“Her connections with the past were now cut forever, so why should she retain her name?” – Naguib Mahfouz This passage touches upon the idea of abandoning one’s own identity and heritage, and adopting a new one, treating names as trivial aspects of an identity that can be easily disregarded. Many cultures, particularly in developing nations like India, Pakistan, Egypt and Lebanon have struggled to preserve their identity for next generations, while facing the domineering pressures and weight of Western imperialism. Globalization has undoubtedly led to the growth of many societies and enriched minds about the world around them. However, a globalized nation, especially a developing one influenced by the West, is indubitably predisposed to the dilution of its cultural inheritance and values. Naguib Mahfouz, a world-renowned Egyptian novelist and Nobel Prize winner, projected the effects of Western imperialism on Egypt in his novel ‘Midaq Alley’ (1947). Mahfouz is widely known for his exposure of the culture of shame that permeates many circles of Egyptian society, and does not shy away from bold and prickly social critique. In fact, in 1994, Islamist militants made an attempt on Mahfouz’s life,…
Midaq Alley: Does Mahfouz’s Exploration of Identity Loss Still Hold True Today?
August 1, 2022
