How, why, and to what effect does Mahfouz use stream-of-consciousness narration in the novel?

Throughout the novel Mahfouz explores the deep and inner thought of Said Mahran using a stream-of-consciousness narration. This type of narration started to be used more often as realist fiction and the modern literature movement began to grow. In the past, the focus of stories would often be to create something out of this world or mythical in order to create interest for novels. The main purpose was to entertain the audience and create a broad message and theme that most people can apply to their lives. However, as novels began to focus on more realist fiction, character development became more important for novels. With this new perspective, new narration styles were pioneered to help dive deep into the minds of characters to help create a realistic representation of human emotions and experiences.

Mahfouz makes use of stream of consciousness narration throughout the novel in order to gain a better insight into the unstable mind of Said Mahran. He does this through inner monologues which are showcased in the book with italic font, helping to make it clear to the reader that this is one of his inner thoughts. This signifies that whatever he is currently thinking about is important to the novel and puts emphasis on the importance of the inner monologue. He is allowed to do this by starting the novel four years after the Egyptian revolution, and goes straight into creating a significant conflict right at the beginning of the novel between him and Nabawiyya, Sana, and Ilish. In order to provide context for the conflict, Mahfouz used the inner monologues. This allowed him to bring to surface important past events that have influenced Said's current actions and thoughts. An example of this would be when Said thought back to the days where him and Rauf had just recently begun to work together, and established the past relationship he had with him. By doing so, it exemplifies the severity of the betrayal because the two characters were so close in the past, and provides heavy contrast to the character that Rauf has become.

In conclusion, Mahfouz has been able to create a fast paced novel that maintains a certain level of tension throughout the book which has been helped by his narration style and use of flashbacks.