Published Paper Details:

Abstract Very few authors in the history of literature have been able to pen novels that encompass the most significant stages of an individual's life. Naguib Mahfouz is one of them. His exemplary mastery in describing life and providing insights into its intricacies that a person has to go through in different phases of their lifetime can be termed as a commentary on existence. In The Coffeehouse (Qushtumur in the Arabic version) he brings to the fore the themes that govern every individual's life - from childhood to old age. The numerous relations and relationships that a human forges with others forms the cog of the novel and in it are embedded the themes of the novel. The saga of five friends and their life episodes are narrated in a manner that is not only vivid but also epitomizes the themes that are explored - friendship, love, marriage, morality and change. Mahfouz creates situations in the novel and then helps the characters to effortlessly wade through them, either with success or failure, and turns those happenings into the essence of the novel. By comprising themes without which life cannot be termed complete, Mahfouz has provided ample scope to explore and investigate the bonds that spur people into action with great passion and zest which take the form of themes that demand an examination.