TATD Said Mahran Characterization- Blog Post

Chapter 12: Page 112-113

Passage 

It's you, Rauf, you're behind all this!" Almost all the papers had dropped his case, all, by this time, except _al-Zahra_. It was still busy raking up the past, goading the police; by trying so hard to kill him, in fact, it was making a national hero of him. Rauf Ilwan would never rest until the noose was round his neck and Rauf had all the forces of repression: the law. 

_And you. Does your ruined life have any meaning at all unless it is to kill your enemies--Ilish Sidra, whereabouts unknown, and Rauf Ilwan, in his mansion of steel? What meaning will there have been to your life if you fail to teach your enemies a lesson? No power on earth will prevent the punishing of the dogs! That's right! No power on earth!_ 

"Rauf Ilwan," Said pleaded aloud, "tell me how it is that time can bring such terrible changes to people!" _Not just a revolutionary student, but revolution personified as a student. Your stirring voice, pitching itself downward towards my ears as I sat at my father's feet in the courtyard of the building, with a force to awaken the very soul. And you'd talk about princes and pashas, transforming those fine gentlemen with your magic into mere thieves. And to see you on the Mudiriyya Road, striding out amidst your men you called your equal as they munched their sugar cane in their flowing galabiyyas, when your voice would reach such a pitch that it seemed to flow right over the field and make the palm tree bow before it-- unforgettable. Yes, there was a strange power in you that I found nowhere else, not even in Sheikh Ali al-Junaydi._ 

_That's how you were, Rauf. To you alone goes the credit for my father enrolling me in school. You'd roar with delighted laughter at my successes. "Do you see now?" you'd say to my father, "You didn't even want him to get an education. Just you look at those eyes of his; he's going to shake things to their foundations!" You taught me to love reading. You discussed everything with me, as if I were your equal. I was one of your listeners--at the foot of the same tree where the history of my love began--and the times themselves were listening to you too: "The people! Theft! The holy fire! The rich! Hunger! Justice! 

Analysis 

The passage was taken from Chapter 12 (page 112-113) from the novel “The Thief and the Dogs”. The extract expresses the protagonist Said Mahran’s feeling of betrayal and resentment to his ex-freind and mentor Rauf Illwan who has abandoned his principles of being a thief, instead he has become a journalist; which evidently fills Said with disgust and disappointment in his old friends lack of fidelity to him and what he used to believe in. This is seen through Naguib Mahfouz’s use of adopting a stream of consciousness that presents the readers with an opportunity to gain a broader understanding on Said’s internal struggle through these interior monologues that are commonly featured throughout the novel. Said angrily expresses his old memories with Rauf, that is no longer fills him with a reminiscent feeling that brings joy; but instead, anger and resentment that fuels his need to seek vengeance for what they have done to him.

Said’s statement “It's you, Rauf, you're behind all this!” is significant to characterizing the protagonist, throughout the novel, the readers are able to identify how Said will shift his issues on other people, ultimately trying to shift the blame for his poor decisions on other. A characteristic that help identifies him as a tragic hero, and this being his “Hubris”.  Another significant statement by Said was "Rauf Ilwan," Said pleaded aloud, "tell me how it is that time can bring such terrible changes to people!" _Not just a revolutionary student, but revolution personified as a student.” which indicates the change with Rauf, at his transition from a revolutionist to becoming conforming to what he once taught Said to fight against. Naguib Mahfouz stated “I subjected the main character, Sayyid Mahran, to all my confusion, my perplexities” and this is evident within the relationship shared between Rauf and Said, Naguib confusion with Gamal Abdul Nasser’s deviation from what the revolution was focal around mirror Said’s confusion with Rauf Illwans devotion of what he solemnly believed in. He personifies Rauf, and this demonstrates the deep-rooted anger that Said is feeling. 

The final lines of the passage provide the audience with a deeper understanding of the relationship between Rauf and Said, “You taught me to love reading. You discussed everything with me as if I were your equal. I was one of your listeners--at the foot of the same tree where the history of my love began--and the times themselves were listening to you too: "The people! Theft! The holy fire! The rich! Hunger! Justice!” the quote by Said further enhances the relationship they shared, however, it also discusses how Naguib’s external feelings to what was happening during the story was written.