Cairo Modern

Cairo Modern is a novel by Naguib Mahfouz, winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature. In his novel, Mahfouz follows the story of a young student, Mahgub, who is suddenly impoverished due to family crisis. Upon graduating from college, Mahgub is lured into a corrupt political system where through bribery and deceit he makes his way to the top of the social ladder.

The book also follows the young and beautiful Ihsan, whose beauty and devotion to her parents leaves her in a scheming menage a trois. Life seems to be looking up until the masquerade is discovered and the pair are left wondering what is to come next.

The novel takes place in 1930s Egypt, and questions the problems of social and economic inequality that was prevalent in the era. The conversations among the five young men in the beginning of the story highlight the torn views of the youth, struggling between Egyptian culture and values and those of the West. Obvious tensions occur as the reader sees what happens when European cultural values are imposed upon a traditional Egyptian social structure.

What stands out especially to the reader is the example of political controversy and corruption that feeds into the ever rising opportunism and materialism. The text explains how the government was a tool for the wealthy, creating a strict social hierarchy, which our protagonist shows is not easily overcome.