Note #33
The Thief and The Dogs: Narrative
Mahfouz's 'The Thief and the Dogs' is a pioneer of Modernism in Arabic literature. Its employment of stream of consciousness narration was a milestone in the development of Arab literature and marked a turning point in its evolution. This style of narration was specifically chosen to serve as a passive declaration of Mahfouz's own disenchantment with the state of events in his country. Through the character Said, Mahfouz expresses his own notions and perplexities. Mahfouz and Said's stories were intertwined as Said was projected as a fragmentation of Mahfouz's own musings and struggles.
Through the stream of consciousness narration, the reader is enlightened to Said's thought processes and through his mental ordeals, the events of the book are foreshadowed. For example, in chapter 11, the prominent motif of graveyard serves as the backdrop to portray both past and present events in parallel and foreshadow the future. Said's experiences and thoughts are relayed through a combination of imagery and hyperbole. For example, in chapter 1, terrestrial imagery is used to highlight Said's redeeming love for Sana - "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.” Through Said's agonised displays of a betrayed psyche, the reader can sympathise with his raw pain and suffering that is still fresh from the betrayal of his mentor Rauf Ilwan, proclaimed as the worst form of betrayal. Thus, the stream of consciousness narration also serves as a pathos generator. Evoked reminiscences that trigger flashbacks provide an exposition to Said's background and the events that took place prior to the canon plot yet continue to impact how the plot unfolds in the present.
Above all, this form of narration exposes the character's vulnerability to the reader, a departure from the staunch heroism portrayed in traditional literature. Said's internal conflicts and his blinding thirst for revenge are amplified through the intense monologues. After his consistent failures to kill either of his targets, Said's sense of grandeur of himself are revealed to be false - thus indicating that his delusions may suggest a chaotic mental state. The stream of consciousness narrative serves to juxtapose the objective reality as observed from the third-person narration and the distorted version of reality as interpreted by Said.
Mahfouz's narrative style differs quite significantly from Achebe's in 'Things Fall Apart'. Achebe's narrative style is that of a circumlocutory structure which reflects the Igbo oral culture of storytelling. Whilst Achebe's narrative style is more grounded in the context that it originates from, Mahfouz's style borrows heavily from Western literature and is very modern in nature. Both novels attempt to portray life during turbulent times. In the case of Achebe, the transition from all three periods - pre-, during, and post-colonialist are highlighted, thus his periphrastic style of narration aims to capture the state of society in all three time periods. However, the novels differ inherently in their attachment to colonialism. While Achebe's novel aims to depict the disintegration of society due to western influences, Mahfouz bases his novel during a period when a newly independent Egypt is on the path to self-determination, albeit in a morally bankrupt fashion. The Thief and The Dogs highlights the disintegration of the moral integrity of society in a post-revolutionary period where the struggle to occupy the power vacuum leads to the actors leaving no stones unturned. It is hence subjected to the author's own opinions and the narrative style serves as a medium of reflection. Achebe's employment of Igbo oral proverbs and narrative style is also aligned with the rural setting of the novel, in contrast to The Thief and The Dogs, which is set in urban Cairo, a city where western influences could be felt more prominently. In conclusion, the different narrative styles serve to elucidate the contrasting settings and inherent purpose of both novels.
The Thief and The Dogs: Narrative
Mahfouz's 'The Thief and the Dogs' is a pioneer of Modernism in Arabic literature. Its employment of stream of consciousness narration was a milestone in the development of Arab literature and marked a turning point in its evolution. This style of narration was specifically chosen to serve as a passive declaration of Mahfouz's own disenchantment with the state of events in his country. Through the character Said, Mahfouz expresses his own notions and perplexities. Mahfouz and Said's stories were intertwined as Said was projected as a fragmentation of Mahfouz's own musings and struggles.
Through the stream of consciousness narration, the reader is enlightened to Said's thought processes and through his mental ordeals, the events of the book are foreshadowed. For example, in chapter 11, the prominent motif of graveyard serves as the backdrop to portray both past and present events in parallel and foreshadow the future. Said's experiences and thoughts are relayed through a combination of imagery and hyperbole. For example, in chapter 1, terrestrial imagery is used to highlight Said's redeeming love for Sana - "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.” Through Said's agonised displays of a betrayed psyche, the reader can sympathise with his raw pain and suffering that is still fresh from the betrayal of his mentor Rauf Ilwan, proclaimed as the worst form of betrayal. Thus, the stream of consciousness narration also serves as a pathos generator. Evoked reminiscences that trigger flashbacks provide an exposition to Said's background and the events that took place prior to the canon plot yet continue to impact how the plot unfolds in the present.
Above all, this form of narration exposes the character's vulnerability to the reader, a departure from the staunch heroism portrayed in traditional literature. Said's internal conflicts and his blinding thirst for revenge are amplified through the intense monologues. After his consistent failures to kill either of his targets, Said's sense of grandeur of himself are revealed to be false - thus indicating that his delusions may suggest a chaotic mental state. The stream of consciousness narrative serves to juxtapose the objective reality as observed from the third-person narration and the distorted version of reality as interpreted by Said.
Mahfouz's narrative style differs quite significantly from Achebe's in 'Things Fall Apart'. Achebe's narrative style is that of a circumlocutory structure which reflects the Igbo oral culture of storytelling. Whilst Achebe's narrative style is more grounded in the context that it originates from, Mahfouz's style borrows heavily from Western literature and is very modern in nature. Both novels attempt to portray life during turbulent times. In the case of Achebe, the transition from all three periods - pre-, during, and post-colonialist are highlighted, thus his periphrastic style of narration aims to capture the state of society in all three time periods. However, the novels differ inherently in their attachment to colonialism. While Achebe's novel aims to depict the disintegration of society due to western influences, Mahfouz bases his novel during a period when a newly independent Egypt is on the path to self-determination, albeit in a morally bankrupt fashion. The Thief and The Dogs highlights the disintegration of the moral integrity of society in a post-revolutionary period where the struggle to occupy the power vacuum leads to the actors leaving no stones unturned. It is hence subjected to the author's own opinions and the narrative style serves as a medium of reflection. Achebe's employment of Igbo oral proverbs and narrative style is also aligned with the rural setting of the novel, in contrast to The Thief and The Dogs, which is set in urban Cairo, a city where western influences could be felt more prominently. In conclusion, the different narrative styles serve to elucidate the contrasting settings and inherent purpose of both novels.
I thought that this reading was extremely insightful and enjoyable. A comment in the post that resonated quite well with me was the mentioning of how the goal's of both Achebe and Mahfouz differentiate. This opened up a door for further understanding of the goal and purpose for writing of each author.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with your comparison of Achebe and Mahfouz's writing styles, as they both wrote similar, yet different in content novels. They both employed ideas of their own culture, Achebe more so than Mahfouz. What stood out to me is your mentioning of Achebe's narrative style which follows the circumlocutory structure of the Igbo. However, I believe there are times in "The Thief And The Dogs" where Mahfouz's employs ideas and literary styles of his own culture rather than solely applying Western literature ideals. Overall, a very well written post with very well developed points and supported arguments.
ReplyDelete