Fate and Freewill - Sheik Al Junaydi

In The Thief and the Dogs, the reader is often conflicted in forming opinions about characters because as the protagonist, Said, evolves, how we view the secondary characters changes. With that being said, most of the secondary characters had many negative traits and were generally considered “bad” people. For example, Rauf and Ilish betrayed Said and were always portrayed as negative characters. The two characters that were portrayed to be “good characters” were Nur and Sheik al Junaydi. Good characters meaning that they could have helped Said have a more fortunate ending and help lead him away from his destruction. Sheik and Junaydi is a Sufi Muslim – Sufism being a sector of Islam that focuses primarily on the “transmission of divine light from the teacher's heart to the heart of the student”. Specifically, they focus on the mystical side of Islam – hoping to gain a sense of self peace. Sheik Al Junaydi is a Sufi Muslim and was Saids father’s mentor. When Said needed a home and food, he sought after the Sheik.  With that being said, the Sheik always attempted to give him advice on how to get better and how to move on with life – thus acting as the moral voice in the novel.

Although Said goes to the Sheik for food and a roof, it is clear that he does not go there for comfort and for advice on how to get better – showing the reader that he might not be aiming on relieving the feelings of anger and hatred that he has. In fact, although he keeps doing wrong things, the Sheik continues to give him advice. The Sheik knows that Said aims to, “seek a roof, not an answer”. When Said has access to a moral voice and someone who is attempting to help him and yet ignores it repeatedly, the reader begins questioning Saids actions. Specifically, they begin to question whether he has a positive moral agenda and the concept of whether Said is a “hero” comes up quite often. Although Said had a moral voice, his tragic flaw – being pride and the desire for revenge – were too strong to listen to it. 

The secondary characters in the novel, such as the Sheik, act as static characters in order to develop the character of Said. The Sheik shows the difference between Saids fate and free will. The reader often questions whether Saids downfall is a result of his fate or freewill. It is difficult to say that it was a result of his own actions and freewill because the reader is set up to have an emotional connection to Said and spend a large portion of the novel cheering him on. But when secondary characters like the Sheik are looked at, it seems more likely that his downfall is a result of his own actions and freewill, rather than his fate. His selfishness and hatred blinded him from caring for and listening to people who attempted to guide him on the right path, such as Nur and the Sheik. 

The Thief and the Dogs Passage Analysis

Chapter 14 – Page 128

"But you go outside so carelessly. You're obsessed with killing your wife and this other man.

You won't kill them. But you will bring about your own destruction."

"What did you hear in town?"

"The taxi-driver who brought me home was on your side. But he said you'd killed some poor innocent fellow."

Said grunted irritably and forestalled any expression of regret by taking another big swallow, gesturing at Nur to drink too. She raised the glass to her lips.

"What else did you hear?" he said.

"On the houseboat where I spent the evening one man said you act as a stimulant, a diversion to relieve peoples' boredom."

"And what did you reply?"

"Nothing at all," Nur said pouting. "But I do defend you; and you don't look after yourself at all. You don't love me either. But to me you're more precious than my life itself; I've never in my whole life known happiness except in your arms. But you'd rather destroy yourself than love me."

She was crying now, the glass still in her hand.

Said put his arm around her. "You'll find me true to my promise," he whispered. "We will escape and live together for ever.”

Analysis:

Towards the end of the book, Said’s mental stability is questioned by the readers and the characters surrounding him. In this passage, Nur is preaching to Said about his destructive behavior and he is denying it. Nur seems to be the only person who knows about how he’s gone crazy and cares about it as well. This passage shows a clear internal struggle from both Said and Nur. Said almost cannot allow himself to love another woman because the emotions of betrayal and anger are so strong that he cannot feel another emotion. At the same time, Nur treats him better than anyone and he begins to have a soft spot for her. With that being said, he is not giving her the love she deserves, making the reader question him as a character.

This passage also allows for the characterization of Nur. Firstly, Nur means light in Arabic – as seen in this passage, Nur seems to be the only light in Said’s life. But he is pushing her away. So although he has a possible source of light and happiness, he’s bringing himself back into the dark, again forcing the reader to question him as a character. Similar to how Nur is telling him that he is the only reason for his own destruction, the reader begins to think similar thoughts. The reader also gets to know Nur fully. Although Said does not treat her as he should and as well as she treats him, she still longs for him – showing an innocent, lonely, and vulnerable side of herself. Said takes this vulnerability and exploits it in order to keep her in his life. With that being said, the way Said treats her foreshadows the possibility that she may end up leaving him as a result of his poor treatment of her.

