
Principal Characters:
Two Filala tribesmen , merchants and brothersDriss , their young nephewA Moungari tribesman Ech Chibani , a Filali
The Story
"The Delicate Prey" is the narrative of a journey through isolated places and hidden terrors. Three Filala tribesmen and leather merchants are about to move their business to a new town. Two are brothers—serious, older men. Driss, their nephew, is a young man interested in the pleasures of love.
To arrive at their destination, Tessalit, as soon as possible, the brothers choose a route through a remote and dangerous region. The area is prey to the marauding Reguibat tribe, known for its ferocity. An insignificant company of three men and their camels, so the brothers argue, offers no temptation to raiders seeking rich caravans. Still, they travel carefully, maintaining close watch at night.
Several days out, the travelers spot a lone figure moving toward them, matching his course with theirs. As the figure approaches, he hails them in friendship. The brothers are relieved to see that he is not dressed as a Reguibat but observe him carefully for any irregularity. Driss is troubled by the man's small eyes that "give out nothing," but is dissuaded from his suspicion by his uncles' reaction. The man identifies himself as a Moungari, a respected tribe from a holy area. The stranger offers his skills as a hunter if allowed to join the group. Skeptical about finding game in these remote regions, the brothers accept him to increase their numbers in the dangerous environment.
One morning the Moungari goes off alone, on foot, to hunt gazelle among the hills. As distant shots are heard, first one brother, then the next, goes off to join the hunt. Driss is left alone, disappointed, to watch the camp. He dozes in the heat but is suddenly awakened. He feels an evil presence about him. Immediately he recognizes the danger he saw in the man's eyes and knows the fate of his uncles. Seeking safety in the open desert, he mounts his camel and sets off blindly. He lets himself be carried along, without purpose, for several hours before he stops and heads for camp. What if he is only foolish and his uncles are cooking the gazelle even now? He cannot bear the thought of the older men's mocking laughter.
As Driss approaches camp, a bullet whizzes by his head. A second catches him in the arm. Before he finds shelter among the rocks and grabs his fallen gun, the Moungari is on him, pinning him down with a rifle. There is a new, peculiar intensity in the man's face that Driss knows only comes from hashish. The man quickly strips the boy, using a razor to cut away his robes, and binds his wrists and hands. Possessed by the excitement of the drug, the Moungari in one stroke severs Driss's sex.
Startled by a camel's grunt, the Moungari wheels about, nervous. He imagines the boy, who can see nothing in his pain, a witness to his fright. There is one last indignity he can inflict on the boy, this time with leisurely pleasure. In the morning, he stifles the boy's moans by severing his head.
Once the body is concealed, the Moungari sets off for Tessalit, where he attempts to sell the Filala merchandise. Filala leather is unmistakable and sold by no other tribe. Ech Chibani, a local Filali, is suspicious, and persuades the French commandant to question the man. As the French leave, the Moungari remains sitting, unaware that he has been tried and sentenced.
Justice, however, is left to the Filala tribe. The tribesmen return, and, above his screams of innocence, they bind the Moungari. They wait calmly for night, drinking tea, before setting out into the desert. They place the Moungari, tightly trussed, into a deep pit and fill it in until only his bald head is visible. There the Moungari waits for day, for the inevitable heat and thirst, and finally for the visions; he will lose hold on reality and his sense of self, and die.
Bibliography
Bertens, Johannes Willem. The Fiction of Paul Bowles: The Soul Is the Weariest Part of the Body. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Humanities Press, 1979.
Caponi, Gena Dagel. Paul Bowles. New York: Twayne, 1998.
Carr, Virginia Spencer. Paul Bowles: A Life. New York: Scribner, 2004.
Miller, Jeffrey. Paul Bowles: A Descriptive Bibliography. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Black Sparrow Press, 1986.
Pounds, Wayne. Paul Bowles: The Inner Geography. Berne, Switzerland: Lang, 1985.
Review of Contemporary Fiction 2 (1982). Special Bowles issue.
Sawyer-Laucanno, Christopher. "An Invisible Spectator." Twentieth Century Literature 32 (Fall/Winter, 1986): 259-299.
Stewart, Lawrence D. Paul Bowles: The Illumination of North Africa. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1974.