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Naguib Mahfouz
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โก Free 3min Summary
Palace Walk - Summary
Palace Walk, the first installment of Naguib Mahfouz's renowned Cairo Trilogy, masterfully portrays life in post-World War I Egypt through the lens of the Al-Jawad family. Set in Cairo during the 1919 revolution against British colonial rule, the narrative follows the authoritarian patriarch Al-Sayyid Ahmad, who maintains a strict Islamic household while secretly indulging in a hedonistic nightlife. His wife Amina and their children navigate the complex dynamics of tradition, modernity, and social change in a rapidly evolving society.
Key Ideas
Patriarchal Authority and Double Standards
The novel explores the stark contrast between public morality and private behavior through Al-Sayyid Ahmad's character, who demands absolute obedience and religious observance from his family while privately engaging in entertainment and relationships that would scandalize his household.
Tradition vs. Modernization
Through the younger generation's struggles and aspirations, particularly those of Fahmy and Kamal, the book examines the tension between traditional Islamic values and the encroaching Western influences in early 20th century Egypt.
Women's Liberation and Oppression
The treatment of female characters, especially Amina and her daughters, highlights the restricted lives of women in traditional Egyptian society, their limited freedoms, and their subtle forms of resistance against patriarchal control.
FAQ's
Palace Walk refers to the street where the Al-Jawad family resides in Cairo, symbolizing both the physical setting and the careful "walk" family members must maintain between tradition and change, public appearance and private reality.
The book provides a detailed portrayal of Egyptian society during the British occupation and the 1919 revolution, capturing the political upheaval, social customs, and the emerging conflict between colonial influence and traditional values.
As part of Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy, Palace Walk represents a masterful blend of Western literary techniques with Arab storytelling traditions, earning Mahfouz the Nobel Prize in Literature and establishing him as one of the most important Arabic writers of the 20th century.
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