Midaq Alley Excerpt 68-79 by Maguib Mahfouz Lyrics
Midaq Alley – Chapter 9
“She was a fertile wife, who had given birth to six girls and one boy , Hussein Kersha” (Mahfouz 68).
- The average birth rate in Egypt in the mid-twentieth century was seven births per woman. Beginning in the 1940s and lasting through the rest of the century, the Egyptian government developed population policies which eventually brought the growth down to the current three births per woman. The pre-policy birth rate was due to a lack of contraception, stemming from a combination of religious values and socio-economic constraints (Ghada Barsoum. “Youth and the Fertility Plateau in Egypt: The Alignment of Two Policy Objectives.” Department of Public Policy and Administration, The American University in Cairo. (November 2011): 1-18). http://www.aucegypt.edu/research/src/Documents/population_conf/Studies_new/Paper%20Ghada%20Barsoum%20Youth.pdf
“Then, when he found his family had become an object of gossip and the butt of jokes, he’d become as angry as any and held it against his father ” (Mahfouz 69).
-Same-sex relations have been legal in Egypt since the early 1940s, and it is the only North African country in which they are allowed. Despite the legality, homosexuals have a history of being the victims of persecution in Egypt. Not only would this be embarrassing to Boss Kersha’s family, but it could also pose a threat to their safety (Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates. Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford University Press (2010): 566-8). http://books.google.com/books?id=A0XNvklcqbwC&pg=PA567&lpg=PA567&dq=egypt+homosexuality+1940s&source=bl&ots=Mf8yv3ynZF&sig=qXrFwk8YoyzLUwwXZNhekg4lT7M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=v1DxUvivMcLNsQSTtoCICA&ved=0CHUQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=egypt%20homosexuality%201940s&f=false
“‘I swear all that hashish and filthy behavior have left you without a muscle in your arms. You couldn’t even raise your hand against me. You’re finished. You’re finished as a man, Boss.’” (Mahfouz 74).
-Hashish, a drug derived from cannabis, has a history of use in Egypt dating back to the mid-1100s. It has been used in religious rituals, and was kept legal in Egypt when alcohol consumption was banned. By the mid-1900s, a stigma was attached to hashish which labeled it as a symbol of the poor working classes. Umm Hussein refers to Boss Kersha’s lifestyle as “filthy,” showing her perception of it as a low-status indicator (Ahmad M. Khalifa. “Traditional Patterns of Hashish Use in Egypt.” Web. 04 Feb. 2014). http://www.drugtext.org/Cannabis-and-Culture/traditional-patterns-of-hashish-use-in-egypt.html
-Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:American_medical_hashish%2810%29.jpg
Other Excerpts from Midaq Alley
“He was wearing his gray suit, which was also his only one. He’d had it turned a year ago, and later the invisible mender had darned some of its edges, but he’d taken care to have it well cleaned and pressed, so he appeared (somewhat) elegant ” (Mahfouz 75).
-The “gallabiya” is a long traditional shirt which many Egyptians wear regularly. During the decades of war between 1900 and 1950, a person’s way of life was reflected in his or her clothing. A western-style suit was worn to show a different lifestyle from someone who wore traditional garb. Though he only owns one, Abbas el-Helw puts in significant effort to maintain his suit and wear it proudly. The suit shows his attempt to stand out in Midaq Alley, and to show a modern, more elegant way of life (Arthur Goldschmidt, Amy J. Johnson, and Barak A. Salmoni. Re-envisioning Egypt 1919-1952. American University in Cairo Press (2005): 136-8). http://books.google.com/books?id=6EldTN8NgrMC&pg=PA137&lpg=PA137&dq=suit+vs+gallabiya+egypt&source=bl&ots=R8WZDy-1V1&sig=tg3hUBtpbIOmuyWVNHy5ADTUseY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vVTxUov1NunJsASwqoGwAQ&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=suit%20vs%20gallabiya%20egypt&f=false
-Image of gallabiya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jellabiya
-Image of suit: http://www.voanews.com/content/egypt-president-morsi-calls-halt-to-privatizations/1651695.html
“The most her mother could be expected to provide her with by way of a dowry would be used bedding, a couch, and a few copper pots and pans, and all that life would hold in store for her thereafter would be sweeping, cooking, washing clothes, and feeding babies” (Mahfouz 79).
-Between 1940 and 1976, nearly 95% of marriages included some form of payment between families, as it was an integral part of the marriage process. In the case of Hamida, her prospective marriage to Abbas does not seem prosperous. While modern marriages depend less on the financial aspect, in the 1940s it would have been one of the most heavily weighted factors in the decision (Siwan Anderson. “The Economics of Dowry and Brideprice” Journal of Economic Perspectives. 21.4 (Fall 200&): 151-174). http://econ.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2013/05/pdf_paper_siwan-anderson-economics-dowry-brideprice.pdf
“She was a fertile wife, who had given birth to six girls and one boy , Hussein Kersha” (Mahfouz 68).
