Alley of the Dagger

Many evidences indicate that the alley of Al-Madaq was one of the masterpieces of past eras.. And although this alley almost lives in a kind of isolation from the paths of the world surrounding it, it still buzzes with its own life; a life deeply connected to the roots of comprehensive life, and still retains some of the secrets of the enclosed world. "Naguib Mahfouz" presented a vivid picture of Egyptian society during World War II, represented in the alley of Al-Madaq, located in the Sanadqiya alley in the Hussein area, so his description was accurate, realistic, and expressive of the alley that was the stage for many intertwined events of its inhabitants; among them "Hamida," whose character contradicts her name, as she is resentful of the alley's life and longs to leave it and mingle with civilization and luxurious life, even if that means working as a prostitute; and the pimp "Faraj," whose name was used to reflect his role, as he is the escape that will take "Hamida" out of the alley's hardship into a life of comfort; and "Al-Boushi," who digs up the graves of the wealthy hoping to find something useful; and Dr. "Zaita," who performs physical deformities to help beggars in their begging. In contrast to these characters, there is the character of "Radwan Al-Husseini," a symbol of purity, virtue, the energy of light, and someone who maintains the balance of values in the alley. Author: Naguib Mahfouz Number of pages: 304