How does Mahfouz portray his female characters? Are they seen as weak or strong characters? Respond with examples from the text to support your point of view.
For the most part, I found that Mahfouz portrayed his female characters as quite strong. Every female character - at least all of the ones with more than one appearance or mention - have at least some strong aspects of their personality.
Examples: Hamida - wanted a different life than the one she was living in the alley and took the initiative to leave. Although Farhat was definitely a large factor in her decision, it took strength for her to leave Umm Hamida. Umm Hamida - she didn't allow Mrs. Saniya Afify to walk all over her when the woman wanted her to arrange her marriage. Umm Hamida insisted that in return, she should never have to pay Mrs. Saniya Afify rent again. Mrs. Saniya Afify - she was wealthy without a man supporting her, and despite her age decided she wanted to remarry. Husniya - she beat her husband. Albeit not an admirable personality trait, it does indeed show her strength, at least physical. Mrs. Kirsha - retaliated to Kirsha's violent words against her. She did not allow him to insult her simply because he was a man without reciprocating.
I agree with Kara in the fact that most of the female characters appeared strong with their personality. I was surprised that the women were so outspoken, for I thought they would be silent and in less control of their lives, living in the Middle East in the 1940s. The West's stereotype of women in the Middle East is basically that they don't have basic rights, oppressed, and are destined for domestic roles at home; this stereotype seems to be proved wrong (although, I don't think women had many rights in Egypt then, it didn't appear as issue to the women presented in the book though). However, I think Salim Alwan's wife seemed submissive and oppressed. For example, when Alwan is verbally abusive towards his wife and threatens to leave her for another women, she tells her sons to take care of the matter. She seemed to just take the abuse in silence, which I think makes her seem weak in Midaq Alley.
I think there is about an equal number of male and female characters presented in the book. This selection with third person omniscient allows for an equal understanding of all the characters, from both genders. As we discussed in an earlier post, there are positive and negative aspects to the author's choice/style.
Although I do agree with Kara's post for the mostpart, I do feel the need to point out the shalowness of many characters' independance. For example, although Mrs. Saniya Afify was independently wealthy, she was still frowned upon for being a spinster and was still desperate to find a man. Hamida may appear in some aspects independant, but upon close examination it is revealed that her entire life revolved around the attention of men.
I don't mean to go all TOK here, but depending upon one's emotions, perceptions, and whatnot, this question can cut either way.
hey guys, i agree with both Stuart and Kara, mostly all female characters are portrayed as strong characters (yay! girl power!) Take Mrs. Kirsha for example: When she noticed that her husband was acting different towards her, she started looking for clues as to why this was happening. Eventually she discovered a romance between her husband and a local boy. She wanted this to stop, so she took action, not only did she try to tell her son about it, she told Radwan Hussainy, hoping that he would guide her husband to the "right" way, but he failed to do so. So, she took matters into her own hands and made a scene infront of all his usual costomers in his cafe: "The cafe had now taken on its usual atmosphere and everyone played games or chatted as before. The battle was almost forgotten..." (Mahfouz 103) Just as Stuart said, this outspoken attitude was usual for women during this period, and still (in some places) is. Have a good week guys !
I agree with both Kara and Wiggy. The characters appear to be strong and independent, much more so than you would expect for the time period, as Stuart suggested. However they are taken in by the problems that are characteristic of our world. Some women despite how strong they are, or how independent they are, still desire male company. It is a part of culture and despite the strength or weakness of a character they are going to be attracted to someone, and desire a mate.
First off, I agree with Kara's post. Like Stuart, I was extremely surprised at how outspoken and brave the female characters were. Although I'm not particularly educated on woman's rights during this time period in the Middle East, I certainly didn't expect them to speak out against their spouses. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the backbone and bravery of the women in Midaq Alley.
