Naguib Mahfouz; the Common Man's Hero
Cody Kenyon
Naguib Mahfouz the Common Man’s Hero
Naguib Mahfouz born 1911 has become one of the Arab world’s most famous and revered authors. Born in Egypt, his country would become the setting of nearly all his works, however his intricate descriptions of the common man and women would give them a universal appeal. Living through periods of great political and economic upheaval in modern Egyptian history, his stories would often address the strife and turmoil that resulted from these periods. In order to avoid the censorship of the powers that he was often critiquing he would hide his messages in metaphors and allegories. Often spinning an intricate story of an average person any reader could relate to and giving them a challenge to overcome, though not always allowing them to succeed. However the protagonist is really Egyptian society as a whole trying to overcome the social and political challenges facing it, and similarly not always succeeding. In order to further discuss this I will draw from two of Mahfouz’s short stories; Half a Day and The Norwegian Rat. I choose these stories specifically as they are the most assessable in trying to understand Mahfouz’s style of using metaphor and allegory to discuss the social and political problems facing Egyptian society during his time. In Mahfouz’s “Half a Day” the author describes a child’s first day of school. The story begins with the boy’s father walking him to class. The father having to comfort the sacred and nervous child, but once in school the boy discovers new friends and enjoyment in playing and learning. It is not all enjoyable though, the strictness of those in charge and their unbending attitudes cause pain if you cross them. The story finally comes to an end with the boy leaving at the end of the day. On his walk home he notices first differences in his neighborhood and then how he himself has aged, and slowly the realization that time has completely passed him by.
However the episode described
Naguib Mahfouz the Common Man’s Hero
Naguib Mahfouz born 1911 has become one of the Arab world’s most famous and revered authors. Born in Egypt, his country would become the setting of nearly all his works, however his intricate descriptions of the common man and women would give them a universal appeal. Living through periods of great political and economic upheaval in modern Egyptian history, his stories would often address the strife and turmoil that resulted from these periods. In order to avoid the censorship of the powers that he was often critiquing he would hide his messages in metaphors and allegories. Often spinning an intricate story of an average person any reader could relate to and giving them a challenge to overcome, though not always allowing them to succeed. However the protagonist is really Egyptian society as a whole trying to overcome the social and political challenges facing it, and similarly not always succeeding. In order to further discuss this I will draw from two of Mahfouz’s short stories; Half a Day and The Norwegian Rat. I choose these stories specifically as they are the most assessable in trying to understand Mahfouz’s style of using metaphor and allegory to discuss the social and political problems facing Egyptian society during his time. In Mahfouz’s “Half a Day” the author describes a child’s first day of school. The story begins with the boy’s father walking him to class. The father having to comfort the sacred and nervous child, but once in school the boy discovers new friends and enjoyment in playing and learning. It is not all enjoyable though, the strictness of those in charge and their unbending attitudes cause pain if you cross them. The story finally comes to an end with the boy leaving at the end of the day. On his walk home he notices first differences in his neighborhood and then how he himself has aged, and slowly the realization that time has completely passed him by.
However the episode described
Bibliography: Naguib Mahfouz’s The Time and The Place; a collection of short stories