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Class and love and marriage are three of the themes that are portrayed in Naguib Mahfouz’s Midaq Alley. The era which the story takes place is an era where societal norms began shifting towards modernity due to the impact of western colonization. Midaq Alley was written to portray a society within a larger society, which allows for analysis and comparison of the two. Cultural norms are constantly challenged throughput the novel and what is and what isn’t socially accepted is a theme that is recurrent throughout the text. “Midaq Alley deals with themes which transcend the Cairene setting, and are of relevance to Egypt if not the Middle East as a whole” (Deeb 121-130.)
The first and most reoccurring theme in the novel is the perception of social class in Midaq Alley. There definitely is a social hierarchy, which is not blatantly expressed but is found buried into the context of the novel. The first example of this is actual physical setting of the alley; especially the ageless and inclusive walls, this holds the subliminal message of entrapment. Metaphorically, this underlies that the people that are in the alley will stay in the alley, as if there is no escape. This expresses that the status of the individual is something that he or she has very little impact on, rather the individual is considered a product of his or her environment with little or no opportunity for change.
The theme of social class being a thing that is hard to penetrate out of is represented through the fate of Hamida. Outside forces such as family, village, and religion mold her and causes her to be a servant to the males with power. Her social class has so much control over her that it causes her to be dehumanized. Hamida is about 20 years old and is a pro...
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...lties faced by the greater society within the timeless alley that existed between four walls. The themes of Class, Love, and Marriage were greatly influenced because of colonization, and are more and more influenced as time passes; this is the story of an ageless tale that exists in between the four timeless walls of Midaq Alley.
Works Cited
Deeb, Marius. "Najib Mahfuz's Midaq Alley: A Socio-Cultural Analysis." Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies) . 1.1 (1983): 121-130. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. .
Takieddine-Amyuni, Mona. "Images of Arab Women in Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz, and Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih." International Journal of Middle East Studies. 7.1 (1985): 25-36. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. .
Mahfouz, Naguib. Midaq Alley. Anchor Books, 147. 286. Print.
All through their lives Pharoah and LaFayette are surrounded by violence and poverty. Their neighborhood had no banks, no public libraries no movie theatres, no skating rinks or bowling allies. Drug abuse was so rampant that the drug lords literally kept shop in an abondoned building in the progjects, and shooting was everywhere. Also, there were no drug rehabilitation programs or centers to help combat the problem. Police feared going into the ghetto out of a fear for their own safety. The book follows Pharoah and LaFayette over a two year period in which they struggle with school, attempt to resist the lure of gangs, mourn the death of close friends, and still find the courage to search for a quiet inner peace, that most people take for granted.
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
By her admission the women volunteers of the social welfare organizations were predominantly middle and upper-class. Deeb does not consider how women from other socio-economic groups pursue and engage in piety and modernity, and how they view “authenticated Islam.” As such Deeb’s description of an authenticated Islamic community in al-Dahiyya seems to represent the formulations provided by a privileged class of women. The absence of other socio-economic is coupled with a cursory description of the peripheries of the community. Less emphasis is placed on the inhabitants of al-Dahiyya who are marginalized and excluded from the enchanted modern. A greater study of how authenticated Islam is understood by member of other socio-economic classes and the more marginalized members of the community would have given a greater insight, not only into the development of the enchanted modern, but also the social dynamics which govern
In the Middle East it was male-dominant, male’s had all the control in the family. Women’s rule in life was to give birth too many children to continue the family blood line and take care of them, while the men go to work and come home find something for them prepared to eat. Men were the head of the house, whatever they said, had to be obeyed. Women were limited in their rights, even in marriage they weren’t asked for their opinion, “Would you like to marry this guy?” But rather they were forced by their family members to participate in arranged marriages. In this story we see that the slave woman had no rights, this woman obeyed them without saying a word. In addition, to this she was a slave, and slaves had no rights when it came to their master’s commands. She didn’t have a choice but rather obeyed what the master said even if she didn’t agree. Women were mistreated sometimes by men. "Bring the mule’s nose-bag along with you," he added to the groom; "she has not finished her feed, I think; when we get to the palace, put the bag on her again—she can eat the rest of her fodder while I am with the caliph. “Hear and obey," said the groom "(Portland, Maine: Wheelwright, 1955, p 310-313). One can see in this quote that they placed a bag over the girl and limited to when should she eat. The woman was treated as if she was a toy, played with for a while and then placed to the side when they were
Octavia Estelle Butler uses the class, race and gender theme in traditional way with philosophical and religious views in the “Parable of The Sower”. In this book, Butler shows how the America of parable has essentially reverted to a less evolved state. Inequality in class, race and gender shows in this book. Class has determined the society and culture, race keeps mentioning, and gender is still an extraordinary case. Further, power plays in every aspect of the world. Survival should have been the prioritize of the chaotic world that Lauren lives in; however, gender, race, and class persist. In this book Butler shows that, although gender, race, and class insist; people in every class, race, or gender have to leave the tradition behind and not only prioritize their safety but to begin move the world back toward equality. This story is told based on Lauren, the narrator’s point of view from her diary where she explains how society has broken in every aspect and how she tries to survive.
