Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz - Book Report/Review Example

Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz Naguib Mahfouz’s “Midaq Alley is a story depicting a small, poor street known as Midaq Alley in Cairo with few shops and homes. At the core of the story’s heart is a skillful depiction of Hamida, a beautiful foster daughter of Umm Hamida, yearning for freedom out of Midaq alley at all cost. The ambition for freedom sees Hamida transforms from a humble girl to a “prostitute.” The setting of the story is between 1940’s and early 1950’s, a period marking Second World War when the British army is camping at Cairo. Additionally, the story illustrates Midaq alley as an isolated residence lagging behind history with people in it languishing in poverty though the typical social order of the wealthy, mid-income earners and the poor clearly comes out. Naguib achieves primary themes of “Midaq Alley” such as marriage, the hope of freedom and religion by use of literary skills of humor and symbolism to create an inspiring effect to the audience. First, the author illustrates the promise of freedom as a primary theme in the story. Most residences of Midaq Alley yearn to get out of their suffocating street may be to interact with the world and discover new things or get an economic breakthrough. Naguib depicts Midaq Alley being in isolation that disconnects it from the outside world. The residence of the street feels entrapped, and some females are willing to use unorthodox means to gain the freedom. For example, Hamida envies the Jewish factory girls because to her they are free from the demeaning traditional bonds. Hamida feels she should be out of Midaq Alley because her prosperous future under siege. She submits herself to Abbas, a barber she sneers and does not care about but only sees a ticket to freedom and promising life once she gets out of the alley. In fact, she only gives in to Abbas after realizing he was planning to get out of Cairo. Similarly, Saniya gives in to matchmaker hoping that maybe the man would consider marrying her. Umma Hamida, Hamada’s foster mother, cancels the union of her daughter with Abbas. In her view, Hamida will have a better life with Salim Alwan, who is a wealthy merchant in Midaq alley. However, Umma Hamida knows that her reputation and honor are at risk by canceling the engagement, but she does it. Apparently most women of Midaq Alley attempts to escape from their status in life; they find no hope of new life because the same society traps them again. Not only the women want to break away from the veil of darkness in Midaq Alley, but also men such as Abbas. Therefore, they view the world war as an opportunity to join the British army and get more cash to make break the veil of poverty. The author uses symbolism as a literary stylistic technique to enrich his story, making the reader draws a thrilling experience while uncovering the book. The story opens by describing Midaq as, “veiled in the brown types of the glow. The night was all the greater since it was enclosed like a trap between three walls” “… with Sanadiqiya Street as its only narrow exist.” Perhaps, the darkness is a symbol of the isolation the street suffers from the rest of the world that makes it not open to modernization taking place in other parts of the world. It is no different from the current Arab world that seems to be in complete distinction from the influence of modernization especially from the west. The darkness may also be referring to the culture of the Arab world that limits interaction with the world beyond them especially their women. The author puts it that the darkness was like a “trap” between the “walls.” The walls may be referring to the secretive Arab world while trap may be referring to the oppressive society and culture that prevents exposure to the rest of the world. The narrow Sanadiqiya Street serving as the only exit from Midaq Alley represents the limited opportunities that the residents have to break the poverty and isolation. The opportunities may be education and the war times, which they ironically interpret as beneficial. The “narrow” nature of the streets symbolizes that the opportunities are limited and involving such that only a few like Hussain Kirsha breaks through. In the larger Egypt perspective, the darkness could be referring to the presence of the British rule in the country yet the natives want their freedom and self. The Egyptian nationalists view the oppressive British rule in their country as an international “trap” that will take them long and struggle to pass through as they navigate their way to independence. The aspect of the symbolism comes when Naguib describes the shops. The author describes Midaq alley entrance as having two typical stores, that is, one side is Uncle Kamali’s shop while across the street is Abbas’ barbershop and of course Krishna's café. The shops and their owners represent the traditional slow paced changing lifestyle of the lower and middle-class society of Midaq at a time when the rapid modernization occurring threatens their existence. When Kirsha tells the old poet-singer that he is not living in the present, his sentiments represent the Midaq alley people who are embracing modernization in a society lagging behind time. Naguib displays a contractual dimension of marriage in this particular society where women view marriage as a transaction rather than the customary societal expectation view. The women take marriage as an assurance to better and secure future. The central character, Hamida, encounters many affections and engagements. First, her engagement to Abbas is critical because she knows Abbas is planning to leave Cairo for Britain, her intention is to use Abbas to get out of the country for freedom and better future. The author writes that Hamida considers Abbas a pimp but she has to condone him because of what she intends to reap from him. Second, Hamida’s second engagement to Salim Alwan is because he is a wealthy merchant operating business on the street, and therefore she hopes for a better future due to money availability. Hamida’s last engagement to Ibrahim Faraj ends when he refuses to marry her despite the fact that he flaunts her with money and gifts. Kirsha has a troubled marriage, but she commits to it while Mrs. Saniya through her determination fights to secure a husband despite the fact that she is old enough. All the above instances depict a society where women value marriage because of societal judgment and expectation of better lifestyle once in it. The fear of not being married is better that suffering in the marriage. Naguib use of setting and the character clearly brings out the social-economic order Similarly, to what an ordinary society would have. The social stratification of Midaq Alley starts with Salim Alwan at the helm of the ladder. He does not reside in the Alley but has his business operations in the area. His business deals in wholesale and retail perfumes and he just got massive profits from the opportunity of war times to supply tea on the black market. He is married and three sons who have a university education. Salim represents the upper-class citizens whose lives runs in the first lane. They take advantage of the poor to reap profits, and they end up living large in the wealthy suburbs community far from the hustle and bustle of the poor. Second in the social topology is the middle-income earners such as the Kirsha, who owns the cafe, Abbas operating the barbershop and Mrs. Saniya, who is the widowed property owner of the apartment in Midaq alley. The middle class lives and interact with those at the bottom of the ladder whom they depend on to sustain their middle-class status. Similarly, to what happens in the modern society. Lastly, at the poverty class levels are people such Hamida and her mother, Umma Hamida. They struggle daily to earn a living, and they are willing to use any means. For instance, Hamida uses her beauty to fleece men of their income so that she can achieve her economic breakthrough. In conclusion, Naguib Mahfouz uses the literary ability to describe Midaq alley in a fascinating way. He presents Egypt and the Arab world community at large through an insider view and critique of the same culture raises him. He masterfully uses the humor, symbolism and grotesque as a stylistic device to bring out the underlying social issues in Midaq alley. Some of the major social issues he raises include the changing women’s perspective of marriage, the zeal for freedom to both gain economic or social independence and the social stratification that exists in our social settings. The author also illustrates a community so isolated responds to the promise and challenge of modernizations. In summary, Naguib portrays the plight of humble Cairo people trapped in a complexity of economic and social-cultural dimensions beyond their powers of control yet they struggle so hard to break through. Read More