1. A MAN OF AWESOME POWER BY
NAQUIB MAHFOUZ
About the author
A Man of Awesome Power is a story created and written by Naquib
Mahfouz. Naguib Mahfouz Abdelaziz Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Basha (11 December 1911
– 30 August 2006) an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize in
Literature.
Mahfouz is regarded as
one of the first contemporary writers in the Arabic literature.
The short story A
Man with Awesome Power appears in Naguib Mahfouz's "The
seventh Heaven of 2005, which is a series of short stories.
He published 35
novels, over 350 short stories, 26 screenplays, hundreds of op-ed columns for Egyptian
newspapers, and seven plays over a 70-year career, from the 1930s until 2004.
All of his novels take
place in Egypt, and always mentions the lane, which equals the world.
The Title
The title "A Man
of Awesome Power" is appropriate for the story because it refers to
Tayyib's miraculous ability to make things happen simply by saying
"Be!"
This power is
described as being "awesome" in the sense that it is beyond human
understanding and beyond the scope of what most people would consider possible.
The title also
suggests that Tayyib is a man who is transformed by his power, as he becomes
someone with an unusual and almost divine ability to shape reality.
The title captures the
central theme of the story, which is the idea of a man who has been granted an
extraordinary power and must navigate the challenges and responsibilities that
come with it.
The story captures how
an individual who is empowered when least expected utilises the power
given to him.
His illusions of
desire for a better country lead to his dream of power acquisition.
The Plot Summary
Tayyib al-Mahdi is a
man who believes that he has completed his mission in life and is living a
contented, retired existence in an apartment in Nasr City. His current life is
peaceful and uneventful. He spends time watching television, reading
newspapers or listening to the radio in the comfort of his apartment that
he shares with his wife since his daughters are already married.
One night, a man of
radiant appearance appears to him in a dream and tells him that he has the
power to make things happen simply by saying "Be!" At first, Tayyib
is skeptical of the dream, but when he tries out his new power by commanding
the television to change channels and makes it happen, he realizes that the
dream was real. Endowed with the newly acquired power, he sets out to
reform his country and the entire planet as he had often wished.
He begins to use his
power in various ways, such as making a taxi driver's tires explode when the
driver refuses to pick him up, making a television broadcaster sneeze
uncontrollably, and forcing a corrupt businessman to go to the tax prosecutor's
office to repent and pay his debts.
As he uses his power
more and more, Tayyib becomes more confident and ambitious, and he begins to
draw up a comprehensive plan for using his power to reform his country and the
world.
However, after a brief
period of happiness and success with using his power, Tayyib makes a grave
mistake that cause his power to be taken from him.
The start of the
mistake - Tayyib falls
in love with a woman at the zoo.
Culmination of the
mistake - Tayyib uses
his power to make the woman at the zoo fall in love with him.
Consequence of the
mistake - Their
(Tayyib and the woman at the zoo) intimacy costs him his incredible
power. He pays this price for misusing the power that God had freely given
him.
After this realization
that his power has disappeared Tayyib is left feeling sad and regretful.
For though Tayyib is
busy planning to effectively utilize his power for the good of all sectors
in the country the fore mentioned unfortunate incident (THE MISTAKE) caused by
his greed (which is a bad and selfish use of his power) occurs and thus he
loses it all.
Tayyib not only loses
the power given to him freely by God but also the comfort and contentment that
he had at the beginning of the story. After all, Tayyib experiences a
tremendous sadness that
will haunt him for the rest of his life.
The plot tells a story
of the ideal growth into power positions and how individuals grow from
honest intentions to self-centeredness.
The short of it, "The moral man who eventually abuses his power."
Key moments in the story
- Tayyib's dream — pg 1-2
- Utilizing the awesome power -pg
2-4
- Losing the awesome power- pg 5
All characters and their
characterization
List of Characters
- Tayyib al-Mahdi: the main
character of the story, who has the power to make things happen just by
thinking about them
- Haniya: Tayyib's wife
- The man of radiant appearance:
an apparition who appears to Tayyib in a dream and gives him his powers
- The television broadcaster: a
man whose speech Tayyib interrupts by making him sneeze
- Sulayman Bey al-Hamalawi: a man
whom Tayyib forces to go to the tax prosecutor's office
- The woman at the zoo: a woman
whom Tayyib becomes attracted to while visiting the zoo
Note:
Though Tayyib
al-Mahdi is the main character he is is not the narrator.
Character Traits/
Characterization
Tayyib
- Pious and observant: Tayyib is
described as being devout and paying attention to his religious duties.
- A lover of virtue: Tayyib
values and seeks out good qualities and moral values.
- A good man: The text describes
Tayyib as a good man who tries to live his life in a virtuous way.
