A Metaphor for Contemporary Egyptian Society
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Ostensibly set during the gulf war in 1990, the novel The Yacoubian Building adeptly dissects the socio-economic and political turmoil that plague the modern day Egyptian society, a fit rivaled only by Naguib Mahfouzs works. Alaa al Aswany, the books author boldly and intricately breaks a wide array of untouched themes in the evolving, fragile Egyptian social fiber ranging from social justice, corruption, feminism and sexual repression. He also delves into the more delicate issue of religious fanaticism, how it shapes and curves Egyptian lives and its deep profound effects on the political arena of a shaky nation.
In this prolific work of art, Aswany uses the deteriorating Yacoubian building as a metaphor for the moral degradation of the society. Almost like a formidable monster, the building stands the test of time reflecting the suffering of the common people under a tyrannical regime as the urbane past of Egypt collides with its turbulent present. The book is structured into a series of interconnected sketches relating several characters as they struggle with the massive wave of change sweeping through the country right after the infamous revolution of 1952. It sheds light on the lives of Zaki, an elderly womanizer; Hatim the homosexual editor-in-chief of le caire; Taha the diligent doormans son; Busyna and her struggles to support her family; the corrupt businessman and politician Hagg Azzam; the petty schemer Malak and his shrewd brother Abaskharon. These characters lives are smoothly told as they suffer, dream and scheme amid the changes characterizing their society. They are however connected to the Yacoubian building which has watched in awe how they cope with their enigmas like a shadow eclipsing their very lives.
The building was constructed by Hagop Yacoubian an Armenian millionaire through an Italian engineering firm with the intent of housing the cream of the society of those days. Its classical European style with balconies decorated with Greek faces curved in stone indicate the rooting of European cultures right in the heart of Cairo. In fact upon completion only the bigwigs of the time-ministers, big land owning bashas and Jewish millionaires-took residence there. The building stood out from the rest compelling the owner to inscribe his name on it having realized that it was indeed an architectural gem. With its exotic features and finesse, it represented the European cultures characterized by wealth and all the western educated aristocrats set their offices in its posh apartments. It symbolized the overhauling of the ideals of the common Muslim replacing them with those of the west and most people embraced this new dawn in the growing cosmopolitan Egypt of the 1930s and 1940s. In his conversation with Busyna Zaki recounts with nostalgia the beautiful times in a different age when Cairo was like Europe. He says that,every night was filled with laughter and parties and drinking and singinguntil Abd el Nasser threw them (foreigners) out in 1956 (Aswany). Through this reminisce its obvious that the society was comfortable with western cultures and people even tried to emulate the Europeans as indicated by Zakis three-piece suits and celebrated cigars that were always dangling from his fingers.
Immediately following the revolution, foreigners were forced out of the country and the western educated officials of the old regime went into exile. The Yacoubian building was soon occupied by military men who flocked the vacated apartments. This symbolized the establishment of a