The Time & The Place (Naguib Mahfouz)

The book cannot be said to be social or political criticism, for Mahfouz seems to have accepted that life is way beyond the control of social, economic, political, or other governmental organizations. In one story, "Fear," the narrator says, "Everything around them convinced them that violence was stronger than the government" (142). The "violence" refers to a war between two armies, but it can be seen as also referring to the violence done to human hopes and expectations by the mysterious forces at work behind the scenes. In any case, it is very clear that Mahfouz is not concerned with trying to change the government or socioeconomic conditions in Egypt. The reader always has the feeling that the author has accepted the hard and confusing lot that human beings have in life---whether they are Egyptians or not. There are many re

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ope that he will find him and be healed. Or perhaps the ending means that he no longer cares about being healed, but only cares now about finding the mysterious Zaabalawi. In any case, as with most of the other stories, it is a tale which applies to every reader in every country. We all suffer, we all seek healing, and we do not always find it. Even if we do find it, we finally die anyway. These stories are not hopeful stories in the normal sense of the word. They never end with the message that"everything will be all right." In "The Conjurer Made Off With the Dish," a young boy gets into more and more trouble after being sent out by his mother to buy a plate of beans. He loses the money, two plates, never gets the beans, and has several menacing characters after him. Then, he gets lost, and must face a beating when he gets home. The story ends: "I told myself that I should be resolute and make a quick decision. The day was passing, and soon mysterious darkness would descend" (23). This could summarize the philosophy of many of the characters in these stories. Yet no "resolute" or "quick decision" changes anything much, as they are still left in the middle of that mystery. In "The Answer Is No," a girl is seduced/raped by a te
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Approximate Word count = 1751
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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