The Beggar by Naguib Mahfouz

The Beggar by Naguib Mahfouz

A Journey Through the Labyrinths of Existence and the Human Condition

Published in 1965, The Beggar marks a pivotal moment in the literary evolution of Egyptian Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz.
Though modest in length, the novel is profound in scope, signaling Mahfouz’s transition from the social realism of earlier masterpieces like The Cairo Trilogy to a more experimental, existential, and philosophical mode of storytelling.

It captures the crisis of modern man through the lens of a successful lawyer, Omar al-Hamzawi, who, despite outward success, is spiritually hollow and desperately searching for meaning in a disenchanted world.

1. Creative and Historical Context: A Turning Point for Mahfouz and Arabic Fiction

Breaking from Realist Conventions:

Critics regard The Beggar as part of Mahfouz’s “phase of divergence and transcendence,” where he sheds the rigid frameworks of social realism that defined his earlier works.
In this novel, he delves into intricate psychological and philosophical terrains, dissecting both individual and collective alienation. Mahfouz himself likened his realist period to following grammatical rules, while The Beggar represents a moment of artistic and intellectual liberation.

Egypt’s Political and Social Backdrop:

Written during a turbulent period in Egypt (1962–1965) marked by political repression under Gamal Abdel Nasser’s regime, the novel subtly reflects the era’s oppressive climate.
Characters like Othman Khalil, who was imprisoned for 20 years (1935–1955), allude to the suppression of dissent. The disillusionment of Egypt’s intellectual class following the unfulfilled promises of the 1952 revolution permeates the narrative.

Engagement with Global Philosophy:

The novel draws heavily on European existentialism—Sartre, Camus—in its exploration of absurdity, anxiety, freedom, and the search for meaning. Echoes of Eastern mysticism and Sufi spirituality are also woven throughout, particularly in the protagonist’s yearning for inner peace and transcendence.

2. The Core Crisis: Searching for Meaning in a Material World

The story centers on Omar al-Hamzawi, a fifty-something attorney who has achieved wealth and social status.
Married to Zaynab and father to a talented young poet, Buthayna, he is seemingly fulfilled. Yet, he is struck by a sudden, inexplicable sense of emptiness—a spiritual malaise that no doctor can diagnose.

“How dreadful is boredom... the acid that corrodes emotion.”

His affliction is existential rather than physical. He begins to question the very foundation of life:

“Where is the source of life upon which we build our existence?”
“Aren’t we living our lives knowing God will take us in the end?”

This inward collapse sends him on a desperate quest to uncover the “secret of all secrets”—a rapture that might tether him back to existence.

3. A Failed Quest: Paths to Redemption That Lead Nowhere

Omar pursues several avenues to reclaim meaning, each ending in futility and deepening his alienation:

Love and Lust:
He begins a passionate but ultimately empty affair with Warda, a young dancer. The physical thrill fades quickly:

“Feelings vanish, sadly, without reason.”
The fleeting pleasure only deepens his loneliness and wrecks what little remains of his family life.
Art and Beauty:
He revisits his youthful passion for poetry and immerses himself in music, hoping for aesthetic salvation. But art no longer touches him—it feels detached from his existential turmoil.
Mysticism and Isolation:
Disillusioned with both sensual and aesthetic pursuits, Omar retreats from society, quitting his job and withdrawing into solitude.
He seeks divine truth through contemplation, echoing a Sufi path. Yet, the ghosts of his past—Zaynab, Buthayna, Othman, Mustafa—haunt him. His attempt at spiritual escape ends in symbolic and physical injury, and he is brought back, broken, to where it all began: the clinic.

4. Characters as Symbols: Extensions of a Fractured Self

Rather than autonomous beings, the novel’s characters are facets of Omar’s psyche—embodiments of inner conflicts—making The Beggar a “monophonic” novel driven by a single, fractured consciousness.

