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.)