Representation of Authoritarian Power in Naguib Mahfouz's Novel "Al Karnak": A Sociological Study of Literature

Abstract

Naguib Mahfouz is one of Egypt’s most important writers, having won the Nobel Prize in
Literature in 1988. His works frequently address social and moral issues, as well as the dynamics
of Egyptian society undergoing cultural and political change. One work that represents these
conditions is the novel *Al-Karnak*, which depicts the post-revolutionary socio-political
situation in Egypt, characterized by the dominance of state power and the strong role of security
forces. Through the characters and events presented, this novel illustrates how political power
operates repressively through practices of arrest, interrogation, and torture of citizens. These
conditions simultaneously reflect a critique of the authoritarian political system and depict how
the abuse of power can destroy the lives and ideals of the younger generation, while creating a
social climate filled with fear within society. This study aims to analyze the representation of
political power in the novel Al-Karnak through a literary sociology approach. The method used
in this study is a qualitative method employing descriptive-interpretive analysis of the novel’s
text. The analysis employs Michel Foucault’s concept of power to examine how power practices
are represented in the relationship between the state, security apparatus, and society. The
findings reveal that political power in the novel *Al-Karnak* is portrayed as repressive and
dominant, exercised through mechanisms of surveillance, arrest, and torture against individuals
deemed suspicious by the state. These practices of power not only restrict individual freedom but
also shatter the idealism of the younger generation, who previously held hopes for social change.
Furthermore, repressive power contributes to creating social conditions marked by fear, distrust,
and social trauma. Thus, the novel *Al-Karnak* can be understood as a social critique of
authoritarian political power practices in society.