Research Paper on:
Arabian Nights and Days by Naguib Mahfouz

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
modern life. The setting is exotic. The author is descriptive, using exciting word choices, and this seems to pull the reader in, not letting him go. For example, the author  begins by describing the scene: "with clouds of darkness defying the vigorous thrust of light" (Mahfouz, 1995, p.5). One can easily envision a dramatic sky. The author is also careful  not to exclude relevant and emotional facts such as: "Dandan kissed the ground..." (1995, p.5). This provides a remarkable visual. The imagery is quite important here. Also, there are in  fact many colorful characters in this work, such as Dandan. However, the relevance of Gamasas story is something special and pertains to the work in its entirety. In order to  understand Gamasas role, one has to comprehend the rest of the story, including its important ending. Gamasas story is just one part of the puzzle, but the work should not  be evaluated in piecemeal fashion. Rather, Arabian Nights and Days must be looked at holistically, and then Gamasas ideas may be carefully evaluated. The author takes his more modern  creation from the old A Thousand and One Nights. The work looks at a variety of characters in this society that is plagued with corruption. Gamasa Al-Bulti is the  chief of police, at least at first, and he delves into the underworld. Yet, while one might think that Al-Bulti is entrenched in simple criminal activity, there is a relationship  between the corruption he finds and religious life. In fact, like this authors other works, religion plays a central role in the plot. The transformation of this character who is  the police chief to a character who has somewhat of a personal but public change, is a part of the intrigue, but the author is careful to provide a good