Conclusion

Abstract

The discussion of textbooks brings this study full circle from an investigation of new patterns of consumption amongst the elitist of the elite to new ideals to which middle-class Egyptians aspired. The ideal home depicted in textbooks was a small-scale version of the “house that Ismail built.” Its structure and organization were Western, with its all-important divisions, layout, and surrounding gates, just as the country itself had been dissected by roads, railway lines, and telegraph cables. Inside the home, the individual was to decorate with European-style furnishings, bric-a-brac, and portraits, just as the cities had been adorned with modern buildings, houses, parks, and gardens. The responsibility of maintaining this home belonged to the “New Woman,” defined by her ability to serve her husband, raise moral children, keep her house clean, and maintain her family’s accounts. The home was a small kingdom in and of itself, and it was a building block for the Egyptian nation. The new nation as well needed someone at its helm, and the British, the monarchy, and the politicians all vied for this role.