This passage is significant because it is a defining moment for Nur and Said’s relationship. With that being said, this is a moment in the novel where the audience begins to question Said’s actions, morals, and emotional stability. Specifically, the question of whether Said brought on his own destruction is mentioned. Specifically in this passage, him not allowing Nur in shows that he is blocking his own happiness. His intense thoughts of hatred and revenge are bringing his moral compass down. He also is clearly exploiting Nur’s feelings. Although he doesn’t let her in, she is still a place of security for him. He needs her for a house and food and some emotional stability. Yet, he will not love her back and is using her. The relationship between Nur and Said highlights his internal struggles and shows his tragic flaw. 

The Thief and the Dogs - Stream of Consciousness

        Stream of consciousness is a technique used by the writer to show inside the mind of the main character. In The Thief and the Dogs, the readers are exposed to the twisted mind of the main character, Said. Mahfouz uses stream of consciousness as a way to develop the main character and the overall theme of the novel. When going inside Said’s head, the reader is able to understand the theme of revenge and hatred on a level that could not simply be understood through the narration. From the first page of the novel, the change in text to italics signals the beginning of Saids thoughts. Throughout the novel, italics are used to go inside Said’s head. Being released from jail marks his quest for hate fueled revenge. It is important to know that the original book in Arabic did not have italics. The English translation then used the italics to switch from indirect to direct monologue, thus enriching the stream of consciousness present in the novel. Through being able to go in his head, the reader is able to sympathize with Said. With that being said, it’s difficult not to question Said’s sanity. . The stream-of- consciousness technique used in “The Thief and The Dogs,” is generally different then Naguib Mahfouz’s other work- which tends to be grounded in a more realistic fiction idea.

            The book is very fast paced and switches between several types of narration throughout. The most commonly used form of narration is indirect narration. Soliloquys and direct narration are italicized throughout then novel and go into Said’s thoughts directly. There are abrupt shifts in narration. Throughout the novel, it is clear that Said’s thoughts are evolving as he becomes more fueled by anger and hatred. There is a shift in tone after Said’s daughter rejects him. The narration switches to indirect right after he is rejected and it is clear that it marks the time that Said loses a part of his sanity. His thoughts switch from hatred and turn into anger and a desire of revenge. The one thing that kept him sane was the thought of his daughter and the loss of that drives him over the edge.

            When the reader is able to psychologically understand Said, they are able to understand his external problems that contributed to his internal struggle, thus helping the reader understand this revolutionary counter narrative and the flawed society that Mahfouz is writing about. Because it was a heavy time of censorship, Mahfouz used his characters crazed mind to skillfully explain the problems that he is facing. As Said’s thoughts become more irrational, the reader crafts an idea of his external struggles. In this way, Mahfouz used Said’s internal thoughts as a social commentary of the post-revolution Egypt.       

            With this all being said, several problems arise when and author decides to use a stream of consciousness technique. Firstly, a decay of plot is possible because writers become so entangled in the thoughts and experiences of the character that they often forget to complete a plot. Secondly, the character itself becomes so tangled in the deep psychological thoughts that the writer often disregards the outward appearance that the character is. The writer often believes that the most inner thoughts of the character is impossible to depict to the outside reader, often causing a clash of thoughts in the writer. When these things change, the theme then will change as a result and will lose its meaning.

            Overall, Mahfouz revolutionized Arab writing through his use of the stream of consciousness in The Thief and the Dogs.

            

Literature in Translation

Lately, there has been an increase in the study of literature in translation from languages that were not recognized on a global basis before. The IB requires one translated text to be studied in order to allow for an enrichment in international knowledge. In order to think about why it is important to study translated literature, it’s important to know why we study literature in the first place. Literature helps us know the world around us and allows us to be more mindful and aware of other cultures and their struggles. It allows you to empathize and sympathize with characters who are not real and yet mirror the lives of many humans around the world. Translated literature works in the same way but on a global scale. In countries where one culture dominates all other, such as most countries in the world, reading translate literature allows students and all people to be acquainted with cultures in deeper and richer ways that previously known. It is important to remember that in order for translated literature to be studied effectively, minor previous knowledge about context and culture should be known in order for people to me familiar with the cultural and linguistic devices present instead of placing the book into their own cultural schema. That way, people are able to connect with characters that come from a different culture and a different background and they can begin making connections with their own culture and the culture of the literary text being studied. With that being said, there are complications to studying translated literature. Firstly, no piece of literature can ever be fully translated. Many translators do not try to translate the text word for word, but rather use their own interpretations in order to put across the cultural message that is trying to be conveyed. This poses the risk of main ideas and cultural staples being lost. Secondly, translated books do not have an introductory chapter explaining the cultural significance of the text. This may make the book illogical and lose meaning. With that being said, if studied correctly, translated texts can provide a basis for understanding another culture in depth. 

Paper 2 Things Fall Apart Outline and Thesis

In literature, a foil is a character that contrasts with another character, often to reveal particular qualities of the other character. With reference to at least two literary texts that you have studied, compare and contrast literary characters to show how their differences reveal competing social or moral values.