To me, the prime example of this was Mrs. Kirsha. Mrs. Kirsha refused to stand for Kirsha's cruel behavior and insults. She stood up for herself and retaliated by embarrassing him publicly, holding nothing back. Furthermore, she did not fear him or his wrath afterwords. However, although Kirsha treated her unfairly and was unfaithful, she stayed with him long after she knew of his actions. One could certainly argue that this was because of personal weakness and the inability to be alone or without a man.
Another example I found intriguing was Saniya Afify, an independently wealthy woman. However, like Mrs. Kirsha,she certainly had personal weakness. Afify, a widowed woman, was desperate to be remarried. Desperate to the point that she would seek out aid from a matchmaker and agree to marry a man she had never met. Furthermore, she agreed to physically alter herself, paying a large amount of money for a new set of gold teeth, in order to impress this man.
Although the women were strong and independent in many aspects. Their weaknesses seemed to be with being alone in a romantic sense. This could both be from loneliness or fearing economic independence.
On the contrary, to a lot of the other posts I did not see that most of the female characters were portrayed as strong. Like Mike mentioned Hamida was very focused on the attention of men it was her underlying drive to find a man to sustain her, and ultimately, finding a man to wed was what she believed would allow her to live her desired lifestyle. She often mentioned her envy of the factory girls and yet did not take it upon herself to find work but rather waited for a man to marry her in hopes for wealth with little work. As for Mrs. Saniya Afify although she acquired wealth on her own accord, much of what got her through the years she spent without a husband was her ability to hide behind her wealth. I saw weakness in her in the sense her life seemed to revolve around a sort of denial. She had tried to convince herself men were unnecessary to her but in the end her marriage became the largest part of her life, so important that she would even give up the wealth she had banked over the years for her husband‑to‑be and a successful wedding. Thus, Mrs. Saniya Afify lost a majority of her independence. As for Mrs. Kirsha although she was quick to defend herself she did take passive paths to avoid facing her own conflicts with her husband (for example when she visited Hussainy to ask if he would confront her husband, instead of her). She also spoke of her unhappiness with him and her home life but never took the initiative to leave herself. In the same ways that Mrs. Saniya Afify hid in her wealth I believe Husniya hid in violence. I don't think her weakness was dependence, but rather her inability to express her emotions. She spoke fondly of her husband when confronted by other characters, yet reacted violently with anger towards him. In my opinion, the exception was Umm Hamida who as Kara said twisted situations to her advantage (the marriage in exchange for free rent) and lived independently. She also, despite her poverty, adopted Hamida following the death of her mother which showed bravery, and also compassion.
After perusing the above comments, I must say that I agree with both arguments over the women being portrayed as both strong and weak. In my opinion the women who were single seemed to be independent, yet once they became married, engaged or even sought after by a man, they lost their sense of autonomy. One of the most evident examples of this trait is found in the character of Mrs. Sandra Afify, the landlady. Mahfouz often mentioned the woman as being stingy by purchasing very little, yet hiding away most of her savings in her closet in a small box. However, in chapter 21, it is noted that Mrs. Afify prepares for her wedding by spending frivolous amounts on unnecessary expenditures, such as gold plated teeth. Inference tells us this is because she is wary of the control that her new husband will have over her life, finances and decisions she makes. A second example of this behavior comes courtesy of Hamida, whose fiery personality is quickly extinguished when she is forced into prostitution by her new flame, Ibrahim Faraj. Looking back through the novel, there were many instances when Hamida refused to give Abbas the time of day and even up until the midway point of her "relationship" with Faraj, she managed to show her emotions by slapping him on occasion. Yet, in chapter 34, when Abbas finds Hamida surrounded by soldiers at the bar, her persona seems to have completely changed and instead of showing disgust for her new profession, she seems to think nothing of it.
