Thesis Statements

Through Said's quest for  revenge within the novel , Mahfouz explores the definition of justice and its highly subjective nature through stream of consciousness narrative, thereby raising the question of who can be responsible for determining what is deemed as 'just'?

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The Tragic Hero

Fatal Flaw (Hamartia)

Said's fatal flaw is that he is unable to forgive all those who he feels have wronged him in some way. As with all tragic heroes, Said's fatal flaw is what ultimately leads him to demise as he begins a rapid downward spiral. His quest for revenge is unstoppable as Said actively makes his situation worse. This insatiable thirst for revenge is evident directly from chapter 1 as Said's inner monologue revealed that "The hour was coming when he would confront them, when his rage would explode and burn, when those who had betrayed him would despair unto death, when treachery would pay for what it had done." Had he simply forgiven or at least moved on from Illish and Nabawiyya, his dark fate could have easily been avoided. 

Displays of Excess Pride (Hubris)

Throughout the novel, Said holds firm to the belief that he is always right no matter what. However, as we've discussed in class this perception of reality is most likely highly skewed. Said is always quick to critique others however, he is unable to find fault in himself or his own actions. This becomes evident in his discussion when he asks Rauf, "Hasn't your conscience bothered you even in the dark?" He's quick to judge Rauf without taking into consideration the fact that he's been a thief his entire life and is plotting to murder a man. Furthermore, he only blames others for his downfall without examining his own role in it. 

Reversal of Fortune (Peripeteia)

Within the novel, there are many events that could be considered the turning point for Said. However, I believe that the point of no return occurred when Said commits his first murder. In the eyes of Said, "[His] life was finished, spent to no purpose; he was a hunted man and would be to the end of his days." From this point onward, Said's misfortune increases rapidly as he continues down the dark road of revenge.

Recognition of Fault and Role in Downfall (Anagnorisis)

In this aspect Said actually deviates from the archetypal structure of the tale of the tragic hero. Normally, a tragic hero eventually experiences an epiphany in which they realize that their downfall is ultimately their own fault. However, Said never realizes that everything that has happened to him was due to his never-ending quest for vengeance. He dies still believing that all the unfortunate events in his life have been a result of the actions of others or simply some twisted form of fate.  

Fate (Nemesis)

From a certain perspective it could truly be argued that Said'd fate is quite fair in comparison to the pain he inflicted on others as he ended up murdering two innocent people. Typical tragic heroes are often introduced as highly respectable and noble characters. However, Mahfouz begins the novel by making it clear that Said is certainly not on any pedestal. For this reason its hard to convince the reader that his fate was truly greater than what was deserved. 

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Chapter 11 Passage Analysis

The Sheikh greeted you with that sweet and kindly look of his. And how enchanted you were by his fine white beard! "So this is your son you were telling me about," he said to your father. "There's a lot of intelligence in his eyes. His heart is as spotless as yours. You'll find he'll turn out, with God's will, a truly good man."

Yes, you really adored Sheikh Ali al Junaydi, attracted by the purity in his face and the love in his eyes. And those songs and chants of his had delighted you even before your heart was purified by love.

"Tell this boy what it's his duty to do," your father said to the Sheikh one day.

The Sheikh had gazed down at you and said, "We continue learning from the cradle to the grave, but at least start out, Said, by keeping close account of yourself and making sure that from whatever action you initiate some good comes to someone."

Yes, you certainly followed his counsel, as best you could though you only brought it to complete fulfillment when you took up burglary!

The days passed like dreams. And then your good father disappeared, suddenly gone, in a way that a boy simply could not comprehend, and that seemed to baffle even Sheikh Ali himself. How shocked you were that morning, shaking your head and rubbing your eyes to clear away the sleep, awakened by your mother's screams and tears in the little room at the entrance to the students' hostel! You wept with fear and frustration at your helplessness. That evening however, Rauf Ilwan, at that time a student in Law School, had shown how very capable he was. Yes, he was impressive all right, no matter what the circumstances, and you loved him as you did Sheikh Ali, perhaps even more. It was he who later worked hard to have you--or you and your mother, to be more precise--take over Father's job as custodian for the building. Yes, you took on responsibilities at an early age.

