The Conjurer Made Off with the Dish (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Naguib Mahfouz
- First Published: 1969
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism, existential
- Time of Work: The 1960's
- Setting: Cairo, Egypt
- Principal Characters: A young boy, His mother, A conjurer, A bean shop owner
- Genres: Short fiction
- Subjects: 1960’s, Parents and children, Magic or magicians, Love or romance, Twentieth century, Lower classes, Success or failure, Egypt or Egyptians, Boys, Urban life
- Locales: Cairo, Egypt
The Story
“The Conjurer Made Off with the Dish” is a subtle metaphor told in first-person narration about the loss of a young Egyptian boy's innocence and his need for parental protection. One morning the boy is sent out by his mother to buy a piaster's worth of beans for breakfast. There follows an account of all the things that happen to the boy as he tries to complete this seemingly simple errand. However, even after several visits to the neighborhood bean seller, his mission is unsuccessful.
The first time the boy is sent out to buy the beans, he does not know or...
[The entire page is 1437 words long]
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