Children of the Alley written by Naguib Mahfouz is a complex story that combines the histories of the three monotheistic Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). With this thought in mind, it raises the question about the origins of a religion and when a new religion can be formed. Mahfouz intertwines the monotheistic religions by humanizing their stories thus giving people a depiction of who God is. This in itself is a daring move and created much controversy about the humanization of God and how that may be potential offensive. In that, there is also the question on how each of these religions were formed and when a new religion can be formed. The monotheistic religions stem from each other and therefore all have their similarities and differences. Each religion is made up of many different building blocks.
My creative response for this particular novel is a bit of stretch however I think it is something that can be interpreted in many different ways. I chose to relate the forming of a pot to Children of the Alley in respect to the fact that a pot needs many different ingredients in order for it to form the clay that will eventually create the pot. Once the clay has been formed, one has to mold the clay to form a pot. The final product is then the pot. This process represents the same that religion has gone through. Religion is created from many moving parts, which then sticks together and is adapted to create a singular faith for people to follow. The pot represents the religion, which in this case is Islam, is a place that holds together and is an intricate part of the lives of many people around the world.
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