SHORT STORIES

SEMESTER 7TH

CONCORDIA COLLEGE KHUDIAN KHAS CAMPUS

MUMMY AWAKEN

• Naguib Mahfouz
• Film writer
• Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the
1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is regarded as one of
the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along
with Tawfiq el-Hakim, to explore themes of existentialism.
• Born: December 11, 1911, Cairo, Egypt
• Died: August 30, 2006, Cairo, Egypt
• Movies: The Alley of Miracles, Bidaya wa Nihaya, more
• Awards: Nobel Prize in Literature
• Children: Fatima Mahfouz, Umm Kulthoum Mahfouz
Existentialism
Existentialism is a form of philosophical inquiry
that explores the issue of human existence.
Existentialist philosophers explore questions
related to the meaning, purpose, and value of
human existence. Common concepts in
existentialist thought include existential crisis,
dread, and anxiety in the face of an absurd
world as well as authenticity, courage, and
virtue.
NAGUIB MAHFOUZ
1911-2006
The Mummy Awakens: Introduction

“The Mummy Awakens” is the story of Mahmud Pasha. He is Turk in origin,

French in taste and Egyptian by nationality. He has a great collection of art,
paintings and statues. He loves the people of French origin. He does not believe
Egyptians as cultured beings rather he expresses his hatred towards them. He
has extraordinary love for French politics and culture. Here we should not miss
the point that once Turks used to rule over Egypt and this was replaced by
France. The writer has grudge against both the nationalities. Thus having a
Franco-Turkish character in his story he speaks high of Egyptian cultural
traditions and very low of Turkish and French.
Naguib Mahfouz in his fantasy speaks of Egyptian nationalism. He believes
Egyptian culture to be supreme and speaks of his hatred against the
imperialistic policies of various nations. He dislikes Pasha for his Turkish origin
and for his French tastes. He champions the poor Egyptians who have been
reduced to poverty. The story, The Mummy Awakens is a story about injustice
and plunders in countries like Egypt. Its basic theme is the shift of power from
the true owners to unworthy persons by total unfair means.
The Mummy Awakens: Introduction

The story brings before us the poor condition of the poor Egyptians. The
Mummy comes alive and kills all the rich and demolishes their buildings for
not giving their due right to the poor Egyptians. The story has true to life
characters and story line. “The Mummy Awakens” has all the trappings of a
mummy story, complete with the obligatory disclaimer that prefaces many
tales of the supernatural:
“I am deeply embarrassed to tell this tale–for some of its events violate the laws
of reason and of nature altogether. If this were merely fiction, then it would not
cause me to feel such embarrassment. Yet it happened in the realm of reality….”
It isn’t just any mummy who wakes, it is General Hur, likely based on the last
18th Dynasty ruler Horemheb, as Stock notes. Other pharaohs have been
brought to life in fiction, but Hur isn’t like the lumbering, enigmatic but
ultimately benevolent Khufu in Jane Loudon’s The Mummy, or the urbane
revivified royalty hobnobbing late one night in the Cairo Museum in H. Rider
Haggard’s “Smith and the Pharaohs. General Hur is not a happy camper.
MAJOR CHARACTERS
 MAHMUD PASHA: Around whom the whole
story revolves, lives in country mansion upper
Egypt. He is a Frenchman in his heart and soul.
The narrator calls him fervent admirer of culture
and language. He is poet and composed
romantic poetry. He is the greatest Francophile
in the middle East. Turks by origin, Egypt by
nationality and French by taste and avocation.
 DARYEN: A friend of Pasha, professor of
Egyptology at Fu’ad the First University in Cairo.
MAJOR CHARACTERS
 Mr. SAROT: Director of the Higher College for Fine
Arts.
 Dr. PIERRE: The specialist of mental disorder.
 JADULLAH: Sheikh Jadullah local personage in the
story. He is a noble and old fellow. He has his own
theological researches about the golden past of Egypt
and humane by heart. He gives an interesting proposal
for digging in the Pasha's Garden and Professor Dayren
tells that it is he who incited him to digging the valley
of the King to discover the Prized Qumma’s Tomb.
 FARMER: Who is beaten by Pasha’s servant on
snatching bread from the mouth of his dog.
GENERAL HUR
 General Hur has been the key figure of 15k Dynasty. His
mummy lies asleep in the secret vault lying below the
ground of Pasha’s garden. It is through Jadullah’s
occult that his coffin is revealed. The mummy rises up
from the coffin and addresses them in an astonishing
manners. The Mummy awaken and his face resemble
local Egyptian Peasant who is caught up for stealing
food of the Pasha’s dog. He admonishes Pasha in harsh
manners as:
 “ Don’t not you recognize me, slave”? Aren’t you
content to plunder my descendent? Why you ‘ve come
to plunder my grave as well? Speak, slave!”
THEMES

 POST COLONIAL PERSPECTIVE.

 IMPERIALISM
 HUNGER
 OPRESSESR AND OPPRESSED
 EXPLOITER AND THE EXPLOITED
 ALIEN AND NATIVE
 RESISTANCE
 CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION
 DECOLONIZATION
THEMES

 MADNESS
 SLAVERY AND POVERTY
 HATE AND LOVE
 MAN AND ANIMAL
 CIVILITY AND UNCIVILITY.
 INJUSTICE
 EXISTENTIALISM
 POLITICAL AND SOCIAL LIFE.
 LOYALITY
 ABSOLUTISM
MAJOR WORK

 THE CAIRO TRILOGY

 ABATH-AL-QADAR
 RADUBIS
 KIFAH TIBA
 VIOCE FROM THE OTHER WORLD
 KHAN AL-KAHALILI
 ZAQAQ AL-MIDAQQ
 DREAMS
Naguib as short story Writter.

 Techniques: traditional oral tradition, story telling(ancient

Egyptian tradition). Colloquial Egyptian dialect.
 An outsider standing established society on its head or
undermining conventional beliefs.
 Great variety of characters, they appear before.
 Riddle kind stories carrying political and social
background of Egypt.
 Binary oppositions have been used like good and evil.
 Classical fables and moral calling.
 Usage of native words like “adab.
 Gothic elements and supernaturalism.
CONCLUSION

On the whole, the subjects of Naguib have diversity

in them. He shows the great history of Egypt and
feels pride on it and make the present political issues
as well as social issues. He not only unveils the face
of the exploiters and their allies but also shows
injustice in the society. Existential themes like death
and sufferings are part of his stories. He shows the
supremacy of the Egyptian culture. Although he is
connected with nativity but he presents before us
universal themes like relationship of alien and
aborigine.
THANK YOU