Fate and Free Will

Mahfouz illustrates how fate is a major determiner of one’s happiness in life as he is able to include foil characters such as Nur in order to highlight the significance of her fate as a prostitute. Also, the fact that Said ends up killing multiple of innocent character further intensifies the overarching theme of faith overriding free will within the novel. This means it is important to take into consideration the circumstance of being born into the middle class in contrast to those that are not. For example, Said’s fate of not being an intellectual unlike Rauf, further creates tension within the plot as it heightens the climax.

It is also important to understand how because of his social class, he always attempts on gaining freedom through violence and revenge. His emotional and mentality will never allow him to feel free because he always feels betrayed of which is expressed through his inner monologue uses through the stream of consciousness narrative that allows him to articulate this sense of paranoia essentially for the sake of portraying his thoughts on economic injustice. It is his fate that he is not free to write what he wants causing this to be very allegorical however, Said put himself in such a position through his free will- essentially coming back to this endless loop cycle of hatred and revenge.

Paper 2 Outline

Create a Paper 2 Essay outline for BOTH PROMPTS complete with a thesis statement, topic sentences, and evidence.

1) Pride can lead to failure and self-destruction or to accomplishment and self-fulfillment. Discuss the presentation of pride and its consequences in at least two of the works you have studied.

Thesis: Within both novels Things Fall Apart and The Thief and the dogs, the protagonists such as Said and Okonkwo are depicted as characters that are controlled by their pride, inevitably leading to their own self destruction. Mahfouz chooses to portray the psychological projection of the protagonist that intensifies the instability and gradual mental deterioration of Said as he ends up breaking relationships with his loved ones. Analogously, Achebe chooses to depict the fearless nature of Okonkwo where his charisma is driven by his hamartia of which prevents him from conforming to his cultural values, inevitably leading to colonialism.

TS1:Although both authors express this through different contextual lens, both protagonist are characterized as aggressive male figures in order to showcase plot points that enhance the impact of actions in the present.

Evidence: 

- Okonkwo giving his wife a beating

- Said's multiple killing of secondary characters

TS2: Even though Said is characterized as a more sensitive figure, both protagonists use foil characters to contrast with the protagonist's persona, ultimately developing their own downfall.

  Evidence:

- Mr. Smith in contrast with Okonkwo

- Rauf in contrast with Said

TS3: Although both authors are influenced by their background, the pride of both characters inevitably led to the destruction of their own self actualization.

Evidence:

- Arrival of missionaries  that led to Okonkwo killing himself

- Said disappearing after Nur (Final chapter)

2) How are challenges to authority presented in the two works you have studied, and what impact have such challenges had on readers or audiences? 

Thesis: Within both novels Things Fall Apart and The Thief and the dogs are written during key historical moments of Egyptian revolution and the time of African colonization meaning, challenges being presented include poverty, hierarchy class and revolt. This impacts the audiences perception of the specific time period this was written in as it is understood through an authentic style.

TS1: In the beginning of both novels, we are introduced to a traditional setting that reinforces the specific themes of cultural tradition and revolution.

Evidence:

- Igbo huts that is first introduced in TFA

- The jail Said is found in at first

TS2: Even though Achebe focuses on gender equality, towards the middle of both novels, the audience are able to recognize the hierarchal class that creates tension between secondary characters and both protagonists within TFA and TTATD.

- The relationship between Rauf and Said

- The relationship of Okonkwo and his wives

TS3: Towards the end of the novel, the audience are able to appreciate the characters downfall with the advantage of their inner monologue.

- The death of Said

-  The death of Okonkwo

TTATD Said Passage Analysis

"The thought choked him with despair, not merely because he would soon lose a safe hiding place, but because he also knew he'd lost affection and companionship as well. He saw her there in the dark before him--Nur, with all her smiles and fun-making, her love and her unhappiness--and the terrible depression he felt made him aware that she had penetrated much deeper within him than he had imagined, that she had become a part of him, and that she should never have been separated from this life of his which was in shreds and tottering on the brink of an abyss. Closing his eyes in the darkness, he silently acknowledged that he did love her and that he would not hesitate to give his own life to bring her back safe. Then one thought made him growl in anger: "And yet would her destruction cause so much as a single ripple anywhere?" 

