The Yacoubian Building

“The third pleasure is sex, in which the people of the roof revel and which they see nothing wrong with discussing frankly so long as it is of a sort sanctioned by religion.”

At this stage of the novel, two distinct worlds have been shown: that of Zaki Bey, who occupies one of the large apartments in the building, and the world of those who live on the roof, occupying its small storage rooms. Though they are materially different, these different walks of life are bound together by a love of sex—not just the physical act of sex, but the pleasure taken in talking about the act in intimate detail. Even across economic lines, the people of the Yacoubian Building have a great deal in common.

“We must not, however, be fooled into thinking of Abaskharon as no more than an obedient servant.”

Though Abaskharon acts in a perpetually deferential manner to Zaki Bey, this deference is calculated and—to some extent—cynical. It is his manner of manipulating his employer—of tricking Zaki Bey into thinking that he is in charge. Even while acting upon every one of Zaki Bey’s orders, Abaskharon is manipulating, plotting, and scheming to drag himself out of poverty. Everything about him, from his appearance to his behavior, is a projected image; Abaskharon is very aware of how people see him and hopes to use this to his advantage.

“You find among them skilled workers and professionals, young people and old, all united by their homosexuality.” 

The Chez Nous offers sanctuary for a marginalized group of people. Along with alcohol, homosexuality is not considered morally acceptable in the time the novel is set. From all economic classes and backgrounds, homosexual people can come together in the bar. It is an escape and a safe place, bringing together seemingly disparate people who are united by their marginalization. As such, the bar is an important conduit for the changing social fabric of Cairo, denoting changing attitudes to sexuality and alcohol.

“The suit that he had put on that morning stripped of its glamour, baggy now and looking cheap and wretched.”

Taha’s suit is a symbol of his confidence. Heading into the job interview for the Police Academy, he was filled with confidence, and the suit seemed to lift him up from his impoverished background. Now that he believes he has not passed the interview, the clothes hang off him. They become a reminder of his failure, dragging him back down into the poverty from which he tried to escape. The suit is out of place in his home, its very existence a reminder of what he has lost.

“It provoked her greatly that Zaki seemed in no way like a failing old man waiting for death, but still wore scent and played the fop and chased women.”

The relationship between Zaki and Dawlat, brother and sister, is built on resentment and obligation. However, Zaki’s recent experience with Rabab has further widened the fractures between them. Zaki knows that his sister will blame his lifestyle for the loss of her diamond ring, while he will blame her for infringing on his womanizing. His feelings of guilt over losing the ring are complicated by the resentment that he feels toward her and the anger she projects toward him. Their household is not a happy one and is only going to get worse.

“Malak Khilla appeared on the roof of the building to take possession of his new room in a happy and vainglorious mood.”

This depiction of Malak is entirely hubristic. The victory over the agent in charge of the building has given Malak a place to set up his clothes store, and he and his brother were able to save money at the same time. Although Malak is freshly pumped full of confidence, the situation on the roof will not be exactly as the two brothers expected. Portrayed as an arrogant, victorious general, Malak may have won the battle, but he could still lose the war.

“Hatim was nine at the time and felt embarrassed and confused, but in the end he gave in to the insistence of his friend.” 

Though Idris’s age is not mentioned, it is implied that he was much older than Hatim. Thus, the subtext of this passage is that Hatim was groomed and abused by an older man as a child. In adulthood, Hatim does not see his past in this light. Instead, he chases after the initial spark of romance that he felt between himself and Idris, although the dynamic changes. As an older man, Hatim engages in relationships with men half his age. After being abused by Idris as a young person, he becomes a similar figure in the lives of many other younger men.

“Azzam had been expecting the amount but preferred to bargain, just in case.” 

The juxtaposition between the dialogue and the narrative voice speaks to the cultural reality of corruption. Outwardly, Hagg Azzam must pretend to be shocked while, inwardly, he has already prepared himself to pay the amount and—indeed—hopes to haggle down the price. Corruption in Cairo’s political scene is simply a cost of doing business. Added to that, the scene mirrors the earlier negotiation in which Malak and Abaskharon attempted to reduce the bribe they needed to pay. Though the stakes are much higher this time, there is a universality to the corruption. 

“‘The hopes of Islam are now pinned on you as once they were on your mighty forebears!’” 

The narrative pauses to convey the preacher’s sermon. The words are powerful, as paragraph after paragraph flows out and sweeps along the enthusiastic young audience. For those like Taha—young men without power, those who have been marginalized—it is a seductive message, providing them with a purpose where society has not. As Taha is enraptured, the words are filled with foreboding. 

“All of these Basyouni puts together in a certain way in the photocopier so as to make the copy come out looking as though it has been taken from the newspaper.”

The extent to which Malak will lie, cheat, and manipulate those around him is clear. To that extent, a framed fake newspaper article is the ideal decoration for his store. It provides an insight into his character: He wears his lies like an affectation. The lies have become the decoration for Malak’s character, his willingness to manipulate fixed to his person as the picture is to the wall.

“He would never hire thugs, he would never throw Dawlat out, and he would never take her to court.” 

In a moment of despondency, Zaki Bey lies for the sake of appearances. He knows that he will never be able to bring himself to call in the thugs to remove his sister from his house. He feels guilty and indebted to her, partly out of the self-loathing he feels for himself. To remove her from his house would only exacerbate his sins.

“Inside, however, he has been possessed by a new, powerful, bounding spirit.” 

Taha’s rapidly growing devotion is both spiritual and physical. The manner in which his beliefs have changed has not just affected his mind, but also manifested on his body and his character. He dresses differently, walks differently, thinks differently, and presents himself differently to the world. This rapid change is remarkable and demonstrates the effect that failing to enroll in the Police Academy has had upon his character.