Thesis:

In Things Fall Apart, Achebe uses Okonkwo as a foil to characters such as Unoka, Nwoye, and Obierika in order to contrast their moral and social values and emphasize how they approach situations differently to demonstrate how clashing values within the tribe led to its ultimate destruction and the success of Western colonialism.  

Outline

Body 1- Okonkwo and Unoka

Despite their familial relation, Okonkwo and Unoka strongly contrast in their moral and social values within society, thereby enriching their characterization in order to display the faults of the clan which ultimately led to its destruction.

·         Different ideas of masculinity and femininity

·         Different social status

·         Treats the traditions differently

·         What they equate happiness with is different

·         Levels of respect from tribe differs

·         He ended up dying like his father

Body 2- Okonkwo and Nwoye

Similar to Unoka’s incompatibility and Okonkwo’s devotion to the Igbo culture, Okonkwo’s and Nwoye’s contrasting opinions demonstrates the increasing rift in society which was exploited by Christian colonists upon their arrival.  

·         Nwoye can also serve as a foil for Unoka

·         Nwoye reminds Okonkwo of Unoka

·         Masculine vs. Feminine

·         Nwoye wants to do things differently than the tribe

·         Ends up converting

Body 3- Okonkwo and Obierika

By possessing different ideologies about the traditions of the tribe, Okonkwo and Obierika’s fate differs in the manner that they approach situations in their community.

·         Both look at the values differently

·         They gain respect in different ways

Paper 1 HL Practice Commentary

While many issues have stayed the same over many years, the way they are viewed has greatly differed. Text 1 is an advertisement from 1922 from a steamship company that is advertising their annual trips to "exotic" places like Panama and Cuba. Text 2 is an article from the Miami Herald in 2007 that discourages heavy vacationing and "developing" in the Caribbean Islands because of the poor living standards for people living there. Considering that text 2 is almost 90 years after text 1, it is clear that they will both have different viewpoints when it comes to this topic. While they both target the same audience, text 1 seems to encourage the audience while text 2 seems to discourage them. Comparing them from a post-colonial vs. colonial point of view then puts these two texts in context. While both texts target the same audience and refer to the Caribbean Islands, text 1 encourages the audience to look at these places in an overly exotified and luxurious manner in order to sell their product all through a colonial lens while text 2 takes a postcolonial perspective in order to downgrade the worth and extravagance of these “vacation spots” and discourage the developers in looking at these places as uninhabited and exclusive by using imagery to evoke an emotion of sympathy for the squatters.

Text 1 and 2 have a similar audience but a completely different purpose for both. Both the texts target upper class wealthy people who can go on vacation during spare time. Text 1 is from the 20’s while text 2 is from 2007, so although the target audience was the same in terms of wealth and privilege, their mentalities and actions are going to be different. Text 1 is encouraging these people to vacation in places like Panama and Cuba while text 2 is discouraging people from viewing these places as an exotic vacation spot and encourages them to look at these places as a home for people who are clearly struggling. In that sense, these two texts are placed in completely different contexts.  While text 1 over exotifies these places, text 2 is clearly trying to avoid that situation. Because text 1 is about 90 years before text 2, it’s hard to not view them from a postcolonial vs. colonial lens. While text 1 is colonial as the steamship is almost “selling” these islands and seems to disregard that there are inhabitants, text 1 brings down the luxury of the island by showing clearly that it is inhabited and should not be viewed as otherwise.  

Both texts refer to the same idea of vacations in the Caribbean’s but they both take a different approach and ultimately have a different theme throughout the passages. For text 1, “The Great White Fleet” has summer trips that go from New York to countries and islands on the Caribbean. It’s targeting a high class that goes on vacations like this usually and selling the idea of these islands. Text 2 is also talking about the Caribbean Islands but it is setting up a competition in the islands between the squatters and the developers. The developers being the exact people that text 1 is trying to sell to. With that being said, these texts then greatly differ in what message they’re trying to convey to the developers. Text 1 is highly exotifying and almost taking ownership of these islands in order to use the luxurious lifestyle to sell the product, which are vacations to the island. Text 2 does the opposite. The text tries to discourage the audience from viewing these places as if they have rightful ownership of them because at the end of the day, they are homes to people. The article downplays the luxury and excitement of the islands in order to attempt the reader to stop viewing the islands as if they have ownership of them. This clearly shows the contrasting themes in the two articles.