Omar al-Hamzawi:
More than a character, he is a symbol of the modern, disoriented human. He is torn between:
- Id: Sensual urges (the affair with Warda)
- Ego: Attempts to adapt (work, art, meditation)
- Superego: Moral conscience (guilt over past activism and his family)
Omar represents the “committed intellectual in crisis,” unable to reconcile inner contradictions or adapt to a meaningless world.
Buthayna (his daughter):
Embodies the artistic idealism Omar once embraced—innocence, poetry, uncorrupted principle. Her presence reminds him of all he abandoned for bourgeois comfort.
Othman Khalil:
A former revolutionary and comrade of Omar’s, Othman sacrificed decades in prison for his beliefs—beliefs Omar betrayed. His return forces Omar to confront his political and ethical failures.
Mustafa al-Minawi:
A symbol of superficial adaptation, Mustafa chose mediocrity—writing commercial radio dramas for financial gain. He serves as a cautionary example of compromise without substance.
Zaynab (his wife):
Represents stability and duty. Her attempts to support Omar are earnest yet futile. She stands for the societal expectations Omar is trying to escape.

Symbolic Character Table:

Character	Symbolic Meaning
Omar al-Hamzawi	The modern existential man; loss of meaning
Buthayna	Lost artistic ideals; youthful purity
Othman Khalil	Revolutionary past; betrayed ideals
Mustafa al-Minawi	Superficial adaptation; empty success
Zaynab	Social norms; familial obligation

5. Narrative Form: The Mind Over the Plot

The Beggar is a stylistic departure for Mahfouz, replacing linear action with psychological introspection.

Fragmented Narrative Time:
Traditional chronology collapses. Time becomes psychological, reflecting Omar’s disoriented mental state:
- Past: Revisited through flashbacks as the source of disillusionment.
- Present: A tormenting blur of dreams, hallucinations, and vague awareness.
- Future: Imagined as absurd, weightless, indifferent.
“You’ll eventually lose weight and float in space... and no one will care.”
Temporal Techniques:
Mahfouz employs flashbacks, foreshadowing, repetition, and narrative pacing (shifting from slow introspection to bursts of action) to echo Omar’s mental spirals.
Symbolic Use of Time and Space:
- Dawn: Idealistic beginnings
- Daylight: Mundane reality
- Night: Sensual and spiritual experimentations
- Dusk: Endings and failure
- Seasons: Spring (hope), Autumn (decline), Winter (existential death)
Dominant Inner Monologue:
Omar’s inner voice dominates the text, a stream of doubts, memories, fears, and hallucinations. His inability to voice his turmoil in the real world accentuates his isolation:

“My voice isn’t even heard.”
Circular Structure:
The novel begins and ends at the same place—the medical clinic—mirroring the futility of Omar’s journey. The narrative moves forward only to collapse inward, closing in on itself:

Opening: A visit to the doctor.
Ending: Omar carried back, wounded and broken.
Dense Symbolism:
- Illness/Stagnation: Symbolizes existential despair.
- The beggar: Not a person, but Omar’s inner condition—spiritual poverty, endless yearning, paralysis.
- The clinic: The failure of rational, materialistic solutions.
- The painting in the clinic: A glimpse of a perfect world, forever unreachable.

6. Philosophical and Social Depth: Absurdity and Repression

Existential Questions:
The novel confronts fundamental existential concerns:

What is the meaning of life in a world that leads to death?
How can we be free and responsible in an absurd universe?
Social and Political Critique:
Despite its internal focus, the novel doesn’t ignore the external world. It portrays a repressive, unjust society—seen through Othman’s imprisonment—that deepens the protagonist’s alienation.
The Intellectual’s Crisis:
Omar personifies the educated elite who once dreamed of social change, then assimilated into the system they once opposed. His comfort comes at the cost of his soul. The novel is a powerful indictment of intellectual betrayal and the spiritual vacuum of materialism.

7. The Beggar in Mahfouz’s Oeuvre: A Timeless Testament

The Beggar is more than a personal tale—it is a profound diagnosis of the modern human condition. While its tone may seem bleak, it implicitly challenges readers not to surrender to despair but to confront their crises head-on—to “embrace danger,” as one critic puts it.

Artistically, it is a landmark in Mahfouz’s career. His blending of classical Arabic with colloquial speech, masterful use of symbolism, and deep psychological probing mark a bold evolution in Arabic literature.

It is a “one-voice novel” that distills the pain and dreams of an era into the tormented voice of Omar al-Hamzawi.

Decades after its publication, The Beggar still resonates. Its central questions—about meaning, alienation, and the self’s battle with society—transcend time and geography. It remains a testament to Mahfouz’s genius and to literature’s enduring power to explore the deepest recesses of the human soul.

The Original summary in Arabic