No, definitely not. Not even a pretense of grief would be made for loss of Nur, who was only a woman with no protector, adrift on a sea of waves either indifferent or hostile. And Sana, too, might well find herself one day with no one who cared to look after her. These thoughts scared and angered him and he gripped his gun and pointed it in front of him in the dark, as though warning the unknown. In deep despair, delirious in the silence and dark, he began to sob; and sobbed until late in the night sleep finally overcame him." (Chapter 16)

The following passage is situated within the beginning of chapter 16 specifically, after the disappearance of Nur where Said expresses a soliloquy that reinforces the theme of self-actualization. The purpose of this passage is to contrast with many other key passages as Mahfouz decides to depict Said in a different light specifically, to showcase the vulnerable side of Said. Taking into consideration the stream of  consciousness, Mahfouz is able to achieve this by overlapping Said’s indecisiveness with his lack of compassion. This is further developed throughout the novel in order to characterize Said as a compassionate man for the sake of deviating from the norms of his masculine characteristics whilst, conforming to the tragic hero archetype. Specifically, Said realizes overwhelming waves of emotions, comprising of sadness and loneliness that all stem back to Nur leaving him.

Said is experiencing a sense of betrayal however, he feels guilty about not showing her enough love as he continues to overthink his actions and question his existence in her life by asking himself: “and yet would her destruction cause so much as a single ripple anywhere.” Mahfouz uses imagery such as waves in order to mimic the mental deterioration that the protagonist is experiencing, essentially to intensify the true value of psychological realism. This enables readers to have a better insight on the characterization of Said especially because of the slow pacing that these soliloquy's offer, allowing room for reflection and judgement.  Furthermore, the use of flashbacks that include Sana in them allow the reader to reflect on his decisions. It is important to recognize the repetitive use of the word “dark” throughout this passage as it parallels with his dark feelings and emotions he is experiencing, essentially foreshadowing his downfall without his loved ones by his side. Clearly, the readers can recognize that he is miserable and this is further heightened because of Nur leaving him of which resulted into an increase of his hallucinations.

All in all, Said is not controlled by his ego within this extract as he finally decides to recognize his wrong doings while experiencing a sense of betrayal, insecurity and loss of hope.

Paper 2 Essay Outline

Prompt: ‘With regards to Thief and the Dogs, explain why Naguib Mahfouz may have chosen to depict events in a particular sequence or order.’

Thesis: Mahfouz chooses to depict events such as memories of Nabawiyya, Said's upbringing and Rauf in such an irregular order in order to reveal patterns of characters behavior, play with our expectations and showcase plot points that enhance the impact of actions in the present.

TS1: In the beginning of the novel,  Said has a flashback of his father while having a conversation with the Sheikh. Mahfouz accomplishes this in order to play with our expectations by giving us a sense of psychological realism ultimately, moving the plot forward through his interior monologue.

TS2: Within the middle of the novel, Said is blinded by nostalgia of memories with his wife when they were younger. Mahfouz effectually demonstrates these memories in a non-linear order in order to reveal an ongoing pattern that mimics Saids mental deterioration. This further drives the purpose of his characterization as an unfiltered paradox filled with love and rage since we are always exposed to his sense of paranoia.

TS3: Towards the end of the novel, Said begins to rawly express his true feelings of sadness towards Rauf by reminding him of the days spent together as friends. Mahfouz inevitably characterizes Said this way in order to create a contrast between Rauf and Said whilst, enhancing the impact of actions in the present.

