Tragic Hero

1- What is Said's tragic flaw? (Harmatia)

Said's tragic flaw is that he is unable to except his own wrong doings. He has the tendency to constantly blame others, even when the blame is on him. Throughout the novel we are presented with several moments where Said blames those who he used to be close to ( Ilish, Nabawiyya and Rauf) for all of the pain and suffering he was facing. This is shown through several of Said's direct interior monologues. An example of is displayed in the first chapter:

“ Nabawiyya. Ilish. Your two names merge in my mind. For years you will have been thinking about this day, never imagining, all the while, that the gates would ever actually open. You'll be watching now, but I won't fall into the trap. At the right moment, instead, I'll strike like Fate.”

It is through this example that we can view how Said blames them, regardless of the fact that it was his own actions that landed him in jail.

2- How does he display excessive pride? (Hubris)

Said tends to obtain excessive pride (he places himself and his actions on a pedestal),and degrades others. He displays it through his drive to seek revenge on those who had hurt him, this was to be done so through carrying out his revenge plan. Through his plan he hoped to seek vengeance on the individuals who had betrayed him. This plan consisted of murdering those individuals one by one. This is displayed in chapter seven:

“To kill them both – Nabawiyya and Ilish- at the same time would be a triumph. Even better would be to settle with Rauf Ilwan, too, then escape, go abroad if possible”

3- When is his reversal of fortunes? (Peripeteia)

Said's reversal of fortunes is presented towards the end of the novel in chapter 18:

“Give yourself up” a triumphant voice shouted. “It's no use resisting” … Sure that the enormous and irregular multitude of the tombs prevented them from actually seeing him, Said made no movement. He had decided on death”

In this moment Said had realized that not only was he out numbered but he had also come to terms with the fact that not only was he going to die but he himself had chosen death. Hence displaying Said's reversal of fortunes, rather than him hunting down individuals and murdering them the police were now hunting him down. Just as Said stated in chapter 14 “A world without morals is like a universe without gravity.” he carried out immoral acts and now the universe had caught up with him, there is no gravity.

4- At what moments in the text does he recognize that the reversal was due to his own actions? (Anagnorisis)

The moment In which Said has recognized that the reversal was due to his own actions was when he was being chased by the police in the cemetery. Within that instant in chapter 18 it stated :

“He pressed his back against a tomb and took out his gun, staring out into the darkness resignedly. There it was. The dogs had come at last and there was no hope left. The scoundrels were safe, if only for a while. His life had made its last utterance, saying that it had all been in vain”

Said had realized that his life was coming to an end, that everything he had been doing since his release from prison would have “all been in vain” as he was not going to be around to bask in his glory and finally be with his daughter with out the ones he despised.

5- Is his fate greater than he deserved? (Nemesis)

Said Mahran's fate was not greater than he deserved, prior to his sentencing Said had been carrying out terrible deeds. You would think that after being imprisoned for four years he would learn a few things! Regardless of his past and what he had to go through Said made the decision that he would follow through with his plan, despite the fact that if he were to be caught in the process he could have faced the possibility of going away for a much longer time or even never being released again.

The Thief and the dogs passage analysis

But had he managed to kill Rauf Ilwan? And who had shot at him from inside the garden? Let's hope you didn't hit some other poor innocent fellow like before. And Rauf must surely have been killed- you never miss, as you used to demonstrate in target practice out in the desert beyond the hill. Yes, now you can write a letter to the papers: “Why I killed Rauf Ilwan.” That will give back the meaning your life has lost : the bullet that killed Rauf Ilwan will at the same time have destroyed your sense of loss, of waste. A world without morals is like a universe without gravity. I want nothing, long for nothing more than to die a death that has some meaning to it.

Nur came home worn out, carrying food and drink. She kissed him as usual and smiled a greeting, but her eyes suddenly fastened on his uniform trousers. She put her parcel on the sofa, picked them up, and held them out to him.

Said noticed it for the first time, “It's just a minor wound,” showing her his leg. “I hit it on the door of a taxi.”

