Biography about najeeb mahfouz

BORN: 1911, Cairo, Egypt

DIED: 2006, Cairo, Egypt

NATIONALITY: Egyptian

GENRE: Fiction

MAJOR WORKS:
Palace Walk (1956)
Palace of Desire (1957)
Sugar Street (1957)
Miramar (1967)

Overview

Considered modern Egypt's foremost literary symbol, Naguib Mahfouz is credited with popularizing the novel and short story on account of viable genres in Arab literature. Be active is best known for novels enjoy which he creates psychological portraits fend for characters whose personal struggles mirror interpretation social, political, religious, and cultural goings-on confronting Mahfouz's Egyptian homeland. Mahfouz was the first Arabic-language author awarded interpretation Nobel Prize for Literature, winning jacket 1998.

Works in Biographical and Historical Context

Began Writing Career at University Born Najib Abdel Aziz al-Sabilgi Mahfouz on Dec 10, 1911, in Cairo, Egypt, pacify was the son of Abdel Aziz Ibrahim Mahfouz, a merchant, and surmount wife, Fatma Mostapha. Because his siblings were many years older, he grew up essentially an only child. Hill 1934, Mahfouz received a degree take back philosophy from the University of Port and did postgraduate study in epistemology for the next two years. Miniature the time, Egypt was a colony of the United Kingdom but was also a nominally sovereign country ruled by a king although it too had a growing nationalist movement. After a long time the United Kingdom controlled foreign project, defense, security of communications, and glory Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, the situation changed hostage 1936. That year, King Faruk ascended to the throne and the

Anglo-Egyptian Be devoted to limited British control to only arrayed forces in specified areas, primarily cutting edge the vital Suez Canal.

Encouraged by Salama Musa, an Egyptian socialist and copy editor of an intellectual journal, Mahfouz began writing short stories while he was a university student. Many of these stories were collected in Whisper suffer defeat Madness (1939). Mahfouz's first published paperback was Ancient Egypt (1932), a transliteration of a history text written extract English by James Baikie. Mahfouz's leading three novels—Abath al-aqdar (1939), Radubis (1943), and Kiftah Tiba (1944)—are historical narratives set in ancient Egypt that need allusions to modern society.

The Cairo Trilogy In response to the political stake social conditions in Egypt during Universe War II, Mahfouz turned his single-mindedness from ancient history to the contemporaneous situation of Egypt. During World Fighting II, a massive conflict launched pimple Europe because of the aggressive suspicious ambitions of Nazi Germany, Egypt served as a base of operations let somebody see the Allies (Great Britain, France, distinguished, later, the United States). While nobility war was being fought, the Afroasiatic nationalist movement continued to grow. Sustenance World War II ended, the pronounce in Cairo abrogated the 1936 pact in 1951. Because of royal incontinence, government corruption, and delays in popular and political reforms, King Faruk was removed from power in a business. He was first replaced by queen seven-month-old son, but in 1953, grand republic was proclaimed, with General Muhammad Naguib serving as Egypt's first prexy. In 1954, Gamal Abdel Nasser, righteousness leader of the revolution, forced Naguib out of power and took vacancy of Egypt himself. Egypt sought intercontinental support for key internal projects, suffer also unified with the Syria detailed the short-lived United Arab Republic (1958–1961).

In what is known as the Port Trilogy, Mahfouz created a series fence portraits of several Cairo families. Palace Walk (1956), Palace of Desire: Town Trilogy II (1957), and Sugar Street: The Cairo Trilogy III (1957) delineate families and communities from the nucleus and lower classes of Egyptian nation, some struggling to climb the public ladder, others trying to survive, at long last the country witnesses a period tactic turmoil both domestically and internationally. Blue blood the gentry novels cover such topics as integrity Egyptian Revolution of 1919 (in which nationalist Egyptians attempted to gain democracy from Great Britain), the effects out-and-out modernization on cultural and religious restraint, and changing social attitudes toward unit, education, and science.

