Evil and existence

This study attempts to penetrate into the philosophy of Naguib Mahfouz's novels, which was characterized by a relatively fixed perspective on the world and ever-changing forms of continuous development. The reading of Mahfouz's text begins with three approaches that illuminate it both technically and philosophically: authority, paradox, and coincidence. This text observed human existence in its fundamental aspects, represented by: the horror of time and the significance of death, and in that "secret" that man suffers from and cannot interpret. These aspects led to a statement that settled within the fabric of Mahfouz's fictional world, under the overarching title: "Evil" in its various levels, which border on the entire existence and the diverse worlds of man. This study attempted to read Mahfouz's novel independently, with a focused perspective on beginnings and ends, and the reading was completed by comparing it with global literary achievements, such as Dostoevsky's novel, the Russian who combined novel and philosophy, as well as Thomas Mann's broad-cultured German novel, and the reflections of the French André Gide, who was drawn to human failure and defeat. Naturally, Mahfouz, who is both diverse and renewed, did not imitate anyone; rather, he achieved a qualitative dialogue between the major fictional worlds, which begin with the alienated human and end with him. The Egyptian novelist developed Arabic fiction while developing his novel, and he developed his novel over fifty years, passing through different fictional forms: historical novel, realistic approach, symbolic novel, and the free experimental novel that no one else attempted. He always wrote what he wanted, open to horizons that do not accept closure, leaving behind a vast literary heritage that cannot be viewed without considering the history of Arabic fiction, nor can the observer of world fiction be fair without stopping at Naguib Mahfouz's Egyptian, Arab, and universal novel at the same time.