Analysis:

This extract is from the fourteenth chapter within the novel, throughout this chapter various important events take place that assist us in painting a much clearer picture of the protagonist, Said . During the beginning of this chapter Said had decided that he would continue his revenge plot, the best way he could do so was murdering Rauf. As Said was about to pull the trigger at Rauf he had been ambushed and was now standing in a war zone. Said manages to escape facing death, and heads to Nur's apartment. Once safe and out of harms way Said begins to reflect on the past few days events, and it is within this moment that as the readers we begin to obtain a first glimpse of Said having a conscious.

The text begins with an interior monologue where the author states “But had he managed to kill Rauf Ilwan? And who had shot at him from inside the garden?”, the author his brining up some very important questions in regards to what had occurred at Rauf's home and Said's unsuccessful attempt at committing murder. The texts jumps straight into a direct interior monologue, it is throughout the next few lines that as the audience we get the privilege of getting to slowly see Said reveal that he is consciously aware of what he has been doing the consequences that follow. This was not his first rodeo show, Said was trying to glue the pieces together of the evenings events. Whilst at the same time he was hoping that he “didn't hit some other poor innocent fellow like before” displaying that Said was well aware of what he was doing and that deep down he did care for the safety and well being of others just not the ones who had betrayed and hurt him.

Said begins to doubt himself and tries to assure himself that he had succeeded in his mission, in order to keep himself content he bring's up the past as somewhat of a coping mechanism. Said briefly mentions “ And Rauf must surely have been killed- you never miss, as you used to demonstrate in target practice out in the desert beyond the hill.” hence indicating that he is trying to persuade himself that there is no way that Rauf could have survived as he never missed during target practice. The murder of Rauf symbolized something special for Said, it symbolised that through murdering someone he used to cherish deeply and look up to, it would create a new meaning for his life. The life that he lost, the life that included him rotting away in a jail cell for four years whilst his little girl grew up with out her father, alongside his wife leaving him to be with his best friend.

Said follows up his statement through mentioning “ A world without morals is like a universe without gravity.”, this statement is quote ironic as Said does exactly the opposite of what he had said. Ever since his release from prison, Said had been committing felonies that all fell under the category of breaking moral code, at the same time not only was he breaking his moral code he was also just repeating his old habits. Said had entered prison a certain way and left without one hair out of place, he never changed, he never gave up his unhealthy ways. 

Narrative Structure Analytical Post

Why does Mahfouz employ stream of consciousness narration in the novel and to what effect?

The novel ' The Thief and the Dogs' by Naguib Mahfouz is best known as being his first novel to break free from his continuous string of realist fiction novels. This is just one example of how he has popularized Arab literature with western audiences, alongside that Mahfouz was the first Arab to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988. His novel truly pioneered psychological realism in Arabic fiction.

The events of the novel are set post Egyptian revolution 1952,In order to obtain a much deeper and richer understanding for the novel and it's context, Mahfouz uses the stream of consciousness technique. This technique not only allows us to delve into the protagonist, Said's inner emotions and thoughts but it also provides us with the opportunity to obtain an understanding as to why such feelings and actions were carried out. As the audience in order for us to grasp a much more complete understanding of the novel and it's characters and events, being provided with the opportunity to access Said Mahran's internal experiences enhances the readers understanding of his internal reality. Alongside this stream of consciousness Mahfouz uses both third person and Said's inner monologues (displayed in italics), obtaining such an alternation within the text is very useful to us as the readers because we are presented with an opportunity in which we have the privilege to observe the protagonists thoughts and feelings evolve with the turn of each page.

The novel tends to switch between narrative techniques, as the readers we are presented with an array of narrative techniques such as indirect, direct internal monologues to soliloquy's. Such techniques are displayed throughout the entire novel, an example would be in the first chapter of the novel when Said is first released from prison. The chapter starts off with providing us with an instance of Said's thoughts, which later progresses on to a soliloquy. In that moment Said is thinking of the two who had betrayed and hurt him the most, Nabawiyya and Ilish ( his ex-wife and ex-friend). It is through the transition from one narrative technique to another that we are able to view the various perspectives present in the novel, we are also able to view how his thoughts slowly begin to display to us how they play a major role in expressing and portraying his external conflicts and how his surroundings influence him.

