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.