although the film look and sound similar to a soap opera and the story line dig deep into the pocket of poverty and reveals life inside midaq alley through the perspective of three character while don ru and alma and and susanita . gender issue revolve around sexuality and the machismo be show through don ru . in the beginning of the film and we see don ru scold his son and chava and for seem too gay with his friend abel because chava be spend too much time with abel when he be suppose to be work at his father bar . a the film progress and don ru becomes intimate with a young sale boy while his machismo shift to envelope his anger and resentment towards his wife and disapprove poet friend . don ru do not represent financial poverty but the lack of true sexual and self identity . gender role be make apparent through men domino game at don ru bar where woman be portray a dull and boring and and bothersome . alma be the gaze of men in the film because she be young and vibrant and however and that be all she be allow to be while an object of men desire . be raise in poverty and she be draw to money and a good life but this path take her to prostitution and drug and and the loss of her true love . susanita represent poverty on many level while class status and gender and and physical trait which prohibit her from find a companion or be take seriously by her society . although susanita be not wealthy and she do have the mean to help character along the way and include herself . when she conform to societal physical standard and get major dental work and she be finally able to obtain a companion and establish herself in the community and which of course eventually take a dark turn . midaq alley be a dark comedy that intertwine the life of numerous character while all connect to each other in some way and show many level of poverty and the loss of hope with a splash of bad luck in poor town like midaq alley .