The book Broken Wings is written by one of the most famous novelists and philosophers Khalil Gibran (1883-1931), whose books are read with great zeal and interest. Gibran has authored many books, including the prophet, the madman and the broken wings, which proved to be a masterpiece for all times. The broken wings is a story of an orthodox society that was full of rapacious people, especially the religious priests who, in order to get comfort and wealth, used religion as their weapon.
The story has many twists of love; longing and death. The author describes how he had fallen in love. He says, “I was only eighteen when love opened my eyes with its magic rays and touched my spirit for the first time with its fiery fingers, and Selma karamy was the first woman who awakened my spirit with her beauty and led me to the high affection, where days pass like dreams and night like wedding.”
Selma Karamy was intelligent and her gracefulness was beyond description. She was the only daughter of very honest and simple person Farris Effendi who was a well-of person. Though he was wealthy, he was not deceitful of whatever he had. This secret was discovered by a Bishop who was a so-called head of religion. The People obeyed and worshiped him. He, in order of get Effandi’s wealth, compelled him to get his daughter married to his Nephew Mansoor Bey Ghalib.
The broken wings is a story of an orthodox society where the religious priests use religion as their weapon.
Mansoor Bey Ghalib was full of hatefulness and corruption whom Selma Karamy got married to. After their marriage, effandi’s entire wealth was possessed by Mansoor Bey. Being a rapacious person, he did not love Slema for he was a drunker and rapist. He did even care for Selma and was busy in his luxuries.
The novella reveals how the religious people mislead and rob by taking advantage of innocence and obedience.
The author writes, “The heads of religion in the east are not satisfied with their own munificence, but they must strive to make all members of their families superiors and oppressors. The glory of a prince goes to his eldest son by inheritance, but the exaltation of a religious head is contagious among his brothers and nephews. Thus the Christian bishop and the Moslem Imam and the Brahman priest become like sea reptiles that clutch their prey with many tentacles and suck their blood with numerous mouths.”
Gibran has tried to manifest the orthodox society in which women did not have choice to get married to a man of their own choice. Rather, they had been compelled before religious lords.
The author finishes the story with heart-wrenching words, when he kneels down beside Selma grave and says to a grave-digger, “In this ditch (grave) you have also buried my heart.” To conclude, the novel is very interesting and worth-reading. It has been written in simple language that can attract the reader at once.