Stream of consciousness narration

In the world of literature, it is important to recognize that authors like Naguib Mahfouz began to subvert basic connections of earlier prose fictions by challenging aspects we take for granted in our everyday life. Mahfouz is known for being a revolutionary and influential writer as his novel "The Thief and the Dogs" pioneered psychological realism in Arabic fiction through the use of a distinct modernist narrative technique, known as the stream of consciousness. Specifically, the Thief and the Dogs is an example of what is considered a modern-day text that shows the absurdity of the social structure and hypocrisy of the Cairo revolution. Through this narration, Mahfouz is cunningly able to create an illusion of Said’s uncensored thoughts mind, essentially allowing readers to understand the gradual mental deterioration of his character. This is portrayed through an interior monologue where the characters emotions always heighten, inevitably leaving no room for romanticizing perfect fantasies but rather, a more realistic realm during the time of the Egyptian revolution. Undoubtedly, his writing occurred during the paradigm shift from romantic to realism of which allowed Mahfouz to follow the conventions of modernism by combining realism and stream of consciousness. By doing so, he is able to inspire and develop Arab literature by crafting a unique piece of literature that delves into psychological realism. Being known for “breaking the old technique”, narrating through the stream of conscious allows Mahfouz to break boundaries in Arabic literature as he endlessly aspires to open room for flourishing new ideas, that focus on different topics.

Taking into consideration Mahfouz’s context of production specifically, writing this novel after the Egyptian revolution ultimately impacts the mood of the story, in addition to the characterization of the protagonist. We know this because, Said’s character is revolved around the idea of betrayal, hate and revenge within the world of Egyptian diplomacy. Rebellious movements, corruption and Nasser’s political regime all play a crucial role in the novel where characters are catered to the essence of his political agenda. The purpose of the plot is to showcase the destructive reality that civilians had to endure, through exemplifying the variety of the characters sides categorized on the spectrum. For example, Said is a caring father as he always seems to be asking about his daughter however, we also are able to acknowledge him being a thief. Though we are able to sympathize with his internal conflicts, it becomes increasingly challenging to make a clear judgement of character as his intentions are never clear. This lack of transparency is what makes this novel unique, as we are faced with the true realm of reality he is facing on a daily basis.

Within chapter seven, the readers can acknowledge specific streams of consciousness that characterize Said as an in-denial man whom is so far from reality as he believes he “must wait until he’s arranged things, then swoop like an eagle”. He then follows this up by expressing how he is a “hunted man” in order to exemplify how he is being controlled by his ego. To justify, this further drives the plot by emphasizing the internal monologue through the exposure of his continual sense of paranoia and betrayal. This is also apparent in chapter 9 where Mahfouz uses internal monologue by expressing how: “You might perhaps be thinking you’ve got rid of me forever now, Rauf! But with this revolver, if I have luck, I can do wonderful things. The readers are already deeply experiencing all his future schemes, his desires of being a thief and his inner turmoil due to the state of revenge we are exposed to. Furthermore, Mahfouz expresses his unfiltered rage and anger through internal monologue as he depicts how: “Your turn will come, Nabawiyya. There’s no escape from me. I’m the devil himself,” Clearly, the use of dark imagery such as the devil further adds value to the disturbing characterization of Said as we are exposed to his gradual mental deterioration. Through his consciousness we are given glimpses of his past, most of which come in the form of evoke reminiscences.

Although both Achebe and Mahfouz use third-person omniscient, Mahfouz is able to thereby further challenge the reader to a harder degree through the use of stream of consciousness, in contrast to Achebe that showcases all his characters thoughts. Achebe has a purpose of diverging from the extreme danger of having a single story therefore embraces every characteristic of his characters. Taking into consideration the crux of the matter, this is unlike Mahfouz that focuses the story on the protagonist in order to mimic his own personal thoughts and experience of the Egyptian revolution. Similarly, both authors are influenced by their political background inevitably allowing their perspectives to shape the way they exemplify certain protagonist's like Okonkwo and Said Mahran since, the novel Things Fall Apart was published during a time of change and political shift as well. 