“‘Here it’s the old who go on living and the young who die.’”

Souad’s first husband provides a clear materialist diagnosis of the state of Egypt. He is sick of the poverty—of being stuck in the loop of borrowing money and barely earning enough to make it back. He seeks to break free from this with drastic action though his wife cannot envisage a future in which she is not in Egypt. She will become like the old who go on living or the young who die; indeed, her marriage to Hagg Azzam represents a kind of death—a sacrifice needed to break the cycle on behalf of her son. 

“She recalls his cold, cruel face at that moment and hates him from the depths of her heart but convinces herself once more that everything she’s doing is for the sake of Tamir and his future.” 

The person Souad presents to Hagg Azzam is not the real her. She plays a role, wearing the mask of a dutiful wife while secretly loathing her husband. This tension is beginning to tell on her, driving her into a lonesome despair from which she will need to escape. Though she plans to ask Hagg Azzam for a favor—she is pregnant and, despite their earlier agreement, wishes to keep the baby—her trepidation is clear. She knows that he will not appreciate catching a glimpse of the real Souad, so she must keep herself hidden for as long as possible.

“In general their behavior with any deviant person depended on how much they liked him.” 

The people who live on the roof of the Yacoubian Building have a moral system that is both rigid and malleable. Though they are quick to criticize some, this criticism stems from their personal opinion of those involved. Though Abduh may be a homosexual and a perceived sinner, for instance, they are willing to overlook these issues because they feel a personal affection toward him. 

“This was the argument she always used in front of the neighbors, and she spoke sharply because he had violated that pretense of ignorance that allowed her to avoid embarrassment.” 

The relationship between Abduh and his wife is built on an unspoken acknowledgement of what he does in his time with Hatim, but the pair has spent a long time constructing an elaborate system of untruths to never confront the reality of the situation. It does not behoove either to admit that Abduh might be gay, as it would affect the personal relationship between them and cause a scandal in their community. Thus, the resentments simmer beneath the surface and are never addressed. Eventually, they will explode, however.

“She had lost her compassion for people and a thick crust of indifference had formed around her feelings.” 

Busayna has developed a cold and bitter personality as a coping mechanism. Her means of dealing with the sexual harassment visited upon her is to take an increasingly dim view of all people. When her acrimonious personality is at its peak, however, she meets Zaki Bey. Her detached personality makes it all the more surprising when Zaki Bey’s honesty and sincerity begin to warm her cold heart.

“He strives to reduce the homosexual space in his life to the narrowest possible, living his daily life as a journalist and an executive and practicing his pleasure for a few hours in bed at night.”

Hatim treats his homosexuality like a high-functioning alcoholic treats his vice. Hatim’s culture and background has taught him to be ashamed of his sexuality, so he has sought to exercise as much control over this part of his life as possible. By reducing his most intense passions to measured, careful situations, he hopes to limit his exposure to harm, both physical and emotional.

“‘This country is ours, Hamidu.’” 

A recurring theme throughout this novel is the power dynamic between the rich and the poor. Souad, pregnant with Hagg Azzam’s child, threatened to upset this balance by refusing to get an abortion. The baby is forcibly aborted, not only to avoid potential political scandal, but to remind Souad about the power structure that will define her life. Egypt belongs to the rich and the powerful, her brother is told, and there is nothing that can be done about this.

“He was using his chatter to hold his emotions at bay, trying to turn the painful situation into mere words, possibilities, and suppositions, in the hope that this would succeed in getting them out of the misery that oppressed them.” 

Zaki Bey has a reputation. He is used to being known and well-regarded in his neighborhood. He talks to everyone, reinforcing these social bonds. After he is attacked and humiliated by the police officers under the pay of his sister, he feels lost and helpless. Sitting in the restaurant with Busayna, he chats mindlessly, hoping to recover his previous confidence. It is muscle memory, an attempt to recover his social standing after a moment of abject humiliation. This is the means by which Zaki Bey processes difficulty—by returning to what has worked in his past.

“Day by day Hatim’s agony increased. A sense of being truly unlucky possessed him.” 

Hatim, one of the novel’s most privileged characters, is a demonstration that wealth and employment are not the keys to happiness. He is born into a rich family, inherits a fortune, and has an important and well-paid job, but he is never really happy. His parents did not shower him with affection, and whenever he finds a period of stability in his romantic endeavors, tragedy strikes. While most characters would happily swap positions with the rich and successful Hatim, Hatim would likely do the same. 

“‘We have everything.’” 

Just as Hagg Azzam arranged for his thugs to remind Souad who Egypt really belongs to, he is given a similar lesson. He goes to visit the Big Man, desperate to renegotiate the corrupt deal he has made. On arrival, however, he is met only with a phone call (he has not earned the respect of a face-to-face meeting) and is told the deal is non-negotiable. As a threat, he is also shown a folder containing a detailed list of all of his crimes. Though Hagg Azzam is a rich man and a powerful politician, there is always someone richer and more powerful. Egypt does not belong to Hagg Azzam, he learns, but to those even above him. 

“It would be the last night for him to commit the sin and the next day he would announce his repentance and sin no more.” 

Abduh is caught in emotional turmoil. He is devastated by the death of his child, and his wife’s insistence that his homosexuality is the cause has had a profound effect on him. He has begun to believe this himself, so he initially wants to dismiss Hatim. However, he accepts Hatim’s offer. The above quote reveals that, while financial motivation drives him, there is still a part of him that wants to be with Hatim. As much as Abduh hates himself, he loves Hatim.