I understand both sides, but I think that Mahfouz portrays the female characters with very strong personalities. I think that they are strongly outspoken regardless of their marital status and dependence on men. I understand the points made about how some women were less open after being married, in particular Hamida, but I think they are still strong characters. In particular Mrs. Kirsha, who was not afraid of her husband, and challenged him on his decisions. Not only with his ‘habits’ but in accepting their son after he comes back jobless and married. There was also Husniya, who was not only physically strong, but also had a strong personality, as found when she was exposed to by Zaita. I think it was Kara who said every female character in this book was very strong, except for characters only mentioned once, for example Mrs. Hussainy. Even though she was only mentioned once, Mahfouz takes great care to describe her as quiet and weak. I think he was drawing attention to the contrast of her and the other women in the alley. Mahfouz also contrasts Mrs. Hussainy to her ‘…strong and healthy husband, who beamed in contentment,’ (Mahfouz 89). This might indicate that from Mahfouz’s experience, as in his culture and what he grew up with, he was exposed to more exuberant personalities than quiet ones. - Anna
"Well, this is beyond late, but I figured I should do it anyway. The female characters in Midaq Alley all have rather strong personalities and are independent, although to an extent in some situations. I think Mrs. Saniya Afify was the most independent female character...she don't need no man, mmmmhhhhmmmmmm. While reading, I didn't view any of the female characters as weak, mainly just close to insanity. Mrs. Kirsha seemed somewhat crazy to me as the majority of her actions revolved around her husband and Hamida really wanted the nice things in life and believed she would get these things through a man. After reading the posts above, I now see these situations as examples of the character's weaknesses. So thanks Midaq Alley enthusiasts. Sorry for the late response Mrs. Hanley, here is a smiley face as a peace offering, :)
As most of the others have noted, the female characters in the novel are strong and independent, especially compared to the stereotype of the Middle East’s women. Most characters, both male and female, seem to be caricatures of different emotions, ways of life, etc. For example, throughout the novel, Hamida’s pride is exaggerated, and Radwan Hussainy’s devotion to God is thoroughly reinforced.
However, I also agree with Michael—the women, although strong and independent, all depend on the attention of the men. Although, I do not agree when he said: “I don't mean to go all TOK here, but depending upon one's emotions, perceptions, and whatnot, this question can cut either way.” I do not believe the question whether the question that if the women are strong or weak can be cut completely because I, for one, do not know much about the Egyptian culture in that time period. However, I do know that it is both part of the culture and the religion for women to marry a male partner. In my opinion, we are all deciding whether the women in Midaq Alley are considered strong or weak characters based on our perception of a strong/weak woman in our culture and based on the knowledge (stereotypes, research, personal experience, etc) on the Middle East/Egypt’s culture.
(This post was supposed to be last week, although it would not let me post it. Sorry!)
I agree with Michael in that while the female characters are portrayed as strong, they depend on a man’s attention. For this reason, I do not believe that Mafouz portrayed his female characters as independent. While characters such as Hamida did as she pleased, most of her actions, such as leaving the alley, were all in hope of attaining the attention of a man. While the female characters in Midaq Alley are not independent, their strength is shown through actions such as Mrs. Kirsha standing up to her husband when he refused to come home at night.
However, I do believe that Umm Hamida is the exception to how Mafouz portrayed his female characters. Umm Hamida showed both strength and independence throughout the text. Her strength was shown when she continued to stand up to Hamida’s wild temper, and her independence through not desiring a man’s company in her life and living by her own accord.
Hey guys, I'm late.. quel surprise. I think all the female characters in the novel show very strong ambition and none are weak or shy really. However, these women do not demonstrate powerful female role models for their main motivations are greed, lust, gossip, and envy. These women only look for the benefit for themselves personnally, such as Umm Hamida; as she searches for a husband for her daughter, she does not seek the man who would make her daughter most happy in her life, but the one who could support her with his money and hence Umm Hamida as well. Another example is Mrs. Saniya Afify. She is a greedy landlord who only lets up on the rent for Umm Hamida in exchange for her own happiness in a young husband. Hamida shows her lust for riches and evil spirit throughout the book and will not let any man get away with tricking or shaming her. These female characters, however strong are not representative of heroines because of their selfish nature.
