Midaq Alley
The author of 'Midaq Alley' is one of the most accomplished writers to come out of Africa and to make a mark on the world. He is one of the few African writers to have received a Nobel Prize for literature. At the time he was coming into his own as an author, his more naturalistic style was fading in vogue in the world of literature. There were many who considered his award an affirmative action move and derided him for that. However, many see him as the voice of the voiceless of Egypt and more specifically Cairo. He brings the city and its slums to the eyes of the public in a way that no other platform does. Anyone familiar with the dynamics of the time knows that Egypt was still a difficult place in which to gather news. By coating …show more content…
Any person thinking of Cairo in those years would imagine a homogenous Muslim neighborhood where all the girls wore hijabs and kowtowed to their male folk. By using comparison, the author brings other players into play. Hamid asks her aunt to compare her to the Jewish girls who go to work. In that single exchange, one gets to know the diversity that is inherent in the alley and the neighborhood. There are not only different religions; there are different ethnicities. The comparison does put things in perspective since the locals seem to react to the new ways according to their culture. Hamid does not have to pick up a newspaper or go far to see people who are enjoying the new way; she can see it in the fancy clothes the girls …show more content…
At the time, Naguib had grown, and his audience was more international that it was before. His style was losing currency in the European bastions of literature. One would have thought that the author would go for a more flowing prose. As mentioned above, direct speech tends to break up the prose. When used incorrectly, the narrative can become disjointed, and the plot diluted (Woolf, 35). It is gratifying to see that Naguib is one of those people who can make the style work. Even in the conversations between Hamid and her aunt, one gets a sense of continuity through it. There is no sense of a break-up or a lull in the action as the characters converse. It takes a very skilled and talented author to make that
The author of 'Midaq Alley' is one of the most accomplished writers to come out of Africa and to make a mark on the world. He is one of the few African writers to have received a Nobel Prize for literature. At the time he was coming into his own as an author, his more naturalistic style was fading in vogue in the world of literature. There were many who considered his award an affirmative action move and derided him for that. However, many see him as the voice of the voiceless of Egypt and more specifically Cairo. He brings the city and its slums to the eyes of the public in a way that no other platform does. Anyone familiar with the dynamics of the time knows that Egypt was still a difficult place in which to gather news. By coating …show more content…
Any person thinking of Cairo in those years would imagine a homogenous Muslim neighborhood where all the girls wore hijabs and kowtowed to their male folk. By using comparison, the author brings other players into play. Hamid asks her aunt to compare her to the Jewish girls who go to work. In that single exchange, one gets to know the diversity that is inherent in the alley and the neighborhood. There are not only different religions; there are different ethnicities. The comparison does put things in perspective since the locals seem to react to the new ways according to their culture. Hamid does not have to pick up a newspaper or go far to see people who are enjoying the new way; she can see it in the fancy clothes the girls …show more content…
At the time, Naguib had grown, and his audience was more international that it was before. His style was losing currency in the European bastions of literature. One would have thought that the author would go for a more flowing prose. As mentioned above, direct speech tends to break up the prose. When used incorrectly, the narrative can become disjointed, and the plot diluted (Woolf, 35). It is gratifying to see that Naguib is one of those people who can make the style work. Even in the conversations between Hamid and her aunt, one gets a sense of continuity through it. There is no sense of a break-up or a lull in the action as the characters converse. It takes a very skilled and talented author to make that