"Life locks its windows and squats like a stone" (p. In Naguib Mahfouz's Fountain and Tomb, the character of Saqr Mowazeeni and his family are imprisoned financially, socially, physically, and emotionally. Upon the death of his father, Mowazeeni is forced to become the head of a large family of unmarried women. The inability of the family's women to marry causes an increased strain on Mowazeeni's financial and social standing, resulting in physical and emotional consequences.
Upon graduation from school, Saqr Mowazeeni follows his father's career path and becomes a government official. After being financially independent for only a year, Mowazeeni's father dies leaving Saqr no inheritance. This unexpected death forces Saqr to support "four women and a bitch on his pittance of a salary" (p.70). In a modern society, the women of the family would go into the workplace to try to find other sources of income to help the family maintain its standard of living. However, in the society Naguib Mahfouz depicts, early twentieth century Egypt, the constraints placed upon the family by tradition and society prohibit the women from going out and getting jobs.
In twentieth century Cairo, women in the work force were a rarity and were treated as outcasts. "Tawheeda is the first woman from our part of town to work for the government Ceaseless alley tongues babble her story, make fun of her, and criticize her Whenever her father appears, someone is sure to say, "God preserve us" and "What are men coming to?"" (p. 22). This social constraint is even truer in the homes of the respected. A woman from a well-to-do household, such as the Mowazeeni's, entering the work force would be degrading to her family due to society's belief that a woman's place is in the home. It is the man's responsibility to provide for his family, and any respectable household should uphold this tradition. With tradition limiting the help Saqr can receive from his family, the family's financial situation continues to deteriorate.
