Fountain And Tomb's World Analysis

Society and the individuals that comprise it feed off each other in a sometimes symbiotic, sometimes parasitic relationship- such is the narrator of Fountain and Tomb’s world. In his anthology, author Naguib Mahfouz walks us through a series of autobiographical excerpts from his time growing up in a small alleyway in Cairo during the early 20th century. The stories deal with marriage, political revolution, human nature, and the interplay between individuals and the society they build. Through his short stories, Mahfouz illustrates that individuals owe society conformity and participation, even above their own safety and happiness, while societies owe individuals security and structure. Individuals must place conformity to society before their wellbeing, asthere are consequences of what happens when they fail to accommodate to its expectations, such as inducing …show more content…
The narrator describes Henaya’s refusal as “tragic”, conveying the intensity of the situation. Henaya’s failure to conform to the expectation of marrying for wealth, not love, causes her mother to erupt in ‘feverish tears’. This shows how when someone chooses to follow their own path rather than the one society has laid out for them, they can cause misery in others. It also shows how ingrained the value of conformity is in this society, as Henaya’s mother showed only sadness that her daughter refused to follow convention and holds the opinion that Hamid was “the perfect man” because of his wealth- not because of his love for Henaya, which was what Henaya valued most. However, Mahfouz also shows that when individuals take accommodating to society’s rules too far, they can harm themselves and others. The narrator witnesses a fight that demonstrates this. “Kefrowi happens by [the falafel shop] one day and asks for a drink of water. A funny whim grabs Bergowi, and he points to the donkey trough. ‘There you go. Help yourself.’ When some customers snicker, Kefrowi gets mad.