Hopes, dreams and aspirations are extremely significant to this novel, Midaq Alley. They are devices employed by Naguib Mahfouz to illustrate the struggle between the Egyptians' loyalty towards their old customs and their desire to switch to the modernity and materialism. As a result, different characters with different levels of hopes, dreams and aspirations are used to embody this contrast between the old traditions and the new Western influences.

Hamida, being the protagonist of the novel, was influenced the most by the societal changes to a Western culture, as she craves the pleasures of the material world over anything else. To her, religion being the heart of the Egyptian society was completely irrelevant to her definition of happiness. Throughout the entire novel, Hamida puts all her energy towards achieving the dream of her life, and that is to escape from the mediocre life in the Alley and live...