Jenny Abdul Akbar Character Analysis in A Handful of Dust

Jenny Abdul Akbar is the American widow of a Moroccan prince, who lives in the flat next to Brenda Last’s. Brenda tries to use Jenny to bait Tony Last into an affair—thereby taking the pressure off her own affair with John Beaver. Jenny is a vulgar and ridiculous character, constantly making histrionic references to her own suffering and cursed fate. Her attempted seduction of Tony fails spectacularly, although she does awaken erotic feelings in John Andrew, who becomes infatuated with her.

Jenny Abdul Akbar Character Timeline in A Handful of Dust

The timeline below shows where the character Jenny Abdul Akbar appears in A Handful of Dust. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Communication Breakdown and the Loss of Meaning Theme Icon

Religion, Morality, and Tradition Theme Icon

...him up with an affair of his own, using her neighbor from the London flat, Jenny Abdul Akbar, as the bait. Invited for the weekend, Jenny comes out strong upon arriving... (full context)

John Andrew, on the other hand, seems to experience a sexual awakening when Jenny greets him with a kiss on the lips. Thereafter the boy is quite enamored of... (full context)

Jock finds Brenda’s flat empty, but Jenny Abdul Akbar appears in the hall. Hearing the news about John Andrew, she bewails her... (full context)

...corner deli as she spends two or three days at a time in bed. Even Jenny Abdul Akbar is now getting invited to more social events than Brenda. Mrs. Beaver is... (full context)

...crying about all her friends abandoning her. John Beaver, Jock, Marjorie, Allan, Polly Cockpurse, even Jenny Abdul Akbar: all of them are off enjoying varied and fabulous summer vacations, while she... (full context)