This passage from Chapter 11 of the novel is flashback that Said is having as he remembers events and conversations from his past. In this passage the reader learns detail's about Said's tragic past as he recounts the death of his father and later his mother. From the perspective of both the reader and Said himself this passage is the pinnacle of dramatic irony.  Mahfouz creates a wonderful juxtaposition between Said's past and his present. This conversation with the Sheikh highlights the alternative path that Said could have taken had he not been driven to a life of crime and had not become obsessed with getting revenge. As the Sheikh says "His heart is as spotless as yours. You'll find he'll turn out, with God's will, a truly good man." one begins to wonder how exactly Said has strayed so far from his seemingly bright future. This scene also raises the question of to what extent is Said's current character and predicament due to situational or dispositional factors?

“Making sure that from whatever action you initiate some good comes to someone."

Again we see this contrast of what Said was taught as a boy and the way in which he lives his life in the present. After his release from jail and Sana’s rejection, Said’s actions are of his own self-interest and almost all of his actions result in someone else being harmed.

Furthermore, this passage serves to emphasize the strong bond that Said shared with his beloved mentor Rauf as the reader gains some insight into how the two met and under what circumstances. We see that Said truly looked up to Rauf who symbolized the missing father figure in his life following the death of his father. In the passage Said says “you loved him as you did Sheikh Ali, perhaps even more” which further highlights the deep connection Said felt to Rauf. This gives the reader a deeper sense of understanding as it makes it easier to see why Rauf’s apparent betrayal so deeply affected Said.

This passage is a prime example of Mahfouz’s unique narrative style and the specific way in which he chooses to reveal Said’s story to the reader. Prior to this passage, the reader did not know a great deal about Said’s past or his family. However as seen in this passage, Said’s history and tragic background have actually come to affect his character in a highly negative manner.  We see that following the death of his parents, the bright future that the Sheikh had predicted is exchanged in turn for a much darker future full of thievery and eventually even murder.

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Stream of Consciousness Narrative in The Thief and the Dogs

Stream of consciousness narration is described as “a type of fiction in which the basic emphasis is placed on the exploration of the pre-speech levels of consciousness for the purpose, principally, or revealing the psychic beings of the characters”. This form of narration places emphasis on the thought pattern of an individual and immerses the reader in the innermost thoughts of the character. Through this narration the reader is exposed to the character’s emotions and thoughts in an unfiltered manner, thereby adding depth to the character.

Through an intricate intertwining of realism and stream of consciousness, Naguib Mahfouz establishes and explores his main character Said and his perception of reality in the novel The Thief and the Dogs. Mahfouz employs stream of consciousness narration in order to giving the reader insight into Said’s inner conflicts. To quote one of our readings that I think put it best:  “Access to Said Mahran’s internal experiences enhances the reader’s understanding of his external reality.”

Stream of consciousness narrative also gives the reader a clearer idea of the emotional stability or instability in the case of Said Mahran. In the first chapter of the novel Said ponders that its likely his daughter does not know anything about him however, when faced with her eventual rejection his reasoning and logic become irrational as he feels that Sana rejected and betrayed him. This reaction seen within Said’s thoughts hints at how he may react to similar situations later in the novel. When Said ventures to find his old friend and mentor Raush and discovers that his socio-economic status has been elevated, he once again jumps to hasty conclusions. In this interaction between mentor and student, Said’s previous feelings of paranoia and distrust resurface as he feels that Rauf has also betrayed him. Mahfouz’s style of an alternating narrative voice prompts the reader to establish a closer connection with Said and evokes a deeper sense of sympathy than what may have been achieved through a simple third or first person narration. However as the novel progresses, this sympathetic connection is tested as Said’s thoughts become irrational and his actions become morally unacceptable to the reader.