            Because of the contrasting purposes, it would be expected that the two texts will have opposite tones and mood. The tone and mood Is very different in the sense that text 1 is very happy and enthusiastic and text 2 tries to play with the sympathy of the reader by having a sad and dramatic tone. This makes sense considering the fact that text 1 is trying to sell a product while text 2 is almost trying to “de-sell” that product. In regard to text 1, the advertisement did not mention any people that may live there or any negative effects. So when talking to an audience who is expected to enjoy their time and have fun, it is obvious that the mood will be lifted and excite the audience. Text 2 then brings in the harsh reality that text 1 disregarded. When talking about something like displaced and poor people, it would only make sense for the tone to bring people down enough to persuade them to look at these vacation spots differently. Both of the texts aim to play with the readers emotions but while text 1 aims to lift their feelings, text 2 aims to instill a sense of sympathy and guilt into the reader. When talking about the squatters, there is a sense of pity. When talking about the developers, the tone switches to an annoyed tone. Considering the fact that the developers are the target audience, this would highly likely resonate with them more. Text 1 does the opposite by placing the developers on a high pedestal in order to use luxury and exclusiveness to sell their idea.  

            The stylistic features in both texts are similar but are presented in a different way. Text 1 uses a lot of visual and pictorial imagery while text 2 uses literary imagery. Text 1 uses a large picture at the bottom to excite the audience and make them feel the luxurious lifestyle that they can afford. Contrary to that, text 2 describes the story of the Jimenez family in sad detail in order to show the target audience the side that they are not on. In this sense, both of the texts use the imagery to sell their idea but the ideas that they are selling through imagery instill a completely opposite feeling in both audiences. The title for both texts is very emphasized and draws the reader in but text 1 uses the contrasting white and black colors to emphasize the title more. Both these texts use glittering generalities often. They over exaggerate some things and again, the only purpose behind this is to instill either a sense of excitement or a sense of guilt.

            Overall, both texts have similar audiences and various similar stylistic features, but contrast completely in their purpose, themes, and tone. This is ultimately to either up play or downplay the luxury and exotic appeal of the islands. 

HL Paper 1 - Structure and Introduction

Commentary Structure

Paragraphs 1 and 6 are the conclusion and introduction.

Paragraph 2-Audience and Purpose:

·         Text 1 from the 20’s, text 2 from the 2000’s-difference in audience and their mentalities.

·         Audience is the same- Wealthy people who use “exotic” islands as a vacation. With that being said, their purpose is different:

o   Text 1: Encouraging people to travel to these places for a vacation, exotifying the islands and encouraging people to go on vacations.

o   Text 2: Discouraging heavy vacationing, making these “exotic” places seem like homes instead of vacation spots.

·         Colonial vs. postcolonial lens.

Paragraph 3- Content and Theme:

·         Text 1:

o   “The Great White Fleet” has summer trips that go from New York to countries such as Panama, Cuba, and Jamaica.

o   It’s targeting a high class that goes on vacations like this usually.

o   Theme- Using a certain luxurious lifestyle to sell a product.

·         Text 2:

o   Squatters vs. Developers.

o   Emphasizes the idea that there is a competition between people who have homes in the “vacation spot” of other people.

o   While text 1 sells the idea that these places are exotic, text 2 shows them as homes that should not be considered vacation spots.

Paragraph 4- Tone and Mood:

·         Different tones in the sense that text 1 is very happy and enthusiastic in order to sell their idea while text 2 shows it in a very bad and detrimental light.

·         Text 1: In regard to the people that live there , they are very disregarded. The high class is treated well.

·         Text 2: There is a sense of pity when talking about the squatters. When talking about the developers, there is a sense of annoyance.

Paragraph 5 - Stylistic Features:

·         Advertisement vs. Article- both still used to sell an idea.

·         Text 1- Uses visual and pictorial imagery.

·         Text 2- Uses literary imagery.

·         Both using glittering generalities, plain folks, and manipulation.

·         Explain the visual devices in text 1 (font, color, pictures).

(Main ideas- Compare between audience and some stylistic feuatures, contrast between tone, purpose, and theme). 

Introduction: 

While many issues have stayed the same over many years, the way they are viewed has greatly differed. Text 1 is an advertisement from 1922 from a steamship company that is advertising their annual trips to "exotic" places like Panama and Cuba. Text 2 is an article from the Miami Herald in 2007 that discourages heavy vacationing and "developing" in the Caribbean Islands because of the poor living standards for people living there. Considering that text 2 is almost 90 years after text 1, it is clear that they will both have different viewpoints when it comes to this topic. While they both target the same audience, text 1 seems to encourage the audience while text 2 seems to discourage them. Comparing them from a post colonial vs. colonial point of view then puts these two texts in context. While both texts target the same audience and refer to the Caribbean Islands, text 1 encourages the audience to look at these places in an overly exotified and luxurious manner in order to sell their product all through a colonial lens while text 2 takes a postcolonial perspective in order to downgrade the worth and extravagance of these “vacation spots” and discourage the developers in looking at these places as uninhabited and exclusive by using imagery to evoke an emotion of sympathy for the squatters.