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 intrinsic part of the grotesque, can emerge in the setting, story objects, or 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 portrayal of the characters in both works. Generally, 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Often, and especially in O'Connor's work, grotesque characters fit into only one of those categories, and thus a tension arises between the character's self-image and true self. However, in Midaq Alley, Zaita, the cripple maker, provides a unique example of a grotesque person both physically and spiritually. He is introduced for the first time on page 54: “If you saw Zaita once you would never forget him, his appearance is so simple. It consists of a thin, black body and a black suit. Black on black, if it weren't for the slits that shine with a terrifying whiteness that are his eyes. […] Black was the fate of everything inside this hole.” Mahfouz excels at description, especially in the use of imagery in the service of characterization. In Zaita's case, he is described with a multitude of words related to darkness and dirt. The word “whiteness” in the passage is also preceded by the word “terrifying.” On a superficial level, this passage provides the reader with intense characterizations of Zaita and use of the physically grotesque; but as he is further described, his spiritual distortion becomes more fully visible: “He [Zaita] happily reciprocated the antipathy that people showed for him, and jumped for joy when he heard that someone had died” (56). The tension introduced here, distinguishable simply by the words used (“happily” and “dislike”, “joy” and “dead”) shows Zaita as a man who distorts the morals of the surrounding culture and destroys traditional norms. He achieves this by creating cripples, essentially spreading the grotesque throughout the alley, and “desired that beggars should form the majority of humanity” (56). Zaita represents in Midaq Alley an extremely pessimistic view of human life, and is often compared to the devil throughout the novel. His distorted views of the alley are strongly opposed to the opinions of the other characters, and there is an inherent question raised in Zaita's character as to whether he is morally right. He has a philosophical discussion with Husniya, the baker's wife, in which he fully explains his grotesque ideas: “'Who among us is not initially welcomed into the world as a king of kings, to be then carried wherever misfortune decrees. This is one of nature's wisest betrayals. If this showed us first what awaits us, 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 demonstrated in his love of mud puddles and garbage as a child (133). It gives up the typical Muslim values ​​of Midaq Alley, but still thrives in thecapacity of the inhabitants to sin. Overall, Mahfouz uses the grotesque in Zaita 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 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 not in any way physically grotesque; in fact, he is quite handsome and dresses in fashionable Western dress. His outward appearance creates tension with his psychological grotesqueness. Like Zaita, Faraj holds views that do not fit the tradition of Eastern culture. He distorts this culture by pointing out her flaws to Hamida and giving her everything she wants. He is generally described with words regarding the 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, indicating the importance of love and marriage in that culture. However, when he leaves the alley (a symbolic act of his Westernization), sex becomes a tool to satisfy his need for control and also an act devoid of love. She still has love in her heart for Faraj, a sign that she is still part of Midaq Alley in some way, and it is Faraj's grotesque emotionlessness 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 should be built on this feeling. Every time a new girl fell into his net, he played the ardent lover, until she succumbed. [...] Having accomplished his mission, he abandoned the role of lover for that of meat 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) to Hamida and her values, and can also be seen as a commentary by Mahfouz on Western culture and its distortion of Eastern values. Flannery O'Connor uses the grotesque in “Good Country People” through both main characters, the Bible Salesman and Hulga. The climax of the story centers on Hulga's seduction by the Bible seller in a barn, during which the Bible seller tricks Hulga, steals her artificial leg, and reveals her true self. The Bible Seller can be seen as a parallel to Faraj of Midaq Alley. They are both attractive on the surface, yet they are both spiritually or morally distorted. A symbol of the Bible seller's grotesque character is the Bible case he always carries with him. Like many grotesque characters in O'Connor's works, he is completely controlled by this grotesqueness: “He had appeared in the doorway, carrying a large black suitcase that weighed him so heavily on one side that he had to lean against the door opposite. […] It was a bit as if the suitcase had moved first, dragging him along” (277). This use of the grotesque functions as a clear distortion of religious values: during the story's climax it is revealed that, instead of Bibles, the case actually contains alcohol and condoms. Just like Faraj in Midaq Alley, the Bible salesman tricks Hulga into thinking he loves him, only to use her for a different purpose. His affinity for prosthetics is another aspect of his grotesque and shows his love for the grotesque itself. Hulga, just like Hamida, is a stubborn and obstinate girl; unlike Hamida, however, Hulga is physically grotesque. His prosthetic leg sets it apart from the rest of his, 1971.