The Anxiety Bank

Description

“The notable: The truth is, anxiety is rampant among everyone. The idea of ​​establishing an anxiety bank is astonishing; congratulations!”

In this work, Tawfiq al-Hakim pioneered a new genre in Arabic literature: the “masrawiya,” a blend of narrative storytelling and theatrical dialogue in a single literary work. While the story unfolds within a comedic framework, it conceals a sharp critique of the economic and political conditions and their impact on the social and psychological well-being of Egyptian citizens during the 1960s. Adham, fresh from Nasser’s prisons, suffers from bankruptcy, despair, and anxiety. He then encounters Shaaban, his former university colleague, who shares his anxiety. They discover that anxiety is a widespread condition afflicting the Egyptian people, and thus decide to establish a bank to treat anxiety, which they call “The Anxiety Bank.” They then meet Munir Bey Atef, who adopts the project and helps them succeed. However, they eventually discover that he is collaborating with the security authorities and has recruited them to spy on customers, making mere suspicion a crime punishable by death.