Chapter 11
Passage: And then your mother died. You almost died yourself during your mother's illness, as Rauf Ilwan must surely remember, from that unforgettable day when she had hemorrhaged and you had rushed her to the nearest hospital, the Sabir hospital, standing like a castle amidst beautiful grounds, where you found yourself and your mother in a reception hall at an entrance more luxurious than anything you could ever have imagined possible. The entire place seemed forbidding, even hostile, but you were in the direst need of help, immediate help._
As the famous doctor was coming out of a room, they mentioned his name and you raced towards him in your gallabeya and sandals, shouting, "My mother! The blood!"_ _The man had fixed you in a glassy, disapproving stare and had glanced where your mother was lying, stretched out in her filthy dress on a soft couch, a foreign nurse standing nearby, observing the scene. Then the doctor had simply disappeared, saying nothing. The nurse jabbered something in a language you did not understand, though you sensed she was expressing sympathy for your tragedy. At that point, for all your youth, you flew into a real adult's rage, screaming and cursing in protest, smashing a chair to the floor with a crash, so the veneer wood on its back broke to pieces. A horde of servants had appeared and you'd soon found yourself and your mother alone in the tree-lined road outside. A month later your mother had died in Kasr al-Aini hospital._
All the time she lay close to death she never released your hand, refusing to take her eyes off you. It was during that long month of illness, however, that you stole for the first time--from the country boy resident in the hostel, who'd accused you without any investigation and was beating you vigorously when Rauf Ilwan turned up and freed you, settling the matter without any further complications. You were a true human being then, Rauf, and you were my teacher too._
This passage from Naguib Mahfouz’s The Thief and the Dogs is from chapter 11 of the novel. Throughout the novel, the character Said becomes more and more unlikable to the reader due to his actions and thoughts, therefore Mahfouz had to employ occasional flashbacks to events prior to the novel to make Said a more relatable and his actions more justifiable. One great example of this is Said’s mother’s rejection from an upper class hospital after suffering from a hemorrhage. Said’s mother is rejected from the luxurious Sabir hospital and later dies in an underfunded hospital. Throughout this passage we firstly see what sparked Said’s resentment for the rich, rigid class structures and authority. This makes Said’s later actions against Rauf, the police and members of the upper class more understandable despite still being unethical. For example the lines “when Rauf Ilwan turned up and freed you, settling the matter without any further complications. You were a true human being then, Rauf, and you were my teacher too.” contrast the present day when Rauf is a rich member of the upper class and hence justifies Said’s hate for him as it makes Rauf seem like a hypocrite and someone who is willing to give up his personal beliefs for the sake of personal financial gain. Said also refers to Rauf as a true human being, contrasting the animal imagery of calling Rauf a dog that happens throughout the rest of the novel. This makes Rauf’s betrayal seem even more malicious and hurtful to Said, as Said once considered him a mentor and teacher. Secondly the passage deeply explores the loving relationship between that of mother and son. Prior to this passage Said had just murdered another human being, strongly alienating him from the reader, making him seem non relatable and evil. Hence by exploring the very human and relatable relationship of mother and son Said is able to slightly redeem himself in the eyes of the audience. “All the time she lay close to death she never released your hand, refusing to take her eyes off you.” This loving version of Said almost serves as a foil to the current aggressive and violent Said, which not only emphasises the current emotionally damaged state of Said but also justifies why he has become so violent and aggressive towards those around him. In conclusion this text makes Said’s character more relatable and his motives/ideologies more clear and justified.
Passage: And then your mother died. You almost died yourself during your mother's illness, as Rauf Ilwan must surely remember, from that unforgettable day when she had hemorrhaged and you had rushed her to the nearest hospital, the Sabir hospital, standing like a castle amidst beautiful grounds, where you found yourself and your mother in a reception hall at an entrance more luxurious than anything you could ever have imagined possible. The entire place seemed forbidding, even hostile, but you were in the direst need of help, immediate help._
As the famous doctor was coming out of a room, they mentioned his name and you raced towards him in your gallabeya and sandals, shouting, "My mother! The blood!"_ _The man had fixed you in a glassy, disapproving stare and had glanced where your mother was lying, stretched out in her filthy dress on a soft couch, a foreign nurse standing nearby, observing the scene. Then the doctor had simply disappeared, saying nothing. The nurse jabbered something in a language you did not understand, though you sensed she was expressing sympathy for your tragedy. At that point, for all your youth, you flew into a real adult's rage, screaming and cursing in protest, smashing a chair to the floor with a crash, so the veneer wood on its back broke to pieces. A horde of servants had appeared and you'd soon found yourself and your mother alone in the tree-lined road outside. A month later your mother had died in Kasr al-Aini hospital._
All the time she lay close to death she never released your hand, refusing to take her eyes off you. It was during that long month of illness, however, that you stole for the first time--from the country boy resident in the hostel, who'd accused you without any investigation and was beating you vigorously when Rauf Ilwan turned up and freed you, settling the matter without any further complications. You were a true human being then, Rauf, and you were my teacher too._
This passage from Naguib Mahfouz’s The Thief and the Dogs is from chapter 11 of the novel. Throughout the novel, the character Said becomes more and more unlikable to the reader due to his actions and thoughts, therefore Mahfouz had to employ occasional flashbacks to events prior to the novel to make Said a more relatable and his actions more justifiable. One great example of this is Said’s mother’s rejection from an upper class hospital after suffering from a hemorrhage. Said’s mother is rejected from the luxurious Sabir hospital and later dies in an underfunded hospital. Throughout this passage we firstly see what sparked Said’s resentment for the rich, rigid class structures and authority. This makes Said’s later actions against Rauf, the police and members of the upper class more understandable despite still being unethical. For example the lines “when Rauf Ilwan turned up and freed you, settling the matter without any further complications. You were a true human being then, Rauf, and you were my teacher too.” contrast the present day when Rauf is a rich member of the upper class and hence justifies Said’s hate for him as it makes Rauf seem like a hypocrite and someone who is willing to give up his personal beliefs for the sake of personal financial gain. Said also refers to Rauf as a true human being, contrasting the animal imagery of calling Rauf a dog that happens throughout the rest of the novel. This makes Rauf’s betrayal seem even more malicious and hurtful to Said, as Said once considered him a mentor and teacher. Secondly the passage deeply explores the loving relationship between that of mother and son. Prior to this passage Said had just murdered another human being, strongly alienating him from the reader, making him seem non relatable and evil. Hence by exploring the very human and relatable relationship of mother and son Said is able to slightly redeem himself in the eyes of the audience. “All the time she lay close to death she never released your hand, refusing to take her eyes off you.” This loving version of Said almost serves as a foil to the current aggressive and violent Said, which not only emphasises the current emotionally damaged state of Said but also justifies why he has become so violent and aggressive towards those around him. In conclusion this text makes Said’s character more relatable and his motives/ideologies more clear and justified.
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