Naguib Mahfouz

Naguib Mahfouz’s “Zaabalawi” is a short story about a man in search of the Sheikh Zaabalawi, a “true saint of God” (Mahfouz, 884) and holy man. On the surface, the story is about the narrator’s search for this man, but underneath, it is a metaphor for Mahfouz’s critique of Egyptian society’s relationship with God and Islam. Mahfouz comments on four different sects of society in the work: the elders, the bureaucrats, the artists, and the common man. Each of these different sects reflect a different aspect of the Muslim world, their values, and how they conflict with or complement their relationship with God. In the first section of the story, the narrator, possessing an illness for which there is no cure, remembers the name “Zaabalawi” and…

Naguib Mahfouz’s, Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature, short story, “The Answer Is No”, published in 1991 addresses the topic of consent and asserts that traumatic experiences in the past can affect future relationships. Mahfouz supports his claim with foreshadowing about the outcome of the story with the title, similes to compare the rapists overbearing character to a violent current in the ocean, and concrete language to express the emotions the woman is experiencing…

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros was about the dream house of a young girl of Spanish descent, and the several times her family moved to a place which didn’t suit their needs. The Lawsuit by Naguib Mahfouz was about the troubles faced by a boy and his family when his fifty five year old dad decided to marry a pretty, young girl and brought her along to live in the same house. The House on Mango Street dealt with small house problems of a big family that moved often due to less space…

Nevertheless, his version has different nuances from the ones created by Western writers. Mahfouz is the only Arab ever to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Egyptian Revolution of 1919, the tyranny of dictators, and religious climate affected Mahfouz’s life. During his childhood, he witnessed the abuse of the British soldiers and how they killed children, men, and women (Smith). Mahfouz’s novel confronts his contemporary reality and explores the madness of the corrupt system of his…

everyone is going to agree with what decision someone will make, but a person has to make a decision that will influence his or her life. Individuals have a desire to have a vigorous life, so that the choices the people make will influence their future. Timing plays an important role in a story because a person will judge a young teenager by making an immature decision. The time goes by so quickly that individuals have to live every second of it because time passes by in a blind of an eye.…

Half a Day and Zaabalawi Najib Mahfuz was born in Cairo in 1911. Mahfuz is a 1988 Nobel Prize winner in literature, by displaying artistic, cultural, and structure through his writing. Mahfuz uses symbols and hidden messages in his writing to make the reader search for the true meaning be hidden them. Two of Mahfouz stories show his rage of creativity, Half a Day and Zaabalawi. In these two short stories, he shows great examples of his culture through time and religion. In Half a Day, Mahfuz…

This issue of searching for ones identity is also represented through the short selection, "The Happy man" by Naguib Mahfouz, the poem "Identity" by Julio Noboa Polanco and the poem "Fear" by Gabriela…

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…

Naguib Mahfouz’s Zuqāq al-Midaq and Arab Culture Naguib Mahfouz was born on December 11, 1911 in the district of Al-Jamaliyya in Old Cairo and lived with his father, mother, four brothers and two sisters. When he was twelve, his family moved to Al-Abasiyya, a new Cairo suburb. Although Mahfouz had left his earlier district, it remained in his memory to the extent that many of his novels e.g., Midaq Alley and the Trilogy were set in Al-Jamaliyya, the district of his birth. Mahfouz’s life in…

On the one hand, Naguib Mahfouz chose Alexandria as a setting for Miramar. He wrote about it after the Nasser's revolution when only few traces of the cosmopolitan still there. However, it seems from the comparison he made between Cairo and Alexandria that Alexandria is drastically affected by the departure of the Alexandrians with foreign origins and foreigners. Alexandria in the novel is not only a setting or environment, but also a state of mind, symbol or a philosophy. Each character has…