Intended to be both amusing and a true reflection of daily life, Al-usfür portrays a family of characters whose lives are completely shaped by the miserliness of the father, Muhammad Pasha Alï Ziftawi. Eager to be re- elected to the new Majlis al-Nuwäb (the recently created Egyptian House of Representatives), Muhammad Pasha spends thousands of pounds to impress his peers but little to feed or clothe his family.

Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Coloni…, loc. 952