“People in the Shadows” by Yahya Haqqi
1. The Book’s Framework and Literary Significance
People in the Shadows (192 pages) is a collection of literary and social essays by Yahya Haqqi (1905–1992), one of the pioneers of the modern Arabic short story.
Published in multiple editions, the book reflects Haqqi’s vision of the marginalized classes who live on society’s fringes, far from the spotlight. In his introduction, Dr. Sabry Hafez describes the work as:
“A study of people of the shadows in their different variations, exploring untouched horizons that must move beyond the shade… Haqqi uncovers the deeper reality hidden behind appearances.”
The book is not a novel but a series of “diaries” that weave together critical realism with symbolism, all conveyed in a language that is both eloquent and deeply rooted in popular speech.
2. Yahya Haqqi: Background and Influences
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Early Life and Education: Born in Cairo’s historic Sayyida Zainab district in 1905 to a family of Turkish descent, Haqqi studied law after completing his schooling in Cairo. He later worked as a judge in Upper Egypt, then as a diplomat in Turkey and Italy, gaining a wide cultural perspective.
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Literary Career: His time in Upper Egypt profoundly shaped his writing, inspiring works such as The Postman and The Lamp of Umm Hashim, which explore the tension between tradition and modernity. He was later awarded prestigious honors, including the King Faisal International Prize.
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Artistic Vision: Haqqi believed that literature must engage with society’s problems. For him, language was “a pliable substance,” capable of capturing human contradictions with precision and depth.
3. Structure and Style
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Language: A blend of classical eloquence and colloquial expressions, exemplified in his description of the bint al-balad (working-class Cairo woman) with her malaayah shawl and colorful street idioms.
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Form: Standalone essays unified by the theme of “the shadow,” shifting between narrative storytelling and philosophical reflection.
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Techniques:
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Symbolism: The recurring motif of the “lamp” evokes both tradition and superstition.
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Sensory Description: His prose often channels music, as when “Zakaria Ahmed’s voice seems to flow into your ears.”
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Interior Dialogue: Characters wrestle with identity conflicts, such as Ali Bek Fawzi’s struggle between Egyptian roots and Western habits.
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4. Core Themes
A. Life of the Marginalized: The Existential “People of the Shadows”
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The Forgotten Employee: The seasoned civil servant who retires without recognition becomes a symbol of alienation within bureaucratic institutions.
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Unfulfilled Love: The tragic tale of a cook and maid who end their lives underscores how social repression crushes the simple dreams of the poor.
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Poverty and Injustice: Stories of relatives begging for money highlight systemic failures in achieving social justice.
B. Tradition vs. Modernity
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Ali Bek Fawzi: A Western-educated bureaucrat who clashes with his father over foreign habits like smoking—symbolizing the intellectual’s identity crisis in a changing society.
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Critique of Scientism: Haqqi mocks blind faith in science divorced from humanity, as in the essay where modern medicine fails to heal the village fool.
C. Memory and Aging: Escaping the Shadow
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Aging Without Recognition: “We do not feel old… until we see the faces of lifelong companions after a long absence,” Haqqi writes, reflecting the fear of fading into oblivion.
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The Power of Memory: Recalling the 1919 Revolution and the novel Zaynab, Haqqi shows how collective memory preserves the identity of the marginalized.
D. Art and Beauty in Everyday Life
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Music as Refuge: Through the story of singer Abduh al-Hamouli and his wife Almaza, art becomes a sanctuary against oppression.
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Hidden Beauty: Like his portrayal of Fatima in The Lamp of Umm Hashim—not outwardly beautiful, yet radiant with inner strength—Haqqi celebrates authenticity as the essence of Egyptian identity.
5. Highlights from Key Essays
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“The Story of Ali Bek Fawzi”: A Westernized official rejected by his father for smoking a cigarette—a symbol of Western values—eventually reconciles with him, illustrating the need to harmonize heritage and modernity.
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“The Seasoned Employee’s Tale”: After 30 years of service, a man is cast aside at retirement. The essay condemns a system that consumes people only to discard them.
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“Love of the Word”: A testament to Haqqi’s obsession with language, rewriting sentences dozens of times to achieve clarity. He advocates for literary translation that preserves a text’s spirit, not just its words.
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“Lamps”: A meditation on the lamp as a cultural symbol, tied to his famous novella The Lamp of Umm Hashim, where the sacred oil becomes both superstition and hope.
6. Egypt in Haqqi’s Era
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Political Change: Living through British colonial rule and the 1919 Revolution, Haqqi observed how imperialism shaped Egyptian identity, as in essays about peasants who fought in the revolution but were later forgotten.
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Class Struggle: He depicts the suffering of Cairo’s poor districts, like al-Khalifa, in stark contrast to the luxury of the elite, where the “shadow” becomes both a space of oppression and of resilience.
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Cultural Critique: Haqqi condemned intellectuals who isolated themselves in “ivory towers,” calling instead for writers to engage with the lived reality of their people.
7. The Shadow as Freedom and Resistance
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The Shadow as Refuge: For some, “choosing the shadows” is a deliberate rejection of social falsehood, echoing figures who spurn fame in pursuit of authenticity.
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Light and Shadow Together: Haqqi deconstructs the binary of “center and margin,” insisting that the shadow is not shameful but an integral part of society.
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Faith in the Common Person: He rejects dismissing the illiterate as ignorant, insisting that “everyone has their own taste… there is no difference between prince and guard.”
8. Critical Reception
Strengths:
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A model of socially engaged realism, free of elitism.
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Combines philosophical depth with stylistic elegance, making it a key reference for 1990s literature.
Criticisms:
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Some readers felt the prose style overshadowed the content.
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Others accused Haqqi of pessimism in depicting society, despite his underlying call for change.
9. Why People in the Shadows Endures
The book is more than a collection of stories—it is a literary manifesto that:
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Restores dignity to ordinary people as the hidden makers of civilization.
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Calls for balance between heritage and modernity without severing roots.
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Exposes the emptiness of elitist “spotlights” by illuminating life in the margins.
As Haqqi himself summarized:
“In each of us lies a trace of those who chose the shadows.”
While deeply rooted in twentieth-century Egypt, People in the Shadows speaks with a universal voice. Its themes of identity, marginalization, and social justice ensure its relevance to today’s global struggles.
For the original summary in Arabic
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