Although the novel is translated from Arabic to English it still bears the same concepts and ideas, however they just have a little bit of a twist mixed in there. In the Arabic version of the novel it did not contain any italics, however in the English version the novel is filled with italics as they represent the switch between the narrative techniques. Such techniques assists in enhancing our knowledge regarding the importance of Said's perspective and how that through the shift between each and every narrative technique we are able to see how Said progressed and grows both emotionally and mentally. This can be shown in the novel that how in the first few chapters Said had only been stating that he would seek vengeance on those who had done him wrong, but as the novel progressed through chapter to chapter we slowly begin to see that rather merely stating that he would seek vengeance Said had reached to a climax in which he resorted to murdering those whom had betrayed him.

Naguib Mahfouz was an impeccable writer who's work had not only raised awareness about particular issues that had risen through the world around the time they were written, but he also had done so in way that allowed for us to see the difference and truly get to piece the puzzle together and figure out things on our own.

The Thief And The Dogs

The characterization of Said is interesting because of the narrative voices adopted by the writer. The narrative alternates between third person and Said’s interior monologues. We are therefore given privileged access to Said’s thoughts and feelings, which perhaps invites us to identify with him more closely than we might otherwise have done. This identification is tested as the novel progresses and Said’s actions become less acceptable to us. Looking closely at the content of Chapter 1 write a brief analysis of Said’s character using evidence from the text. What techniques doe Mahfouz use to characterize Said? How do they relate to his narrative style?

In the first chapter of “The Thief and the dogs” we are introduced to the protagonist Said, whom has just been released from a four year sentence in prison. He is filled with betrayal and treachery, it is these emotions that have led him to desire to seek revenge on those who were the source of his pain and misery. As he states on page 153 “I swear I hate you all.” majority of Said's hatred is directed towards his ex-wife Nabawiyya, he refers to her as “that woman who sprang from filth, from vermin, from treachery and infidelity.”. Regardless of how he feels towards his ex-wife he always seems to have a soft spot for his little girl Sana. On page 152 it reads,“As the thought of her crossed his mind. The heat and the dust, the hatred and the pain all disappeared, leaving only love to glow across a soul as clear as a rain-washed sky.” hence displaying that no matter what he is facing/dealing with the mere thought of his daughter will always soothe him and calm him down.

Through the use of stream of consciousness ( a literary style that allows for the characters thoughts, feelings and reactions to be presented in an uninterrupted manner) as the readers we are capable of comprehending Said's actions and his true thoughts and feelings not only about himself and his actions but also his perception of the other characters within the novel. Hence providing us with the opportunity to delve into Said's thoughts and conscious. Through doing so we are able to understand Said more and truly understand what motivates him and how he is feeling in a specific moment. Alongside this stream of consciousness Mahfouz uses both third person and Said's inner monologues ( displayed in italics), obtaining such an alternation within the text is very useful to us as the readers because we are presented with an opportunity in which we have the privilege to observe the protagonists thoughts and feelings evolve with the turn of each page.

The way in which Said views himself is nothing but interesting, he sort of has a love hate relationship with himself. As the events of the novel progresses Said is placed in sceneries that leave him conflicted and angered. Alongside this as the readers we too obtain somewhat of an odd relationship with Said, at times we sympathise with him ( when his daughter did not desire to accept him as her father) and other times we despise him ( when he decides to punish those whom he blamed for his misery.)

Value of Literature in Translation

Not every society or culture obtains the ability or capability in understanding a vast majority of literary works. Not every individual on planet earth can read or understand every single literary work that is known to man, whether it be a poem, novel, short story, etc.. This is simply due to language barriers, this issue restricts many us from further enhancing our knowledge regarding other countries and their cultures. This is where translators come in, translators assist us by allowing through providing us with the opportunity to be conscious of what is occurring in our world on a much deeper and informative level. Alongside this not only are we capable of obtaining a deeper understanding we are also able to acquire both sympathy and empathy for what each country and culture are subjected to.

