"Midaq Alley," one of Naguib Mahfouz's most notable writings, follows several characters that all live along the titular alley. It is set in the 1940's, during World War II, while the British army was stationed in Cairo. Midaq Alley is a poor side street that consists of a few shops and homes. All of the characters were in the lower class and suffered from various hardships throughout their lives. Some of them reacted to the changes in society during the war and changed for the better, while others worsened. Abbas Hilu, a medium-height, pallid, slightly heavy barber with yellowish, wavy hair, was a proud twenty-something year old filled with wit and arrogance. Abbas was a man of good character and judgment. He was happy with the life he had in the alley as a barber. Already humble and mature, the aftermath of the war settled him more. Even though he hated change, he took the advice of his friend Hussain and joined the British Army. He finally left Midaq Alley to work again for the British Army, but returned married and broke after the Allies start defeating Hitler's army. He and Uncle Kamil, with whom he shared a flat, breakfast together every day after opening their shops and before working. When Kamil complains he is so poor that when he dies, he will not be able to afford a burial shroud, Abbas claims to have bought one and laid it away. It is a joke that all but naive Kamil share. In the midst of this all, Abbas falls hopelessly in love with Hamida, whom he considers beyond him, but his old friend, Hussain Kirsha, argues he must pursue her. Hamida is a beautiful, shapely, dark-eyed girl in her twenties that longs for fine clothes and a rich husband. She was out to "trap  any man that would pay her some attention and spend money on her. She was well aware that Abbas was madly in love with her and wanted to pursue a relationship with her. Just as one could imagine, she disdained him until he declared his intention of working for the British Army to earn money to give her a good life “the life she's always wanted." Feeling pity for him, Hamida agreed to marry him and forced the enthusiasm to kiss him and promise to pray for him. While Abbas is away (in the army), Hamida is in the alley getting involved in outrageous activities. She met and mingled with other men and became a prostitute named Titi. Abbas had no idea of Hamida's despicable actions during his absence. Not only did he not know, he had Hussain urging him to go ahead and abandon boring ole Midaq Alley and seek his fortune, like him, working for the British Army. After getting the strength to, he goes to Hamida to inform her of