It revolves around the issues of gender oppression, sexual assault, and importance of social status. Alifa Rifaat manages to express her opinions towards these themes by writing about a typical Egyptian marriage. She puts in focus the strong influence that a patriarchal society has. She also manages to prove how important social status is in society. The uses of literally elements such as theme and irony help express this view. It shows that in a typical Egyptian society women are commonly oppressed by all males in society
It is the undertaking of a journey by one man alone, Qindil Muhammad al-Innabi, to find a society with absolute perfection. Qindil travels through the fictitious lands of “the homeland”, Al Mashriq, Halba, Haira, and Aman— each land with its own unique concept of social structure behind the way the people live, religion, and government systems. Qindil observes and notes the stark differences between each country toward his own perceptions of the perfect society. It is also apparent that beliefs such as simplicity, justice, or freedom match how the society develops in contrast to one another. Naguib Mahfouz writes the novel to comment on the varying outcomes of society based on the inhabitant 's values and traditions. Other prominent African literatures also give way to substantial insights of their very own social organizations via culture as well, particularly seen in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and The River Between by Ngugi Wa Thiong 'O. It is without doubt that culture serves as the fundamental driver behind the development of a
Hilāl, ʻAlī Al-Dīn. Islamic Resurgence in the Arab World. New York, NY: Praeger, 1982. Print.
Since the beginning of time, social class and race have been paramount in society. Back in the time of caveman, roles and traditions were passed down based on gender. The man was responsible for protection and collecting food while women were responsible for cooking and keeping house. That belief has traversed time and slowly changes with each era. But throughout history, men and women have lived with preconceived notions of their duties to their families. These notions have been passed down generations and have affected how people live within their society. In the novel “Like Water for Chocolate”, social class is revered in the story of the De la Garza family. As we see through the personal journey of Tita, the main character, these distinctions are evident.
Social immobility has been a problem for many people, whether they are citizens of United States of America or immigrants from another country, this is something people confront from time to time in their lives. Janie from Under the Feet of Jesus by Zora Neale Hurston, and Estrella from Their Eyes were Watching God by Helena Maria Viramontes are both examples of characters restricted by the intersectionalism of their gender or social and racial class. Through the two class texts mentioned above, social immobility will be further expounded in the context of characters such as Estella and Janie, and it will also be explored as a force that leads to the restriction and/or the loss of innocence for the characters.
“Araby” tells the story of a young boy who romanticizes over his friend’s older sister. He spends a lot of time admiring the girl from a distance. When the girl finally talks to him, she reveals she cannot go to the bazaar taking place that weekend, he sees it as a chance to impress her. He tells her that he is going and will buy her something. The boy becomes overwhelmed by the opportunity to perform this chivalrous act for her, surely allowing him to win the affections of the girl. The night of the bazaar, he is forced to wait for his drunken uncle to return home to give him money to go. Unfortunately, this causes the boy to arrive at the bazaar as it is closing. Of the stalls that remained open, he visited one where the owner, and English woman, “seemed to have spoken to me out of a sense of duty” (Joyce 89) and he knows he will not be able to buy anything for her. He decides to just go home, realizing he is “a creature driven and derided with vanity” (Joyce 90). He is angry with himself and embarrassed as he...
...ndurance of poverty, as we witness how Walls has turned her life around and told her inspiring story with the use of pathos, imagery, and narrative coherence to inspire others around her (that if she can do it, so can others). Jeannette made a huge impact to her life once she took matters into her own hands and left her parents to find out what life has in store for her and to prove to herself that she is a better individual and that anything is possible. Despite the harsh words and wrongful actions of Walls’ appalling parents who engage her through arduous experiences, she remained optimistic and made it through the most roughest and traumatic obstacles of her life at the age of three. Walls had always kept her head held high and survived the hardships God put upon her to get to where she is today; an author with a best selling novel to tell her bittersweet story.
Growing up in a society damaged by political harassment can make a person involuntary act in a certain way. When looking at society there should be a mass sum of understanding and experience. This should allow each person to profit the insight and skill of the society. In Marjane situation she doesn’t obey the rules. She’s a confident woman who refused to conform to demand roles expect of her. She discovers that she didn’t have a perfect idolized life growing up. However, those flawed lessons in her life constructed her to be the woman she is today. During her times of difficulty and insecurity she formulates open-mindedness, spiritual enlightenment and feminist qualities. Marjane creates a new, customary identity out of her experiences. Marjane is the person that she wants to be not conformed to be.
Social Class starts off in the book when Claudia describes her house and current living situation. “Our house is old, cold, and green. At night a kerosene lamp lights one large room. The others are braced in darkness, peopled by roaches and mice.”(10). Another example of Claudia’s lower status is when her mother gets upset when Pecola drinks all the milk. Claudia’s family can not afford to go through milk like that without losing a lot of money. Claudia’s mother says “Time for me to get out of the giving line and get in the getting line.”(24).Social class is also stated in the book early when Claudia talks about being “put out” and being “put outdoors”. This shows the difference between poverty and homelessness.“There is a difference between being put out and being put outdoors. If you are put out, you go somewhere else; if you are outdoors, there is no place to go. The distinction was subtle but final....Knowing that there was such a thing as outdoors bred in us a hunger for property, for ownership” page 17 (Toni Morrison).Pecola was homeless ...
At the end of the day, only three factors come into play when determining social class: money, power, and respect. With any of these three determinates acquired, you will be labelled as a bourgeoisie citizen. However, if you do not acquire these aspects, you will be seen as a proletariat. Due to this difference, people are treated unequally. Some are given more opportunities in life, while others are given very few or none at all. In DeNiro's Game, by Rawi Hage, and In the Skin of a Lion, by Michael Ondaatje, the distribution of power is unbalanced, creating a stratified society. The most effective way to analyze these texts is through the Marxist lens, due to the major gap between each of the different classes. The separation between the classes can be seen through their relationships, the rebellion from the proletariat, as well as the actions and results of such actions taken by the characters.