Fated Happiness

How does Mahfouz illustrate how fate is a major determiner of one’s happiness in life?

Mahfouz outlines the role that fate plays in determining one’s happiness in life through depicting a spectrum of characters who experience varied happenings spurred by fate. In the case of the protagonist, the manifestation of the critical nature of fate and its concomitant implications is witnessed in how Said is born into a family belonging to a lower socio-economic status in society. For instance, Said lost his father at a very young age, followed by his mother falling sick. When he took his mother to a “luxurious” hospital, she was denied treatment solely due to the financial disadvantage that Said’s family was at, which leads to her death. It is during the time that his mother is sick that Said commits an act of theft for the very first time. In this fashion then Mahfouz is commenting on the economic injustice that certain disenfranchised sects of Egyptian society encountered in pre-revolutionary Egypt. It is Said’s fate of being born into an impoverished family that dictates the turmoil he has to face as a young man, negating any happiness for him during his youth. When Said is caught during stealing, Rauf Ilwan is introduced into his life in the form of a literal savior. It is fated that an encounter between the two individuals takes place, and it is Rauf who encourages Said to pursue education and burglary: “isn’t it justice that what is taken by theft should be retrieved by theft.” Taking into account the actions of others, Nur is presented as an atypical female character who is symbolic of a marginalized and often socially condemned group in society being a prostitute. While Mahfouz does not explicitly delineate the central reason that Nur chooses this occupation, it can be inferred that Nur, like Said, may also descend from a financially disadvantaged background, which has led to making the choice of becoming a prostitute. In Said’s life, Nur’s affection for him can be deemed as a conduit for escape from the vicious cycle of gaining vengeance. Yet, it is too late before he appreciates her love and she disappears. It is both Said and Nur’s fate that Said is inextricably tangled in his insatiable lust for retaliation to Nabawiyya’s ostensible betrayal, ultimately leading to Said’s unfortunate downfall at the end of the novella.