Analytical Study: The Existential Predicament Perspective in Naguib Mahfouz’s Selected Novels

Abstract

This paper aims at analyzing the selected novels of Naguib Mahfouz in the light of the existential predicament of ‘man’. Such predicament is manifested in the aspects of despair, frustration, and poverty. The Characters in the novels play a significant role in displaying the sordid images of the modern futility of the conditions of the post-World War in Egypt. The paper assumes the existentialism as a theory and topic to comment on the situation, hence the researcher conducts the research within the existentialist theory. The texts that are selected in this paper are as follow, Midaq Alley, Cairo Trilogy, The Beggar, and The Thief and the Dogs.

Evaluation of Stories of the Prophets in the Holy Qur'an Based on Existential Therapy

“…In a different study, it was concluded that Ellison used existential theory to find a solution to the identity problem of African-Americans (Cotkin, 1995;Bassey, 2007;Dokmane, 2017). Similarly, it was stated that Necip Mahfuz used existential theory in his novels to deal with the problems of his characters (Naem & Janoory, 2019). The data on the association and non-association of the stories of the prophets revealed in the Qur'an will give an idea about the compatibility of the possible historical data about the prophets with the Qur'an.…”