While this narrative technique does give the novel a unique flair, it also comes with some limitations. The reader’s perception of characters and events can become highly skewed due to the biased portrayal in Said’s thoughts. The reader is never given the opportunity to experience the story from another character’s perspective and therefore their perception of reality within the novel is tainted by Said’s obvious and strong bias. As seen in the novel, it can be difficult to attain an unbiased perspective of certain characters such as Nabawiyya whom Said describes as “that woman who sprang from filth, from vermin, from treachery and infidelity”.

Both Mahfouz and Achebe utilize a distinct form of storytelling in their novels. Mahfouz uses stream of consciousness narration which presents the reader with a highly subjective perception of reality within the novel. While there is some use of an unbiased third person narrative voice, the reader is generally left to establish events and characters through the eyes of Said Mahran. On the other hand Achebe employs third person narration throughout his novel which creates a different effect for the reader. This allows Achebe to present an unbiased view of the story and furthermore allows the reader to make their own moral judgement instead of relying on that of the narrator or a specific character.  Achebe makes it very clear that Okonkwo is a flawed character through the unbiased narrative form. However, the narrative technique used by Mahfouz does not necessarily highlight the flaws of Said but instead leaves the reader to establish this for themselves.

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Texts in Translation

 “So many people consider their work a daily punishment. Whereas I love my work as a translator. Translation is a journey over a sea from one shore to the other. Sometimes I think of myself as a smuggler: I cross the frontier of language with my booty of words, ideas, images, and metaphors.”    -Amara Lakhous

As part of the International Baccalaureate, our courses constantly provide opportunities to assume a perspective that differs from our own. In Language and Literature this opportunity arises in the form of studying one text in translation.  As demonstrated in the above quote by translator Amara Lakhous, the practice of translation is truly an art. A translator is tasked with transforming an entire text while simultaneously remaining true to the author and their style and intentions. However, this can sometimes be quite difficult as a translator always brings their own unique personal style when approaching a text. When Feng Tang published his translation of poems by Rabindranath Tagore he was faced with heavy criticism for some his word choices. Some felt that his translation had disgraced the original poet while Tang himself felt that he was merely suggesting a different reality regarding the poems. However, despite the difficulties posed, translated literature is highly valuable in our world today. Translated literature from Arabic about an Arab city can provide a wider audience with a particular insight that would most likely prove difficult to capture in English. Many stories are often left untold due to the fact they are originally told in only one language. However, by translating literary texts these stories may travel the world and reach a more global audience.

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Practice Paper 1

              Text 1 is a newspaper article titled "Squatters Take On Developers" by Benjamin Shors, published on October 15, 2007.  This text type may be identified through the informative nature of the article. In contrast, Text 2 is an advertisement for a summer cruise published in 1922 for "The Great White Fleet". The persuasive techniques evident within this text are indicative of a typical advertisement. While both texts address the main theme of expansion, they have contrasting purposes and utilize stylistic and structural features in an opposing manner.

             Both texts address audiences of a similar socio-economic status whom may be interested in vacationing in the Caribbean. Text 2 is advertising "Reduced rates for summer cruises" which insinuates that the intended audience is not the truly wealthy nor the lower class but instead the upper middle class. Furthermore, the text emphasizes that the cruises "cost you no more than your annual vacation to seashore or mountains".  Likewise, Text 1 is also addressing an upper middle class audience that possesses an excess of money that is necessary in order to allow them to consider purchasing a home in Panama.  However, taking into consideration the historical context of each text it is clear that the audiences would have different views on the expansion of the tourism industry. While the audience of Text 1 would be able to sympathize with the plight of the native Panama residents, the audience of Text 2 is less likely to be considerate of the ramifications of expansion into the Caribbean. This distinction is due to the time period in which each text was produced and the social considerations that have developed since the publishing of Text 2 in 1922.

            Text 1 and Text 2 have completely different purposes in terms of what they aim to achieve. Text 1 aims to evoke sympathy and reveal a corporate social injustice that is occurring in Panama as a consequence of expansion. This can be deduced by examining the use of the testimonial of Nicasio Jimenez that serves as the introduction to the article and is continually addressed throughout. In contrast, Text 2 is attempting to persuade its target audience to go on a summer cruise thereby contributing to the very industry that served as the cause for the plight highlighted in Text 1. This idea of persuasion stems from the advertisement's use of various persuasive devices and techniques.

