소설『야꾸비얀 빌딩』에서 포착된 이집트 사회의 문제점에 관한 연구: 작품과 2011년 이집트 민주혁명의 연관성 모색

Abstract

On the hypothesis that the Egyptian writer ʿAlāʾ al-Aswānī's ʿImārah Yaʿqūbiyān (The Yacoubian Building. 2002) affected to some extent the Egyptian Revolution in January 2011, this research deals with several analogous problems of Egyptian society as posed in the novel and which may have instigated the Revolution. Among the Egyptian's economic and societal problems, dictatorship presents itself as a persistent and chronic issue of the people. Similarly, the novel depicted a dictator described as 'Mr. Big Man', who wields omnipotent power and controls the economy and leading sheikhs. As a result, important figures of society became accustomed to using illegal means to seek their own self interests and flattering Mr. Big Man to maintain their livelihoods. Meanwhile, the people of the lower classes in the novel -who are represented by the poor inhabitants living on the roof of the Yacoubian Building- are bitterly isolated from the Egyptian society. Confronted regularly with discrimination, they ponder endlessly about where to get the next loaf of bread. One such inhabitant is Ṭāha al-Shādhilī, a young man of the lower classes, who grew disillusioned with the unfairness and unjustness of society. Finding comfort in religion, he finally succumbs and joins an Islamic radical group. I find that the key problems posed in the novel almost coincide with the real problems of Egyptian society, which were the immediate causes of the January Revolution, including the former president's Ḥusni Mubārak's prolonged dictatorship, evasive political corruption, brutality of police power, and pervasive economic difficulties for the citizens. This study validates my arguments that the novel inspired and to some extent provoked the Egyptian citizens to review their current wretchedness, to discover the causes of their economic problems, and to eventually promote the Revolution.