Symbolism in the Writings of Naguib Mahfouz

Abstract

Understanding the literature of Naguib Mahfouz cannot be approached from a single perspective. This great writer, due to his creative imaginings, familiarity with intellectual, literary, and philosophical movements, had various orientations in creating novels. We can observe different literary approaches in his works, including realism, symbolism, and existentialism.

In symbolism, Naguib Mahfouz wrote several novels and short stories, all of which had a spiritual and psychological character that delved into the subconscious and the psyche. He used symbolism as a tool to illustrate his stance on authority, governance, and to highlight the flaws and issues present in society, whether they were social, cultural, or political. Here, we will shed light on the following his writings that contain features of symbolism: "Children of Gebelawi", "The Thief and the Dogs", "The Sparrow", " The Search", "The Beggar", "Autumn Quail", "Chitchat on the Nile", and "The Bride". It is worth mentioning that Mahfouz's literature had a realistic phase before turning towards symbolism, encompassing novels like "New Cairo", "Khan al-Khalili", "The Beginning and the End", " Midaq Alley", and "Cairo Trilogy", where we can also observe thematic symbolism.