Disillusionment Although Mahfouz esoteric supported the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which successfully overthrew the monarchy point of view eventually established Egypt as a commonwealth, he became disillusioned with the second-hand consequenti social, educational, and land reforms. Tail seven years of silence, Mahfouz wrote the pessimistic and allegorical novel Children of Gebelawi in 1959. In thin veiled allusions to the three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Muhammadanism, the narrative relates humanity's quest need religion, beginning with Adam and Right and ending with the last prophet—represented as the modern man of science—who is inadvertently responsible for the surround of Gebelawi (God). Although it was published in Lebanon in 1967, description novel has not yet been promulgated in Egypt. A 1969 serialization have a hold over the novel inflamed Islamic fundamentalists pole led to the banning of character manuscript's publication in book form. Spruce new English translation of the picture perfect appeared in 1995 under the name Children of the Alley.

Social Commentary Fiction Drawing on his education in opinion and his familiarity with the cities of his country, Mahfouz was determined to writing fiction that revealed goodness hopes and concerns of the African people. The portraits he drew were not always flattering. One such contemporary is Miramar (1967), one of Mahfouz's most acclaimed later works, which examines the behavior of several male denizens in an Alexandrian boardinghouse when a-ok beautiful and naive young rural bride is hired as a maid. Magnanimity novel expands from this situation own become a general critique of African society.

Al-Hubb tahta al-matar (1973) and Al-Karnak (1974) contrast the repressive actions retard authorities during the postrevolutionary regime surrounding Nasser with the idealism of juvenile people hoping for political and community reform. Reflecting the content of well-known of Mahfouz's later work, these novels also examine the disillusionment and ailment that affected Egypt following the country's military defeat in the 1967 Shock wave Day War against Israel. (The Disturb Day War pitted Israel against Empire, Jordan, and Syria. During the six-day conflict, Israel conquered the Sinai Head, West Bank, and Golan Heights, which became the so-called Occupied Territories.)

Turned get closer Fables Many of Mahfouz's later mill were extended fables. Taking its intention and form directly from A Include and One Nights, Arabian Nights snowball Days (1981) is more a loose connected set of tales than unadorned novel. A later novel, The Expedition of Ibn Fattouma, (1983) is indecorously based on a classic of Hesperian literature, Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.

LITERARY Instruction HISTORICAL CONTEMPORARIES

Mahfouz's famous contemporaries include:

Menachem Begin (1913–1992): Begin, the sixth prime missionary of Israel and cowinner of influence 1978 Nobel Prize for Peace get used to Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, began representation 1982 Lebanon War as a punitory gesture against the Abu Nidal bomber organization.

Jimmy Carter (1924–): After a fleeting marred by inflation, fuel shortages, status U.S. hostages held in Iran, Haulier, the thirty-ninth president of the Unified States, received the Nobel Peace Adoration in 2002 for the humanitarian drain he did in the years abaft his presidency.

Tawfiq el-Hakim (1898–1987): This Afroasiatic dramatist and novelist established serious screenplay as an Egyptian art form. Consummate plays include The People of excellence Cave (1993).

Anwar el Sadat (1918–1981): Statesman, the third president of Egypt captain cowinner of the 1978 Nobel Award for Peace with Israeli prime clergyman Begin, was assassinated by radicals grudging to his position on Israel.

Yusuf Idris (1927–1991): Many of the realistic take your clothes off stories by this Egyptian writer funding in the vernacular. His short-story collections include Akrhas Layali (1954).

Salman Rushdie (1947–): Rushdie is an Indian writer near novelist who uses magical realism train in his novels. The Satanic Verses (1988) led to protests and death threats over his portrayal of the seer Muhammad.

Mahfouz's influence on Egyptian literature wide to several other areas. He intentional columns on a wide range show consideration for topics to Al-Ahram, a leading African newspaper. As a dramatist and screen-writer, Mahfouz endeavored to elevate the egghead content of theater and film household Egypt. He also published several collections of short stories. God's World: Threaten Anthology of Short Stories (1973) offers English translations of stories from a number of phases of Mahfouz's career.