            These texts are alike in that they both address the main overarching theme of expansion. However, the texts approach the topic from contrasting perspectives. Text 1 addresses the theme of expansion by informing the audience of the negative consequences it has had to the poor natives of Panama. The author is direct in his approach to the matter as he states  that "The size of the new developments threaten to displace hundreds of low-income island residents", thereby placing emphasis on the negative ramifications of the expansion of the tourism industry into Panama. On the other hand, Text 2 views the idea of expansion into the Caribbean as an exciting opportunity that should be utilized, holding little to no concern about the consequences this may have for the natives. The advertisement lists "Jamaica, Cuba, Panama Canal, Central America, Columbian Ports" as an assortment of opportunities that the audience may visit by booking a cruise with The Great White Fleet.

            Despite a similar theme, the content of Text 1 and Text 2 differs greatly. Text 2 discusses details about the cruises such as the length and the price. It goes on to then inform the audience of why they should go on a cruise by first stating the weather in the different ports and then highlighting certain aspects of the ships such as "Extra large staterooms" and "A cuisine noteworthy for its excellence". At the bottom of the advertisement there is an image of men and women on one of the cruise boats. In contrast, Text 1 begins by telling the story of a 61 year old retired banana pruner and the threat that he facing from foreign investors as "Jimenez's family faces eviction from a Naples developer who claims he bought the property from a third party". The article then goes further by addressing the larger conflict that has arisen due to this clash between native resident and foreign developers.

            Both texts follow the common structure and conventions of their particular text type. Text 1 uses a larger heading "Squatters Take On Developers" as is commonly seen in newspaper articles. It also features nine short paragraphs that are generally concise in order to maintain the attention of the reader. Similarly, Text 2 follows the traditional conventions of an advertisement by featuring a combination of images, text, and headings that are used in order to persuade the audience and to advertise a product.

            However, Text 1 and Text 2 utilize different stylistic and structural features in order to achieve their purpose. Text 1 uses a testimonial in order to give the larger conflict of expansion a more personal feel that the reader may relate to. Furthermore, there is strong use of ethos as the author draws on the reader's sense of ethics in order to convince them that this is a morally and ethically unjust situation. The quote "Developers and speculators will use any means necessary to get the land from the people" insinuates that developers may be going outside of the law to deal with this issue thereby creating a sense of ethical wrongness and playing off the reader's personal morals. Moreover, Text 1 uses descriptive imagery in order to evoke sympathy from the reader by creating a bond between the audience and Nicasio Jimenez. This is seen directly in the introduction as the author describes how Jimenez "built two listing shacks with mangrove beams, a roof of scavenged tin, and rough floor planks that allowed Caribbean breezes and tsetse flies to flit through the cracks". In contrast, Text 2 utilizes a combination of images and persuasive techniques in order to achieve its aim. The image is placed at the bottom of the advertisement in order to allow the reader to visualize themselves as the people in the image. Also, the people in the image are well dressed which creates an association between The Great White Fleet and this idea of wealth and social class. Moreover, "Reduced rates for summer cruises" is in a large bold font of all capital letters in order to catch the attention of the reader and create appeal for the product being sold.

            In conclusion, both Text 1 and Text 2 address the theme of expansion however, Text 2 is promoting the tourism industry that seems to be the cause for the issues raised by Text 1. The texts have contrasting purposes and content but address a somewhat similar audience. Overall, these two texts exemplify a cause and effect relationship that is seen over a period of many decades as Text 1 highlights the negative consequences of the very industry  being promoted in Text 1. 

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Practice Paper 1 Introduction

       Text 1 is a newspaper article titled "Squatters Take On Developers" by Benjamin Shors, published on October 15, 2007.  This text type may be identified through the informative nature of the article. In contrast, Text 2 is an advertisement for a summer cruise published in 1922 for "The Great White Fleet". The persuasive techniques evident within this text are indicative of a typical advertisement. While both texts address the main theme of expansion, they have contrasting purposes and utilize stylistic and structural features in an opposing manner.

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