Midaq Alley

Zuqaq al-Midaqq (Midaq Alley), written in 1947, is a novel that charts the lives of the inhabitants of a small part of a Cairene quarter,and is an excellent example of Mahfuz' ability to tell a story.
Zuqaq al-Midaqq could be described on some level sociological piece; certainly the Orientalist Marius Deeb seems to think so in his criticism of the novel, entitled “A Socio-Cultural Analysis” , and Mahfouz’s contemporary Taha Hussein, also agreed with this sentiment in a piece he wrote on the novel . Le Gassick says in his introduction to his English translation of Zuqaq al-Midaqq:
“Midaq Alley has no central plot nor dominant character. A dozen or more are shown interacting with one another. Through descriptive commentary, dialogue and plot carefully arranged for dramatic and humorous effect, the author brings his colourful characters to life with all the skill of a great artist.”
Clearly, then, the novel is one that deals with a range of themes and ideas. It was written at a time when Mahfouz was writing in a realistic style in order to address through literature the miseries that he saw around him in 1940s Egypt , and he aims, not only in Zuqaq al-Midaqq but also in other contemporaneous novels, to present an accurate picture of society within the events he narrates.
Zuqaq al-Midaqq details at length the alley in which the majority of the characters reside. The narrator is omniscient, simply recounting events as any storyteller might. Mahfouz commences by introducing first Kirsha’s café which in many ways represents the social hub of the alley, and scanning through some of the ever-present characters therein, before secondly expounding on the characters almost one by one through the early chapters, as we are privy to snippets of their respective lives, activities, aims and passions. The various characters are slowly woven together through gradually overlapping plot lines, and their interactions help to reinforce the closeness (sometimes to some a boon, for others a source of frustration) of the alley. The story is sufficiently balanced that one can appreciate what is happening from many perspectives in any given encounter. When Abbas the barber falls in love with Hamida, we see him subtly broaching the subject with her brother Hussain, and there is mention made of his reverie and enchantment for her in the fourth chapter. Hussain, offering another opinion, refers to Hamida’s ambition, presenting a far less romantic picture than his friend does. In the tenth chapter, we get to see Hamida’s range of emotions towards Abbas’ advances, varying from indifference, to violent anger, and even to genuine intrigue. This, Taha Hussein explains, is a suitable method for rendering a full description of the alley life, where “lives are bound to coincide, and experiences to synchronise” .
All the characters of Zuqaq al-Midaqq are explored at some length, and their background is painted sufficiently that their actions are justifiable in context. For instance, we know that it is Salim Alwan’s sprightliness and sexual frustration that attract him to Hamida, and her upwardly mobile nature that fuels her attraction to him. Again, we know that Mrs Afify, having been a widow, and miserly, for ten years, has felt such loneliness to the point that she opens herself up to a lavish lifestyle before her marriage to a younger man who is interested in her since he would not have to provide a dowry. As Taha Hussayn says, “Each one has his own individual story which illustrates his life, his temperament, his moral character, and his good and bad points” ; this further balances the novel and gives it the minute detailing and solid foundation for the completeness of the characters and their backdrop. Mahfouz mixes character-based description with regular dialogue and interaction to simultaneously build his characters and advance the action in the alley.
The charm of the story is that in the story, it is the Alley that is the main character, and the other characters are on another level, subservient to the Alley.