- Regretful and sad: After he
makes a mistake (sleeping with the woman at the zoo) and loses his power,
Tayyib experiences feelings of regret and sadness.
- Secretive - He does not reveal
to his wife that he had been bestowed with such power
- Emotional - He causes one radio
announcer to suffer massive sneezes after making an announcement that
gave false hopes
- Vengeful - He hits back a taxi
driver who ignores him by wishing him an accident
- Protector/virtuous - causes a
man who had physically attacked a woman in a bus to suffer stomach cramps.
- Adulterer - sleeps with a woman
who isnt his wife
- Flaky / inconsistent in
behaviour - He utilises his power both for good and bad intentions
Sulayman Bey
al-Hamalawi
- Arrogant: Sulayman is described
as being surrounded by slavish devotees and followers, which could suggest
that he is arrogant or self-important.
- Self-important: As above, the
fact that Sulayman is surrounded by devoted followers could indicate that
he sees himself as being important or influential.
- Corrupt: The text mentions that
Sulayman is counted among the city's poor by the tax authorities, which
could suggest that he is seen as being dishonest or corrupt.
Themes
Power
The theme of power is
present in the story through the idea of Tayyib's miraculous ability to make
things happen simply by saying "Be!" This power gives Tayyib a sense
of control and influence over his surroundings, and he uses it to try to bring
about positive change in the world. Also the abuse of power is a critical theme
in this story.
Key issues about power
that are addressed in the story
- Where power comes from
Unlike the common perception that power must be taken here contary to that belief we see that power is God-given. Tayyib's power is bestowed on him by God. As seen from his words, "All praise to God, Lord of the Worlds", and listening to radio channels devoted to the Quran (pg 1), his religious nature is one reason God willed to grant him power. The man who visits him in the dream tells him that starting that moment and as long as God willed, he had been bestowed with the power to order things to be and they would be. (pg l) - One can gain power at any stage
of life.
Tayyib believed that he had completed his mission in the world. Before acquiring power, he lives a peaceful life as he enjoys the fruits of retirement. The writer notes that 'He had generous insurance and more than adequate pension' pg 1 which do not prevent him from being given power by God. - Utilisation of Power
Tayyib utilises the power given to him in different incidents: - He orders his television
to switch channels
- Encounter with the taxi driver
(pg 2)
- In the bus, to deal with the
conflict between a man and a woman (pg 3).
- Performing memorable services
along his way to the cafe (pg 3).
- The radio announcer (pg 3).
- Tayyib's wrath on Sulayman Bey
al-Hamalawi (pg 3-4).
- The beautiful woman in the Tea
Garden (pg 4).
- filling a gaping pothole,
locking an electric box that was open and hanging dangerously,
removing a pile of trash and draining sewer water that was flooding
an alley. Many people in the neighbourhood appreciate these
services. (p 3).
- Good utilisation of power
The episode shows how a person bestowed with power should utilise it. Tayyib's soliloquy during his encounter with the taxi driver captures the need to use power for the well-being of others and to make things better. 'Whoever is granted with power like mine, must utilise it only for good.' (pg 2)
He uses the power to do several good deeds. Some of the outstanding services that Tayyib performs include filling a gaping pothole, locking an electric box that was open and hanging dangerously, removing a pile of trash and draining sewer water that was flooding an alley. Many people in the neighbourhood appreciate these services. (p 3).
He also does a good deed of making Sulayman, who has been evading tax, go to the taxi authorities and pay them millions of pounds he owed them. (pg3). - Misuse of power
Tayyib first falls to his anger and uses his power on an innocent driver. Eventually, He falls again by using his power for his benefit bysubconsciously coercing a woman to fall head over heels with him.
SCENE: Tayyib notices a beautiful woman at the entrance of the tea garden and uses his ability to satisfy his desires for her. Their intimacy costs him his incredible power. He pays this price for misusing the power that God had freely given him. That price is its loss and eternal regrat and sadness as long as he lives. - Consequences of the misuse of
power
He
pays this price for misusing the power that God had freely given him.
After this realization that his power has disappeared Tayyib is left feeling
sad and regretful.
If power is not utilised for 'good', it will be lost. Tayyib loses his awesome
power when he comes back to his senses and realises that he had made some
mistake.
Although he had been secretive about his power, his wife Haniya keenly
observes that he was not in his usual mood that evening.
Tayyib's deceitful/ dishonest nature is depicted when he easily lies to his
wife that he had a cold. Unfortunately, for Tayyib, he loses his power due to
his mistakes. 'The miracle was gone - like a dream.' (pg 5)
How Tayyib uses his
awesome power?
- Switching TV channels
- Orders chairs to rise and then
return to their original places.
