Discussion
There is a quote rather commonly heard: We are shaped by those who love us and by those who do not. (In fact, there are several variations of this general idea.)
There a Pennsylvania Deutsch quote that can apply to this work as well: Sing before breakfast; cry before dinner.
What is Naguib Mahfouz’s story? Karma arrives, horror released, mental health challenged?
What is this character reversal? Can it be a commentary on an unforgiving life or perhaps a really long nightmare played out? Is it his grief at being abandoned by family?
In what kind of prison is the protagonist? How can something be delicious but taste bitter? Why can something new be initially attractive and then become worrisome?
Notice that the man needs affirmation. He seeks learned men. He seeks validation that he is not alone, that others “suffer” in their happiness as he does. Is this his hell?
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For those who seek more, a review of Bertrand Russell’s definition of happiness is found at https://medium.com/@anannyauberoi/the-happy-man-by-bertrand-russell-a-critical-analysis-37cc077b5887 Mr. Russell is generally acknowledged as an extraordinarily gifted philosopher. A review of his work, The Conquest of Happiness, 1930, notes: Eschewing guilt-based morality, Russell lays out a rationalist prescription for living a happy life, including the importance of cultivating interests outside oneself and the dangers of passive pleasure. Full text: https://russell-j.com/beginner/COH-TEXT.HTM