All in all, Mahfouz takes advantage of implementing the stream of consciousness technique with a touch of a realist style for the sake of achieving his mission, that is embracing the truth of his political agenda. By unraveling different insights of Said’s mind, we are able to experience and engage with his internal conflicts.

Texts in Translation

Considering the major international influence of literature on a global scale, translation is seen as a necessity in our world today. Major under-rated authors like Naguib Mafouz predominately drive the key purpose of transcending the ordinary  by crossing boundaries through cultural exchange. Primarily, Mahfouz' novel The Thief and the Dogs is known to have added value in literature as he transcends being a writer into becoming the conscience of a nation as the story is translated from Arabic to English. Though, to what extent should translation have boundaries?

Although translation has been rapidly increasing in demand due to the immense influence of diversity on a global scale, it is important to take into consideration the dangers that translated literature might lead to. As a result, understanding the historical, cultural and social contexts of particular texts becomes a core necessity before undergoing translation. This is because, some languages "such as Arabic and Urdu " (What makes a good translator, 2016) are known for being complex in alphabetical nature, ultimately leading to greater hardships of which translators forcefully have to deal with. This includes the long and overwhelming process of understanding the text perfectly in the given language then, having the capability of translating it into English. However, many translators have received backlash and controversial messages towards their translated work because many readings especially poetry are known for being too "culturally specific to translate" (What makes a good translator, 2016).  This leads to difficulty when translating as the purity and essence of certain cultural phrases looses its meaning. Bare in mind, most translators have the advantage of translating any foreign work with their own bias and opinion hence, preventing the reader's from understanding the true meaning's of the original and authentic work the author wanted across.


Clearly, this proves the notion that form, style and structure can not only be seen to influence meaning but can also be influenced by context. We know this because many translators allow their own contextual background to influence and divert from the authors actual intention, effectually leading to the downfall of translation. On the contrary, translated texts allows the audience to be exposed to the value systems of different authors as they are able to appreciate the authenticity of their work through an open-minded perspective. Considering the crux of the matter, a single language is acknowledged as a form of isolation meaning, translation breaks the boundaries of this isolation through cultural exchange. Specifically, translation can be acknowledged as a "frontier of language" of which is a metaphor for merging experiences and cultural values that could be isolated otherwise. From my understanding of the article titled "Why won't English speakers read translated books", the majority of English speakers that are monolingual do not take the initiative to read other foreign books. This means that having a major rise with translation has created a cultural paradigm shift that should be considered as a key to establishing cultural awareness. Although Western authors may struggle attempting to translate traditional novels of which "emerge from societies in extremis conditions", translation invites reader's to understand the context through various lenses by shifting the cultural perspectives of many societies. For example, an article title "Found in Translation" published by the New Yorker stresses the need of translation because of the majority of Western literature diverting the essence and concepts presented in Arab culture, ultimately through the focus on "fundamentalism, civic chaos and bombs" rather than the true social and political realm of the Arab world. 

All in all, I believe that translation is key to nations demanding acceptance and literation whom are not exposed to various authors outside their own region. Through this utopia, it is crucial to have proper translators that are capable of understanding both languages before translating literature. At the same time, cultural phrases should not be translated if it isn't possible as this would divert the true meaning of the authors authentic purpose undoubtely meaning that translation should have boundaries. Nevertheless, this should be accomplished for the sake of preventing a language from loosing its purity whilst, attempting to advocate the need for cultural awareness within the Western world. There is no doubt that the novel The Thief and the Dogs is an example of the great outcomes translation has on the Western audience. Mahfouz' effort of being able to raise cultural awareness through the fulfillment of acceptance and liberation is evident through the true portrayal of his protagonist however, this would not have been accomplished effectively without the thorough care of the literal English translation.