Sunday 18 February 2018

Fate in TAD


Fate, a word that often carries a variety of meaning depending on the mindset of the thinker. In the case of Naguib Mahfouz’s The Thief and the Dogs is very uncertain as he often presents the abstract concept of fate is present by the use of context to depict and justify action and events. In regards to some of the main events like Said’s death. Because of his actions he was inevitably going to end in death, he knew deep down that there was no possible way to avoid punishment and he would eventually end in death as he wouldn’t be able to return to prison.

Mahfouz uses a unique concept of free will governed by fate, by this I mean the path seems clear as Said commits to crime but within the story Said feels as if he has no choice. When he does have the possibility of changing his goal in life with a shift from vengeance to spiritual enlightenment, he rejects it as he as an overwhelming urge to seek a conclusion to his past life, so much that he purposefully seeks out further aggressive acts. Mahfouz distinctly shows through the intentions of the characters their fate is sealed Rauf’s goal within the story is to further his wealth and estate. In response Rauf’s Fate is to be in direct conflict with Said no matter what choice he makes the intention polarizes his fate leaving him in constant danger.

Fate an idea presented in Mahfouz’s novel meaning a character’s action reflect their intention and the intention is what indicates and cements the fate which they will have. No matter the character they all have a path which is set for them while different options and possibilities even if they are taken unless the character has the intention for committing to it they will inevitably come back to the fate they were sealed to.

Wednesday 7 February 2018

TATD Said Mahran Characterization

How will he look when he first sees you? How will his eyes meet yours? Have you forgotten, Ilish, how you used to rub against my legs like a dog? It was me, wasn't it, who taught you how to stand on your own two feet, who made a man of a cigarette-butt cadger? You've forgotten, Ilish, and you're not the only one: She's forgotten, too, that woman who sprang from filth, from vermin, from treachery and infidelity.
Through all this darkness only your face, Sana, smiles. When we meet I'll know how I stand. In a little while, as soon as I've covered the length of this road, gone past all these gloomy arcades, where people used to have fun. Onward and upward. But not to glory. I swear I hate you all.
The bars have shut down and only the side streets are open, where plots are hatched From time to time he has to cross over a hole in the pavement set there like a snare and the wheels of streetcars growl and shriek like abuse. Confused cries seem to seep from the curbside garbage. (1 swear I hate you all.) Houses of temptation, their windows beckoning even when eyeless, walls scowling where plaster has fallen. And that strange lane, al-Sayrafi Lane, which brings back dark memories. Where the thief stole, then vanished, whisked away. (Woe to the traitors.) Where police who'd staked out the area had slithered in to surround you.
Analyses:

Throughout the passage Mahfouz utilize the writing technique of stream of conciseness to depict the true feelings and current thoughts of Said.  This passage is from the first chapter as Mahfouz is still creating an image of the character of Said, displaying his intentions and motivations within the story. Because it is the beginning of the story Mahfouz will be using primarily direct characterization through the interactions within the world.

Within the first paragraph we see a heavy use of third person narrating within the stream of consciousness, defined by the use of italicization. Traditionally when Mahfouz writes in the stream of consciousness he is writing from the view and mind of Said in first person. This unnatural use of writing demonstrates Said’s own distance with himself, the confusion and conflict within his character in regards to his situation, Mahfouz is attempting to show how Said doesn’t truly know who he is. The paragraph begins with Said questioning himself and how will he be when he meets Sana his daughter whom he hasn’t seen for four years. He continues to question other relationships which he used to hold, all very rhetorical to offer a contrast between the life he left and the life he is returning to, one of constant uncertainty.

The following paragraph Mahfouz uses brief sentences to show the speed and intensity of his brains thoughts especially in regards to his daughter, within the same paragraph he appears very enlightened and joyous. Through association within the same paragraph the reader is able to know that Sana is deeply important and is one of the largest motivations for Said. However, he ends with an aggressive bite a key use of contrast between Said’s relationships, the use of hating is in reference to those whom betrayed him and he is shown to be consumed by it as it dominates even his happiest of thoughts.

The last paragraph begins with Said’s thoughts of his past life as he looks around the street he is walking down. This is purposefully interrupted by the normal narrative and stops the flow created by prolonged use of the stream of consciousness. This break disrupts the momentum and resets the perspective of the reader, but Mahfouz throws them back into the furious anger which Said has for his enemies and the use of parenthesizes to distinctly emphasize the largest and most festering thoughts which Said has.


This passage in general is meant to demonstrate and initiate the reader into the world through the perspective of the main character Said, and the relationships which he holds.

Friday 2 February 2018

Stream of Consciousness

When analyzing Naguib Mahfouz’s novel The Thief and the Dogs one’s attention is immediately brought to the use of Italicized text to demonstrate the inner thoughts of the main character Said Mahran. While easily accepted by an audience of a western upbringing this style was very uncommon in eastern societies and non-present in most Arabic writing. The aptly named streamed named stream of consciousness is a literary style in which the author follows a characters inner thoughts as events occur.

Specifically, stream of consciousness is a style of narration which aims to create a conscious flow of the character’s mental process. This creates a great amount of depth especially in regards to physical responses, when Said experiences key events in the novel Mahfouz deepens the true nature of the event by adding a layer of physical and emotional responses which only one thinks within their mind. When Said initially encounters the rejection by his daughter he is immediately stricken with grief and sorrow, however this is only displayed through his interior monologue of his sadness. Done in the perspective of Said the description feels personal almost as if he is recounting the tragic tale to you, speaking about how deeply the pain felt and how he just barely kept himself together. This is heavily contrasted by the typical narration style dawned by Mahfouz throughout the novel one of third person primarily, and within the third person we view the sequence of events from the perspective of someone within the room, we are almost watching the events play out on a movie screen. The contrast is not accidentally as Mahfouz initially incorporates this duality in the novel in order to better express the duality of the main character Said, whom constantly faces internal conflicts that often drive the plot forward and drive him to take action.

This style of writing is fantastic to truly give the audience a feeling for not only the character but for the tale through their eyes. Little do audiences get the chance to truly understand how a character within a novel feel, but through the use of this style, this is one of the primary reasons for Mahfouz implementation. The obvious move towards modernism not only in culture but in expression, and similar to the modernism movement in western culture writers of Egypt began to use different conventions or completely new ones to help break away from the mold. Mahfouz expertly imploded different styles which were unique to Egypt at the time to help manufacture a fantastic crime novel.


Now many probably wonder why Crime Novel, well during the inception of the novel Mahfouz was within a country of change and massive change at that. The entire government was restructured and the former king was exiled and with such drastic change comes great errors and issues. To help aid in the transition to a more modern Egypt the new government had turned in on itself as disagreement was seen as tertiary, this lack of loyalty and nervousness sparked great conflict within the government and as Mahfouz was privy to this experience he became mortally afraid of consequences to any actions he took especially one of criticism towards the changes, which in some way this novel was. Mahfouz tread a fine line but managed to come out ahead with the novel being widely accepted and greatly philosophized over, as well as many within the government deeply appreciating the style and content of the novel. Fortunately many didn’t know the true purpose of Mahfouz’s novel and because of this he was able to avoid any harsh scrutiny or ramifications, this didn’t stop him however for initially using aliases and a newspaper to release the novel chapter by chapter.