- Shatters rear wheels of taxi
- Strikes man with severe cramps
- Fills gaping pothole
- Locks dangerously hanging
electrical box
- Removes a pile of rubbish
- Drains sewer water flooding an
alley
- Makes broadcaster ill
- Compels Sulayman Bey
al-Hamalawi to pay taxes
- Maternity hospital, consumer’s
cooperative and electrical factory
- Charms gorgeous woman.
Responsibility:
The theme of
responsibility is explored through Tayyib's actions and decisions as he uses
his power.
He initially tries to
use his power only for good, but eventually comes to realize that he must be
more careful and thoughtful in how he uses it, as his actions can have
unintended consequences.
Consequences:
The theme of
consequences is present in the story as Tayyib experiences both the positive
and negative consequences of using his power.
On the one hand, his
power allows him to bring about positive change and helps him to achieve his
goals.
On the other hand, his
actions also have negative consequences, such as causing the television
broadcaster to sneeze and causing the woman at the zoo to fall in love with
him.
Dreams and reality:
The theme of the
relationship between dreams and reality is explored through Tayyib's
experiences with his miraculous power. The power initially appears to him in a
dream, but then becomes a reality that he can use to shape the world around
him. However, eventually the power disappears, leading Tayyib to question
whether it was real or just a dream.
Corruption
/ Immorality
Sulayman Bey
al-Hamalawi is referred to as one of the "fat cats of the reforms"
which can be interpreted as a reference to corrupt officials who use their
positions of power for personal gain.
Though he (Sulayman
Bey al-Hamalawi) uses his position to get great personal wealth, he is
described as being counted among the city's poor by the tax authorities as he
continually evades paying tax.
Tax evasion is an immorality. Many leaders use their
powerful positions to evade paying their taxes, such as Sulayman Bey al-
Hamalawi.
When Tayyib notices
him, he commands, "Sulayman Bey, go straight to the tax prosecutor's
office to repent and say you are sorry up the millions of pounds you owe."
(pg 3)
Another corruption as
seen in the short story is sexual immorality is seen when
Tayyib utilises his power to make the beautiful woman he notices in the Tea
Garden fall for his advances.
The woman barely notices
Tayyib when she gets to the garden, but Tayyib shifts her attention to himself
through the power he has. He forgets his faith and his life (Lack of self-
control) and surrenders to fate.
Stylistic Devices
Repetition
Repeating words or
phrases.
(There are actually
many different types of repetition like anaphora and epiphora.)
The phrase "All
praise to God, Lord of the Worlds" is repeated several times throughout
the story, as Tayyib mutters it to himself in contentment. This repetition
helps to emphasize the importance of this phrase to Tayyib and to create a
sense of rhythm in the story.
Symbolism
Symbolism is a
literary device that uses symbols, be they words, people, marks,
locations, or abstract ideas to represent something beyond the literal meaning.
The concept of
symbolism is not confined to works of literature: symbols inhabit every corner
of our daily life.
The man of radiant
appearance who appears to Tayyib in a dream could be seen as a symbol of
Tayyib's miraculous power.
The fact that the man
appears in a dream could symbolize the dream-like, otherworldly nature of the
power, while the radiant appearance could symbolize the transformative, almost
divine nature of the power.
Imagery
Imagery is a literary
device used in poetry, novels, and other writing that uses vivid description
that appeals to a readers' senses to create an image or idea in their head.
Through language,
imagery does not only paint a picture, but aims to portray the sensational and
emotional experience within text.
The description of the
man of radiant appearance being "bathed in light and wrapped in a
snow-white robe" creates a vivid image in the reader's mind and helps to
convey the otherworldly nature of the man.
Personification
When an idea or animal
is given human characteristics. “The sky weeps.”
When Tayyib commands
the television to change channels, the channel is described as
"disappearing," which could be seen as personification, as it gives
the channel human-like qualities.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole, a
figure of speech that is an intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic
effect.
The description of
Sulayman Bey al-Hamalawi being "inflated" with arrogance and conceit
could be seen as an example of hyperbole, as it exaggerates the degree to which
Sulayman is conceited.
Revision questions
for A Man of Awesome Powers
- How does Tayyib acquires his
power?
- How does Tayyib use his power
for:
- selfish interests
- the good of all
- To harm others
- How does power change Tayyib?
- What role does the media play
in the story, ' A man of Awesome Powers?'
- What causes Tayyib to lose his
incredible power?
Sample essay question
- When one is given power, he/she
should use it only for good but more often than not people use it for
wrong purposes. Support this statement basing your argument from
Naguib Mahfouz's 'A Man of Awesome Power'
- Lack of sound judgment results
in regret. Making reference to A Man of Awesome Power, write
an essay to justify this claim.