FIRST, OH OUI.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, I found that Mahfouz portrayed his female characters as quite strong. Every female character - at least all of the ones with more than one appearance or mention - have at least some strong aspects of their personality.
Examples:
Hamida - wanted a different life than the one she was living in the alley and took the initiative to leave. Although Farhat was definitely a large factor in her decision, it took strength for her to leave Umm Hamida.
Umm Hamida - she didn't allow Mrs. Saniya Afify to walk all over her when the woman wanted her to arrange her marriage. Umm Hamida insisted that in return, she should never have to pay Mrs. Saniya Afify rent again.
Mrs. Saniya Afify - she was wealthy without a man supporting her, and despite her age decided she wanted to remarry.
Husniya - she beat her husband. Albeit not an admirable personality trait, it does indeed show her strength, at least physical.
Mrs. Kirsha - retaliated to Kirsha's violent words against her. She did not allow him to insult her simply because he was a man without reciprocating.
Hello Captain and Class,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kara in the fact that most of the female characters appeared strong with their personality. I was surprised that the women were so outspoken, for I thought they would be silent and in less control of their lives, living in the Middle East in the 1940s. The West's stereotype of women in the Middle East is basically that they don't have basic rights, oppressed, and are destined for domestic roles at home; this stereotype seems to be proved wrong (although, I don't think women had many rights in Egypt then, it didn't appear as issue to the women presented in the book though). However, I think Salim Alwan's wife seemed submissive and oppressed. For example, when Alwan is verbally abusive towards his wife and threatens to leave her for another women, she tells her sons to take care of the matter. She seemed to just take the abuse in silence, which I think makes her seem weak in Midaq Alley.
I think there is about an equal number of male and female characters presented in the book. This selection with third person omniscient allows for an equal understanding of all the characters, from both genders. As we discussed in an earlier post, there are positive and negative aspects to the author's choice/style.
- Stuart Thompson
Although I do agree with Kara's post for the mostpart, I do feel the need to point out the shalowness of many characters' independance. For example, although Mrs. Saniya Afify was independently wealthy, she was still frowned upon for being a spinster and was still desperate to find a man. Hamida may appear in some aspects independant, but upon close examination it is revealed that her entire life revolved around the attention of men.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to go all TOK here, but depending upon one's emotions, perceptions, and whatnot, this question can cut either way.
hey guys,
ReplyDeletei agree with both Stuart and Kara, mostly all female characters are portrayed as strong characters (yay! girl power!)
Take Mrs. Kirsha for example: When she noticed that her husband was acting different towards her, she started looking for clues as to why this was happening. Eventually she discovered a romance between her husband and a local boy. She wanted this to stop, so she took action, not only did she try to tell her son about it, she told Radwan Hussainy, hoping that he would guide her husband to the "right" way, but he failed to do so. So, she took matters into her own hands and made a scene infront of all his usual costomers in his cafe: "The cafe had now taken on its usual atmosphere and everyone played games or chatted as before. The battle was almost forgotten..." (Mahfouz 103)
Just as Stuart said, this outspoken attitude was usual for women during this period, and still (in some places) is.
Have a good week guys !
I agree with both Kara and Wiggy. The characters appear to be strong and independent, much more so than you would expect for the time period, as Stuart suggested. However they are taken in by the problems that are characteristic of our world. Some women despite how strong they are, or how independent they are, still desire male company. It is a part of culture and despite the strength or weakness of a character they are going to be attracted to someone, and desire a mate.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I agree with Kara's post. Like Stuart, I was extremely surprised at how outspoken and brave the female characters were. Although I'm not particularly educated on woman's rights during this time period in the Middle East, I certainly didn't expect them to speak out against their spouses. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the backbone and bravery of the women in Midaq Alley.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the prime example of this was Mrs. Kirsha. Mrs. Kirsha refused to stand for Kirsha's cruel behavior and insults. She stood up for herself and retaliated by embarrassing him publicly, holding nothing back. Furthermore, she did not fear him or his wrath afterwords. However, although Kirsha treated her unfairly and was unfaithful, she stayed with him long after she knew of his actions. One could certainly argue that this was because of personal weakness and the inability to be alone or without a man.
