The idea of ​​the grotesque is presented in both Naguib Mahfouz's novel Midaq Alley and Flannery O'Connor's short story "Good Country People" . Although the settings, plots, and characters differ, both works present an underlying theme of distorting the culture's moral or religious beliefs. The grotesque can appear in different aspects of the story, and this distortion, an inherent part of the grotesque, can appear in the setting, the objects of the story, or the characters, among other elements. Although the style and tone of Midaq Alley and "Good Country People" differ, the authors of both works use the grotesque as a powerful tool, especially in the depiction of the characters in both works. In general, Mahfouz and O'Connor describe the grotesque in two categories of characters: those who are mentally or spiritually grotesque and those who are physically grotesque. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Often, and particularly in O'Connor's work, grotesque characters fall into only one of these categories, and thus a tension arises between the character and himself. -image and true self. However, in Midaq Alley, Zaita, the creator of cripples, provides a unique example of a grotesque person both physically and spiritually. He is first introduced on page 54: “If you had seen Zaita once, you would never forget him again, so strikingly simple is his appearance. It consists of a thin, black body and a black dress. Black on black, were it not for the brilliant slits of terrifying whiteness that are his eyes. […] Black was the fate of everything in that hole. Mahfouz excels in description, particularly in the use of imagery in the service of characterization. In Zaita's case, he is described with a multitude of words relating to darkness and filth. Even the word “whiteness” in the passage is preceded by the word “terrifying.” On the surface, this passage provides the reader with Zaita's intense characterizations and use of the physically grotesque; but as he is described in more detail, his spiritual distortion becomes more fully visible: "He [Zaita] joyfully reciprocated the dislike people showed him, and he jumped with joy when he learned that someone was dead” (56). The tension introduced here, perceptible simply from the words used ("fortunately" and "dislike", "joy" and "death"), shows Zaita as a man who distorts the morals of the surrounding culture and destroys the norms traditional. He achieves this goal by creating cripples, essentially spreading the grotesque throughout the alley, and he "desired that beggars would constitute the majority of humanity" (56). Zaita represents an extremely pessimistic view of human life in Midaq Alley, and he is often compared to the devil throughout the novel. His distorted views of the alley clash sharply with the other characters' views, and an intrinsic question arises in Zaita's character as to whether he is morally right. He has a philosophical argument with Husniya, the baker's wife, in which he fully explains his grotesque ideas: "Which of us is not first welcomed into the world as a king of kings, and then transported everywhere where misfortune decrees it. It is one of nature's wisest betrayals. If it were to show us first what lies ahead, we would all refuse to leave the womb” (132). This distorted understanding of life implies that Zaita rejected "nature" and instead found beauty in the grotesque,as shown by his love of mud holes and garbage as a child (133). It renounces the typical Muslim values ​​of Midaq Alley, but still thrives on the residents' ability to sin. Overall, Mahfouz uses Zaita's grotesquerie to give a fuller picture of Midaq Alley and show the darker side of Arab culture. Zaita, the cripple maker, is unique in that he is both physically and psychologically grotesque. A more common grotesque character is one who is either physically or psychologically grotesque, but not both. An example of this in Midaq Alley is the pimp character, Ibrahim Faraj. Faraj has no deformities and is in no way physically grotesque; in fact, he is quite handsome and wears a fashionable western suit. His outward appearance creates tension with his psychological grotesquerie. Like Zaita, Faraj has views that do not fit the tradition of Eastern culture. He distorts this culture by pointing out Hamida's faults and giving her everything she wants. He is usually described with words concerning ideas of coldness and detachment, conveying his lack of emotion (257-259). It is this lack of emotion that identifies its grotesqueness. In the alley, Hamida had two men who wanted to marry her, which shows the importance of love and marriage in this culture. However, when she leaves the alley (a symbolic act of her Westernization), sex becomes a tool to satisfy her need for control and also a loveless act. She still has love in her heart for Faraj, a sign that she is still, in some way, part of Midaq Alley, and it is Faraj's grotesque lack of emotion that affects her the most. “He [Faraj] himself had never known love, and it seemed strange to the romantically inclined girl that her whole life was built on this feeling. Every time a new girl fell into his net, he played the role of ardent lover – until she succumbed. [...] Once his mission was accomplished, he abandoned his role of lover for that of a flesh merchant” (256). This passage reflects Faraj's inability to love, a grotesque characteristic that forces Hamida to leave him. The use of the grotesque in Faraj is intended to be a mirror (an important motif in Midaq Alley) of Hamida and her values, and can also be seen as Mahfouz's commentary on Western culture and its distortion of values oriental. O'Connor uses the grotesque in "Good Country People" through the two main characters, the Bible salesman and Hulga. The climax of the story centers on a seduction of Hulga by the Bible salesman in a barn, during which the Bible salesman tricks Hulga, steals her artificial leg and reveals his true identity. The Bible Seller can be seen as a parallel to Faraj from Midaq Alley. They are both attractive on the surface, and yet they are both spiritually and morally distorted. A symbol of the grotesque character of the Bible seller is his Bible case which he always carries with him. Like many grotesque characters in O'Connor's work, he is completely controlled by this grotesquerie: "He had appeared at the door, carrying a large black suitcase which weighed him down so heavily on one side that he had to press against the door covering. […] It was a bit as if the suitcase had moved first, dragging it after it” (277). This use of the grotesque functions as an obvious distortion of religious values: at the climax of the story, it is revealed that instead of Bibles, the case actually contains alcohol and condoms. Just like Faraj in Midaq Alley, the Bible seller tricks Hulga into thinking he loves him, only to use him., 1971.