Midaq Alley

Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz coveys a power struggle in abusive relationships revolving involving Haminda and Ibrahim through open dialogue in order to bring conflicts regarding prostitution, that hide in the shadows, to light. First, dialogue introduces the economically and emotionally abusive relationship between Hamida and Ibrahim, which centers primarily on prostitution. The first sign of economic abuse appears when Ibrahim refuses to engage with Hamida due to the fact that people will “gladly pay fifty pounds for virgins”, insinuating that he will gain profit off her body (Mahfouz 223). Ibrahim’s scheming statement plays with Hamida’s emotions and pushes her out of her moral comfort zone for his economic interests. He associates numerical…

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…

change? Mahfouz’s novel Midaq Alley contains very detailed, yet often inconsistent descriptive imagery. Representations of Midaq Alley and surrounding Cairo frequently highlight the Alley’s claustrophobic nature, yet also its past glory. This motif of forgotten grandeur is prominent in the novel, and plays a key role in underlining the varied and often clashing views on change. Mahfouz wrote Midaq Alley in and about a time of historic shifts for both the world and Cairo. Population was…

Naguib Mahfouz, considered to be one of Egypt’s finest writers, utilizes his ability to skillfully compose his works, which illustrate the issues plaguing his nation. Such cleverness can be observed in his novel Midaq Alley. As stated by the title, Mahfouz focuses on the turmoil surfacing in an alley in Cairo. Through the development and digression of his characters, Mahfouz highlights the toll which circumstantial poverty can have on a closed-off society. A revolutionary period for Egypt led…

Describe what Tin Pan Alley was, and its importance in the rise of musical theatre composers. According to a story told by Harry Von Tilzer whose office was located on West 28th street, described that area as a place where pianos were being played could be heard clanging and banging like someone was beating a tin pan, so that where the name Tin Pan Alley arose from. Tin Pan Alley was very important in terms of the rise of musical theatre composers because composers realized that by exposing…

In 2011, the way Americans listen to music was changed forever when the music-streaming service, Spotify was released. The name Spotify was created from the combination of the words “Spot” and “Identify”. Created in Sweden, the service has a free option. As defined by Techopedia, “Spotify is a new digital music service that enables users to remotely source millions of different songs on various record labels from a laptop, smartphone or other device”. In general, Spotify allows the user to…

Who is Andra Day? Well, Andra Day became popular in late 2012 due to her releasing covers on Youtube (Musictory). She is also a thirty-two-year-old contemporary singer and songwriter. Her music background is R&B and Retro-Soul. In her song; “Rise Up”, Andra uses metaphors, imagery, similes, and a little bit of first person perspective as if she is right there with someone obtaining obstacles. Andra also uses a tone of motivation during the song to get someone through the rough times. In the…

An Analysis of False Originality in “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Chain Smokers Released on February 5, 2016 from Columbia records, the song “Don’t let me down” by Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall, otherwise known as the DJ duo the Chain-Smokers, incorporates a stylized beat and lyrics through the singing styles of soloist Daya, that embodies the key aesthetic of a commercial success in todays popular music industry. In establishing itself on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for over six months, the…

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley is the name that is given to the group of musical artists and producers of New York during the 19th and 20th century. The name was, at first, given to a specific location in New York. Tin Pan Alley was located between West 28th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. Tin Pan Alley is said to have gotten its name from the collective sound of the pianos all playing different tunes at the same time. This was said to sound like tin pans being banged…

production rather than an accurate reflection of the cross-pollination occurring amongst the performers. Additionally, Miller engages with the dismissal of notions of primitivism and romanticism that make an effective music history work which will be discussed later in this paper. Depictions of pure folk cultures - in commercial culture as well as in scholarship - often have been elaborate, if well-intentioned, exaggerations that have obscured the very contact and commercial transactions…