Midaq Alley (novel)
Encyclopedia
This article is about the Naguib Mahfouz novel. For the film of the novel, see El callejón de los milagros
. For the alley, see Khan El-Khalili
.
Midaq Alley is the English Translation of Zuqāq al-Midaq by Naguib Mahfouz
, released in English in 1966. The story is about Midaq Alley, a teeming back street in Cairo
which is a microcosm of the world. This work won its author the Nobel Prize in Literature
.
El callejón de los milagros
El callejón de los milagros is an award-winning 1994 Mexican film adapted from the novel by Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, written by Vicente Leñero and directed by Jorge Fons...
. For the alley, see Khan El-Khalili
Khan el-Khalili
thumb|200px|An old chandeliers shop at Khan el-KhaliliKhan el-Khalili is a major souk in the Islamic district of Cairo. The bazaar district is one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike.-History:...
.
Midaq Alley is the English Translation of Zuqāq al-Midaq by Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along with Tawfiq el-Hakim, to explore themes of existentialism. He published over 50 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie...
, released in English in 1966. The story is about Midaq Alley, a teeming back street in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
which is a microcosm of the world. This work won its author the Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
.
Plot introduction
Mahfouz plays on the cultural setting. The novel is introduced with description of the Arabic culture. It centers around the list of characters described below. The novel takes place in the 1940's and represents standing on the threshold of a modern era in Cairo and the rest of the nation as a whole.Characters
Each character is expressed like a caricature in which one quality or trait is over-emphasized. Mahfouz is not satirizing the individual character – he is satirizing the character type.- Kirsha, a café owner who illegally sells and uses hashish and has a predilection for young boys
- Mrs. Kirsha, infamous for her temper
- Uncle Kamil, good-hearted, bachelor sweets-seller, famously bloated and sleepy
- Abbas, a young, kindly barber who wants to get married
- Salim Alwan, the wealthy businessman who is embittered after surviving a heart attack
- Dr. Booshy, the self-proclaimed dentist who sells false teeth at dirt-cheap prices by stealing them off dead bodies
- Sanker, the waiter at Kirsha’s café
- Sheikh Darwish, the old poet and former English teacher, who left his former life to roam the streets.
- Radwan Hussainy, a landlord who beats his wife failed his al-Azhar exams, yet is revered for his high degree of education and devotion to Allah. He has lost all of his children.
- Hussain Kirsha, son of the café owner who works for the British. He marries a woman of lower class and returns home with her and her brother.
- Saniya Afify, widowed landlady who desires to remarry
- Umm Hamida, the neighborhood matchmaker and bath attendant; Hamida's foster mother
- Hamida, a beautiful young woman who dreams of a better life and has a distinctly self-centered personality, but is easily persuaded by wealth or power.
- Husniya, the bakeress who beats her husband with her slipper
- Jaada, Husniya’s husband
- Zaita, the cripple maker who lives outside the bakery and aids Dr. Booshy in his theft of false teeth.
- Ibrahim Farhat, a politician
- Ibrahim Faraj, a pimp
- The Poet, who is replaced by a radio, and is barred by Kirsha (only appears in the first chapter)
See also
- Naguib MahfouzNaguib MahfouzNaguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along with Tawfiq el-Hakim, to explore themes of existentialism. He published over 50 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie...
- El callejón de los milagrosEl callejón de los milagrosEl callejón de los milagros is an award-winning 1994 Mexican film adapted from the novel by Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, written by Vicente Leñero and directed by Jorge Fons...
(the 1995 Mexican film based on the novel) - Nobel Prize in LiteratureNobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...