Another example I found intriguing was Saniya Afify, an independently wealthy woman. However, like Mrs. Kirsha,she certainly had personal weakness. Afify, a widowed woman, was desperate to be remarried. Desperate to the point that she would seek out aid from a matchmaker and agree to marry a man she had never met. Furthermore, she agreed to physically alter herself, paying a large amount of money for a new set of gold teeth, in order to impress this man.
Although the women were strong and independent in many aspects. Their weaknesses seemed to be with being alone in a romantic sense. This could both be from loneliness or fearing economic independence.
From Morgan Sangster
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, to a lot of the other posts I did not see that most of the female characters were portrayed as strong. Like Mike mentioned
Hamida was very focused on the attention of men it was her underlying drive to find a man to sustain her, and ultimately, finding a man to
wed was what she believed would allow her to live her desired lifestyle. She often mentioned her envy of the factory girls and yet did not take it upon herself to find work but rather waited for a man to marry her in hopes for wealth with little work. As for Mrs. Saniya
Afify although she acquired wealth on her own accord, much of what got her through the years she spent without a husband was her ability to
hide behind her wealth. I saw weakness in her in the sense her life seemed to revolve around a sort of denial. She had tried to convince
herself men were unnecessary to her but in the end her marriage became the largest part of her life, so important that she would even give up
the wealth she had banked over the years for her husband‑to‑be and a successful wedding. Thus, Mrs. Saniya Afify lost a majority of her
independence. As for Mrs. Kirsha although she was quick to defend herself she did take passive paths to avoid facing her own conflicts with her husband (for example when she visited Hussainy to ask if he would confront her husband, instead of her). She also spoke of her unhappiness with him and her home life but never took the initiative to leave herself. In the same ways that Mrs. Saniya Afify hid in her wealth I believe Husniya hid in violence. I don't think her weakness was dependence, but rather her inability to express her emotions. She
spoke fondly of her husband when confronted by other characters, yet
reacted violently with anger towards him. In my opinion, the exception
was Umm Hamida who as Kara said twisted situations to her advantage
(the marriage in exchange for free rent) and lived independently. She
also, despite her poverty, adopted Hamida following the death of her
mother which showed bravery, and also compassion.
After perusing the above comments, I must say that I agree with both arguments over the women being portrayed as both strong and weak. In my opinion the women who were single seemed to be independent, yet once they became married, engaged or even sought after by a man, they lost their sense of autonomy.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most evident examples of this trait is found in the character of Mrs. Sandra Afify, the landlady. Mahfouz often mentioned the woman as being stingy by purchasing very little, yet hiding away most of her savings in her closet in a small box. However, in chapter 21, it is noted that Mrs. Afify prepares for her wedding by spending frivolous amounts on unnecessary expenditures, such as gold plated teeth. Inference tells us this is because she is wary of the control that her new husband will have over her life, finances and decisions she makes.
A second example of this behavior comes courtesy of Hamida, whose fiery personality is quickly extinguished when she is forced into prostitution by her new flame, Ibrahim Faraj. Looking back through the novel, there were many instances when Hamida refused to give Abbas the time of day and even up until the midway point of her "relationship" with Faraj, she managed to show her emotions by slapping him on occasion. Yet, in chapter 34, when Abbas finds Hamida surrounded by soldiers at the bar, her persona seems to have completely changed and instead of showing disgust for her new profession, she seems to think nothing of it.
I understand both sides, but I think that Mahfouz portrays the female characters with very strong personalities. I think that they are strongly outspoken regardless of their marital status and dependence on men. I understand the points made about how some women were less open after being married, in particular Hamida, but I think they are still strong characters. In particular Mrs. Kirsha, who was not afraid of her husband, and challenged him on his decisions. Not only with his ‘habits’ but in accepting their son after he comes back jobless and married. There was also Husniya, who was not only physically strong, but also had a strong personality, as found when she was exposed to by Zaita.
