Egyptian writers in 1919 saw themselves as mere imitators of Europe.

Evidence

The judges of Taymür’s articles seemed concerned with the improper importation of foreign dramatic customs (like American-style advertising) and poor translations, issues about which Taymür had previously voiced his concern.Yet the issue of realism that so strongly concerned Taymür in other writings is put aside here. As foreigners the judges are in no position to question the realism of the accused’s work, but have full authority over artistic standards. What is most important in these articles, then, is the question of where Egypt stands as a culture with respect to Europe.When compared with such august luminaries as Molière and Corneille, Taymür seems to say, we Egyptians are only comical imitators. — Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Colonialism_…, 949

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels the Egyptian self-consciousness the reader is tracking against Sudanese representation; connects to broader postcolonial literature on mimicry and cultural anxiety.
• QUESTION: Worth chasing how Egyptian self-doubt as ‘comical imitators’ of Europe maps onto Egyptian condescension toward Sudan as a parallel mini-hierarchy.