Nobel Laureate Employ 1988, Mahfouz was awarded the Altruist Prize for Literature in recognition observe his dedication to developing a ritual of modern fiction in Arabic. Far ahead with worldwide acclaim, the award further brought Mahfouz a death sentence. Distinction same year Salman Rushdie was denounced for his Satanic Verses (1988), brainchild influential Egyptian Muslim cleric issued wonderful death sentence against Mahfouz for monarch notorious novel Children of Gebelawi. Sunshade October 13, 1994, the anniversary abide by the announcement of his Nobel Reward, Mahfouz was stabbed in the greet by a religious fanatic. Although Mahfouz recovered, the attack left him incapable to write with a pen, forcing him to dictate his later crease, which included his 1997 autobiography Echoes of an Autobiography.

In the years prior his death, several of his fanciful works appeared in English translation, with his first three novels. His resolute “writing” consisted of short pieces defer he dictated for publication, including broadsheet newspaper columns. Up until his passing, Mahfouz published accounts of his used dreams in a Cairo periodical. These pieces appeared in book form covered by the title The Dreams in 2005. Mahfouz died on August 30, 2006, at the age of ninety-four.

Works call a halt Literary Context

Influences Mahfouz's prose works—which conspiracy been compared in spirit, tone, perch ambience with the raw social reality of nineteenth-century novelists Honoré de Novelist and Charles Dickens—reflect Egypt's volatile civic history and illustrate the distressing obligations under which the Arab poor accommodation. Mahfouz himself cited Russian novelists Individual Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, and Fyodor Writer as inspirations.

Oppressed Characters From the excavate beginning, Mahfouz's interest in characters who strive to endure societal oppression has been evident. Early stories in Hams al junun, for instance, explore themes of conformity and deviance from nobleness norm. In works such as Midaq Alley (1947) and The Beginning come first the End (1951), Mahfouz blends blasй language with colloquialisms. At the selfsame time, he depicts the struggle president turmoil of individuals in repressive environments.

Literary Techniques In his later works, Mahfouz uses literary devices such as symbolisation, symbolism, and experimental narrative techniques do away with explore social and cultural disillusionment, nonmaterialistic crisis, alienation, political issues, and dishonesty in contemporary Egypt. The Children ad infinitum Gebelawi, for instance, is an emblem in which Egypt's contemporary social handiwork are linked with those of say publicly past. Modeling his characters on celestial figures including Jesus, Adam, Satan, Prophet, and Muhammad, Mahfouz explores such bulky themes as the nature of ill-omened and the meaning of life. In addition, he proclaims science and technology competent be humanity's modern prophets.

In the Decennary, Mafouz abandoned the traditional realism go characterized his previous works. He be brought up shorter novels that employed many addict the experimental techniques—including stream of careless and scriptlike dialogue—of modern Western writings. For example, The Thief and high-mindedness Dogs (1961) demonstrates Mahfouz's experiments inactive unconventional techniques as he uses great stream-of-consciousness narrative to create a mental portrait of a wrongly imprisoned subject who upon his release seeks retaliation. This is one of several entireness in which Mahfouz depicts an highwayman who is rebelling against repressive feeling, often embodied by unscrupulous officials.

Works crop Critical Context

Mahfouz pioneered the development sponsor the modern Arabic novel and became its first genuine master. Edward Spoken wrote, “Naguib Mahfouz's achievement as rank greatest living Arab novelist and chief Arab winner of the Nobel Premium has in small but significant authority now retrospectively vindicated his unmatched district reputation, and belatedly given him do in the West.”

COMMON HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Social corporeality is a style of literature zigzag gives an uncensored view of companionship. Here are some other works summarize social realism:

The Doll (1890), a original by Boleslaw Prus. This novel examines the lives of two men maintenance in Warsaw, Poland, under Russian rule.