ReplyDeleteI think it was Kara who said every female character in this book was very strong, except for characters only mentioned once, for example Mrs. Hussainy. Even though she was only mentioned once, Mahfouz takes great care to describe her as quiet and weak. I think he was drawing attention to the contrast of her and the other women in the alley. Mahfouz also contrasts Mrs. Hussainy to her ‘…strong and healthy husband, who beamed in contentment,’ (Mahfouz 89). This might indicate that from Mahfouz’s experience, as in his culture and what he grew up with, he was exposed to more exuberant personalities than quiet ones.
- Anna
"Well, this is beyond late, but I figured I should do it anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe female characters in Midaq Alley all have rather strong personalities and are independent, although to an extent in some situations. I think Mrs. Saniya Afify was the most independent female character...she don't need no man, mmmmhhhhmmmmmm.
While reading, I didn't view any of the female characters as weak, mainly just close to insanity. Mrs. Kirsha seemed somewhat crazy to me as the majority of her actions revolved around her husband and Hamida really wanted the nice things in life and believed she would get these things through a man. After reading the posts above, I now see these situations as examples of the character's weaknesses. So thanks Midaq Alley enthusiasts. Sorry for the late response Mrs. Hanley, here is a smiley face as a peace offering, :)
Catherine"
As most of the others have noted, the female characters in the novel are strong and independent, especially compared to the stereotype of the Middle East’s women. Most characters, both male and female, seem to be caricatures of different emotions, ways of life, etc. For example, throughout the novel, Hamida’s pride is exaggerated, and Radwan Hussainy’s devotion to God is thoroughly reinforced.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also agree with Michael—the women, although strong and independent, all depend on the attention of the men. Although, I do not agree when he said: “I don't mean to go all TOK here, but depending upon one's emotions, perceptions, and whatnot, this question can cut either way.” I do not believe the question whether the question that if the women are strong or weak can be cut completely because I, for one, do not know much about the Egyptian culture in that time period. However, I do know that it is both part of the culture and the religion for women to marry a male partner. In my opinion, we are all deciding whether the women in Midaq Alley are considered strong or weak characters based on our perception of a strong/weak woman in our culture and based on the knowledge (stereotypes, research, personal experience, etc) on the Middle East/Egypt’s culture.
(This post was supposed to be last week, although it would not let me post it. Sorry!)
for Sarah
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michael in that while the female characters are portrayed as strong, they depend on a man’s attention. For this reason, I do not believe that Mafouz portrayed his female characters as independent. While characters such as Hamida did as she pleased, most of her actions, such as leaving the alley, were all in hope of attaining the attention of a man. While the female characters in Midaq Alley are not independent, their strength is shown through actions such as Mrs. Kirsha standing up to her husband when he refused to come home at night.
However, I do believe that Umm Hamida is the exception to how Mafouz portrayed his female characters. Umm Hamida showed both strength and independence throughout the text. Her strength was shown when she continued to stand up to Hamida’s wild temper, and her independence through not desiring a man’s company in her life and living by her own accord.
Hey guys,
ReplyDeleteI'm late.. quel surprise.
I think all the female characters in the novel show very strong ambition and none are weak or shy really. However, these women do not demonstrate powerful female role models for their main motivations are greed, lust, gossip, and envy. These women only look for the benefit for themselves personnally, such as Umm Hamida; as she searches for a husband for her daughter, she does not seek the man who would make her daughter most happy in her life, but the one who could support her with his money and hence Umm Hamida as well. Another example is Mrs. Saniya Afify. She is a greedy landlord who only lets up on the rent for Umm Hamida in exchange for her own happiness in a young husband. Hamida shows her lust for riches and evil spirit throughout the book and will not let any man get away with tricking or shaming her. These female characters, however strong are not representative of heroines because of their selfish nature.