The ancient Egyptian Tale of Sinuhe is an exploration of citizenship - what it means to be a citizen, or a foreigner, and what these identities mean to individuals. Sinuhe’s exile is unintended, but his stature within the Egyptian government allows him to quickly rise the social ranks of Retjenu. Despite this success and wealth, as Sinuhe grows older and closer to death, he becomes desperate to return to his homeland, an expression the fundamental immutability of citizenship in Egyptian culture. As a military commander, Sinuhe finds that despite his prowess he is unable to integrate into his adopted culture. Challenge by a champion warrior, Sinuhe wonders aloud, “can an inferior ever be loved as a superior”, the words “inferior” and “superior”