Translators do their best to ensure that they cover the original text, however that is not the case every single time as the majority of the time, thing change. Translations of a literary work depends on the translators interpretation of the text that is in front of them, they decide on which elements remain and which must be removed. Despite the fact that translators translate the information based on their interpretations of what they are presented with it allows us an opportunity to understand how they articulate their thinking and what they view as beneficial and essential. There are instances when translators are given quite hard times for their translated work as majority of the time the country/ culture that they come from tends to view their interpretation of a text that is relative to their home country as insulting, shocking and disrespectful. In the article ' Lost in translation' best selling Chinese author Feng Tang had received a lot of public scrutiny, in regards to his translation of “ Stray Birds” his work was labelled “vulgar selfie” alongside him being called a “ “hormone obsessed” writer with a “colossal insecurity””

Despite being called names and having their work insulted by others, translators remain to translate texts. They do so as through translating particular texts they are displaying the truth about certain people and issues that create chaos and madness in our world. In spite of swimming against the current and facing the slander of their opposers translators provide the world with the opportunity to not only be able to remain up to date with what is commencing globally but also providing the citizens of the planet with the chance to educate themselves about the different countries and their cultures.

Things Fall Apart Thesis Statements and Outline

1. In at least two literary texts that you have studied, to what extent has an awareness of context enriched or enhanced your understanding?

Thesis statement:

Being set in an era that was prior to the Nigerian independence 'Things Fall Apart' allows the reader to get a glimpse into the strict social structure and cultural conflict that the protagonist struggles with. Whilst at the same time, the subjectivity of the Igbo society as a whole to the European colonizers religion, social and cultural structure is highlighted. Enriched understanding is created through the use of contrasting characters, view points and beliefs.

Topic sentence 1:

Due to the context of the book being set pre Nigerian Independence, the development of the historical, cultural and social contexts are displayed.

- The Igbo society's way of life prior to their colonization

- The Igbo people were subjected to an entire new religion (Christianity was introduced)

- Igbo values and traditions were undermined my their colonizers

Topic sentence 2:

The novel revolves around the genre of “realist fiction”, hence allowing the capability of thoughts and conclusions to be drawn.

- Igbo society's lives are portrayed through the lens of realist fiction, both social and political events are addressed ( the Igbo's way of gathering, their judicial system)

2. With reference to at least two literary texts that you have studied, how does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose?

Thesis statement:

Achebe deviates from the conventions of a stereotypical expectation of a fiction genre based novel, rather he integrates the genre of 'realist fiction' throughout his novel, in doing so, it assists in the creation of a rich novel. Through the use of realist fiction, it allows the readers the capability to draw their own thoughts and conclusions about the novel, by doing so Achebe presents the lives of the Igbo society through the lens of realist fiction, he is able to highlight certain aspects of our contemporary lives such as social and political events. Alongside that, Achebe is capable of depicting both the worlds of the Igbo society, and the European colonizers.

Topic sentence 1:

Through Achebe presenting his novel in a non bias form, not only does it allow the readers to uphold a true perspective of both the Igbo society and the European colonizers but also it displays the truth.

- The Igbo society had their culture and traditions stripped away from them by the colonizers

- Gender inequality – still present in the 21^st century, displays the realities in which Achebe was capable of embedding throughout his novel in order to give his readers a better sense of the Igbo reality.

Topic sentence 2:

Achebe displays the positives and negative aspects of the Igbo society, he further enhances the realism of his novel and achieved cultural authenticity.

- Positive – display of the contradicting cultures, readers are able to compose their thoughts regarding both parties involved

-Negative- lack of acquiring various characters perspectives,

- Judgement, Igbo people are portrayed in a way that they are looked down upon as innocent civilians whereas the colonizers are portrayed in a negative light