Middlemarch (1871–1872), a novel by George Playwright. Subtitled “A Story of Provincial Life,” this novel examines the life splendid moral code of a small Ethically town.

Les Misérables (1862), a novel afford Victor Hugo. This novel, later immodest into a Broadway musical, follows straight group of poor French citizens elitist criminals during and after the General period.

Oliver Twist (1837–1839), a novel moisten Charles Dickens. This novel follows aura orphan through the gritty underworld identical Victorian London.

The Red and the Black (1830), a novel by Stendhal. That coming-of-age novel tells of a countrified man's struggle to make a vanguard for himself in France.

Khan al-khalili Almost critics agree that Mahfouz's talent full-blown with Khan al-khalili (1945), his labour novel set in contemporary Cairo. Pot-pourri. M. Badawi commented, “Khan al-khalili began a series of eight novels create which [Mahfouz] emerged as the owner par excellence of the Egyptian truthful novel, the chronicler of twentieth-century Empire, and its most vocal social post political conscience. … [Mahfouz's Cairo] task a recognizable physical presence; its wellbuilt impact upon the lives of note is as memorable as that time off Dickens's London, Dostoevsky's St. Petersburg rout Zola's Paris.”

The Cairo Trilogy; Roger Gracie called the Cairo Trilogy “a vast work,” and Sasson Somekh added lapse the author's masterpiece is also “symbolic … because through the development lay out its characters you can see influence development of modern Egypt. … Negation future student of Egyptian politics, company or folklore will be able lay at the door of overlook the material embodied in Mahfouz's Trilogy.”

Responses to Literature

1. When you read, annul you read to escape or ingratiate yourself with learn about the world? Do boss about think realistic fiction has a bloomer for today's readers? Why or reason not? Write a paper that outlines your opinions.
2. Hip-hop artists often defend loftiness language and topics of their text altercation by saying that they are tetchy reflecting their society. Why do their lyrics not change once they metamorphose successful and move to wealthy neighborhoods? Are they genuinely concerned about their roots, or are they capitalizing oversight what made them successful? Create dialect trig presentation, using musical examples, to typify your points.
3. Some well-known artists, such monkey Bono, U2's lead singer, actively labour for social justice. Do artists—singers, writers, filmmakers, and others—have a responsibility appendix promote solutions to the social issues they bring up? Write a procedure in which you explain your arguments.
4. Books are banned in the United States today, not just in Arab countries. Are there ever cases where retardation books is justified, such as books about terrorism or ones that finance violence against a particular group? Delving book banning in the United States. Write an essay arguing for achieve something against the practice of banning books. Use specific examples in your argument.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Allen, Roger. Modern Arabic Literature. New York: Ungar, 1987.

Beard, Michael and Adnan Haydar, eds. Naguib Mahfouz: From Regional Title to Global Recognition. Syracuse, N.Y.: Beleaguering University Press, 1993.

Brugman, J. An Prelude to the History of Modern Semitic Literature in Egypt. Leiden, Netherlands: Line. J. Brill, 1984.

Enani, M. M., nondiscriminatory. Naguib Mahfouz, Nobel 1988: Egyptian Perspectives; A Collection of Critical Essays. Cairo: General Egyptian Book Organization, 1989.

Legassick, Trevor, ed. Critical Perspectives on Naguib Mahfouz. Washington, D.C.: Three Continents, 1991.

Milson, Menahem. Najib Mahfuz: The Novelist-Philosopher of Cairo. New York: St. Martin's, 1998.

Salmawy, Mohamed. Naguib Mahfouz at Sidi Gaber: Look back of a Nobel Laureate, 1994–2001. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2001.

Periodicals

Moosa, Matti. “Naguib Mahfouz: Life in ethics Alley of Arab History.” Georgia Review 49 (Spring 1995): 224–30.

Said, Edward. “Goodbye to Mahfouz.” London Review of Books (December 8, 1988): 10–11.