- The average birth rate in Egypt in the mid-twentieth century was seven births per woman. Beginning in the 1940s and lasting through the rest of the century, the Egyptian government developed population policies which eventually brought the growth down to the current three births per woman. The pre-policy birth rate was due to a lack of contraception, stemming from a combination of religious values and socio-economic constraints (Ghada Barsoum. “Youth and the Fertility Plateau in Egypt: The Alignment of Two Policy Objectives.” Department of Public Policy and Administration, The American University in Cairo. (November 2011): 1-18). http://www.aucegypt.edu/research/src/Documents/population_conf/Studies_new/Paper%20Ghada%20Barsoum%20Youth.pdf
“Then, when he found his family had become an object of gossip and the butt of jokes, he’d become as angry as any and held it against his father ” (Mahfouz 69).
-Same-sex relations have been legal in Egypt since the early 1940s, and it is the only North African country in which they are allowed. Despite the legality, homosexuals have a history of being the victims of persecution in Egypt. Not only would this be embarrassing to Boss Kersha’s family, but it could also pose a threat to their safety (Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates. Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford University Press (2010): 566-8). http://books.google.com/books?id=A0XNvklcqbwC&pg=PA567&lpg=PA567&dq=egypt+homosexuality+1940s&source=bl&ots=Mf8yv3ynZF&sig=qXrFwk8YoyzLUwwXZNhekg4lT7M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=v1DxUvivMcLNsQSTtoCICA&ved=0CHUQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=egypt%20homosexuality%201940s&f=false
“‘I swear all that hashish and filthy behavior have left you without a muscle in your arms. You couldn’t even raise your hand against me. You’re finished. You’re finished as a man, Boss.’” (Mahfouz 74).
-Hashish, a drug derived from cannabis, has a history of use in Egypt dating back to the mid-1100s. It has been used in religious rituals, and was kept legal in Egypt when alcohol consumption was banned. By the mid-1900s, a stigma was attached to hashish which labeled it as a symbol of the poor working classes. Umm Hussein refers to Boss Kersha’s lifestyle as “filthy,” showing her perception of it as a low-status indicator (Ahmad M. Khalifa. “Traditional Patterns of Hashish Use in Egypt.” Web. 04 Feb. 2014). http://www.drugtext.org/Cannabis-and-Culture/traditional-patterns-of-hashish-use-in-egypt.html
-Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:American_medical_hashish%2810%29.jpg
Other Excerpts from Midaq Alley
“He was wearing his gray suit, which was also his only one. He’d had it turned a year ago, and later the invisible mender had darned some of its edges, but he’d taken care to have it well cleaned and pressed, so he appeared (somewhat) elegant ” (Mahfouz 75).
-The “gallabiya” is a long traditional shirt which many Egyptians wear regularly. During the decades of war between 1900 and 1950, a person’s way of life was reflected in his or her clothing. A western-style suit was worn to show a different lifestyle from someone who wore traditional garb. Though he only owns one, Abbas el-Helw puts in significant effort to maintain his suit and wear it proudly. The suit shows his attempt to stand out in Midaq Alley, and to show a modern, more elegant way of life (Arthur Goldschmidt, Amy J. Johnson, and Barak A. Salmoni. Re-envisioning Egypt 1919-1952. American University in Cairo Press (2005): 136-8). http://books.google.com/books?id=6EldTN8NgrMC&pg=PA137&lpg=PA137&dq=suit+vs+gallabiya+egypt&source=bl&ots=R8WZDy-1V1&sig=tg3hUBtpbIOmuyWVNHy5ADTUseY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vVTxUov1NunJsASwqoGwAQ&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=suit%20vs%20gallabiya%20egypt&f=false
-Image of gallabiya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jellabiya
-Image of suit: http://www.voanews.com/content/egypt-president-morsi-calls-halt-to-privatizations/1651695.html
“The most her mother could be expected to provide her with by way of a dowry would be used bedding, a couch, and a few copper pots and pans, and all that life would hold in store for her thereafter would be sweeping, cooking, washing clothes, and feeding babies” (Mahfouz 79).
-Between 1940 and 1976, nearly 95% of marriages included some form of payment between families, as it was an integral part of the marriage process. In the case of Hamida, her prospective marriage to Abbas does not seem prosperous. While modern marriages depend less on the financial aspect, in the 1940s it would have been one of the most heavily weighted factors in the decision (Siwan Anderson. “The Economics of Dowry and Brideprice” Journal of Economic Perspectives. 21.4 (Fall 200&): 151-174). http://econ.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2013/05/pdf_paper_siwan-anderson-economics-dowry-brideprice.pdf