Sheikh al Junaydi

What does Sheik al Junaydi represent in The Thief and the Dogs? How is he significant to the characterization of Said Mahran? How does he contribute to the themes of the text? This should be a structured response, not answers to the individual prompts.

In the context of this novel, a Sheikh can be defined as a man that is respected for his piety or religious learning and with that, many admirable qualities such as wisdom, patience and humbleness. 

As with many stories, every main character is troubled and often seeks help from someone to attain advice. This can be seen all throughout the media , such as Kung Fu Panda and his relationship to Oogway (Shifu) , Yoda and Luke Skywalker in the Star wars series and Sean Maguire with Will in Goodwill Hunting. With these relationships in mind, a clearer idea emerges in terms of establishing what exactly Sheikh al Junaydi represents in The Thief and the Dogs. 

Sheikh al Junaydi first appearance in the novel takes place in Said's thoughts as he decides to visit the sheikh. Interestingly, Mahfouz introduces the Sheikh right after Said went through a traumatic experience that shattered all his hopes and ambitions ; he had been rejected by his daughter Sana and stripped off his valuables. 

" In this strange house no door was ever closed - to a single room. His heart beat fast , carrying him back to a distant , gentle time of childhood, dreams, a loving father , and his own innocent yearning. He recalled the men filling the courtyard, swaying with their chanting , Gods praise echoing from the depths of their hearts. "Look and listen, learn and open your heart," his father used to say.Besides a joy like the joy of Paradise  that was aroused in him by faith and dreams,there had also been the joy of singing and green tea. He wondered how Ali al Junaydi was."

This memory of Said is significant as it introduces a vulnerable and hopeful side of him , a side that will serve as an influence to Saids actions later on in the novel. More importantly, it also foreshadows the role that Sheikh al Junaydi will play in this novel. Said describes the house as a place where not a single door would ever be closed , implying his interpretation of the Sheikh and the ambiance he gives off ; a symbol of honesty and free thoughts. Said has a certain idea of this place and thus of the Sheikh , wherein he pictures it as a place of serenity and refugee from the grimness of the real world. Taking into consideration the situation that Said is in, this memory and individual is very sacred to him as they appear to be the only familiar thing left in his life , that aren't likely to let him down regardless of his actions. The Sheikh and his place serve as a constant to the ever changing aspects of Said's life; they are the buffer and  to his emotional break downs and witnesses to his major decisions in life. The Sheikhs presence is a representative of forgiveness versus revenge (said) and thus contributes to the major themes in this novel. 

The sheikh can be described as Said's character foil wherein he is constantly available for Said, an open ear to his troubles and deepest fears , an accepting mind with wisdom that he shares with Said, although the latter often remains angry and confused as he doesn't understand him. This could reflect on his inability to accept the truth as it is and his need to construct his own truth. The Sheikh is seen as a moralistically forceful individual that Said compares himself to in his time of troubles, wishing he could feel what it was like with "purity in his face and love in his eyes" as he recalls the Sheikh. Throughout the novel, Said often wonders how the Sheikh manages to be so calm patient, his mind on other matters, deviating from the worldly concerns. As we learn Said is very consumed with the world and its obstacles he plans to overthrow in his life, driven by rage and a hunger for revenge, whereas the Sheikh perceives the world as a stream of events that one must learn from and thus grow with instead of being pulled into them. It is as though he levitates through life, his strings to whats above stronger attached to the ones binding Said to the ground. 

thesis statement

In Thief and the Dogs, Mahfouz’s motives behind certain actions are exhibited through Saids stream of consciousness, which in turn causes the audience  to ponder on personal moral values in terms of justifying Saids actions. 

Sa'id as a Tragic Hero

What is Sa'ids tragic flaw?

Saids tragic flaw is his inability to account himself for his own wrongdoing. He constantly blames others for his actions, even when the blame is clearly on him.  

"And what about my wife and my fortune, you mangy dogs! I'll show you. Just wait." 

(Chapter 1 page 19). 

Here Sa'id had just encountered his enemy, Ilish who currently resided with his ex-wife. As he was greeted by him and as the officer confronted him about why exactly he had come back, the given thought runs through his mind. Sa'id feels that in a sense his wife was his property , that she had been taken away from him just as much as his fortune. What he doesn't take into consideration is the fact that his wife had cheated on him and no longer wished to be associated with him as they had led a life of theft and misconduct ; his wife was not his to keep. His fortune is entirely criminally acquired and as such can't be described as either a fortune let alone his fortune. In effect Sa'id blames others for his own short comings, pretending as though he has been wronged when in reality he was reaping exactly what he sowed ; his bad deeds.  

How does he display excessive pride?

He expresses excessive pride wherein he puts himself on a pedestal    when it comes to the crimes he commits (burglary, murder) and justifies it, whereas he shuns others for the same , if not more righteous, actions. This can be seen when he talks to Rauf and ironically questions him about his conscience. 

"I wonder if you ever admit , even to yourself, that you betrayed me. Maybe you've deceived yourself as much as you try to deceive others. Hasn't your conscience bothered you even in the dark? I wish I could penetrate your soul as easily as I've penetrated your house , that house of mirrors and objets d'art , but I suppose I'd find nothing but betrayal there." 

(Chapter 4 page 47)

Not only does he ask Rauf whether or not he admits to his own faults , he also identifies the possibility of Rauf having tried to deceive himself , to justify his actions. Interestingly enough those faults both reflect back on Sa'id, how he betrays people who trust him and how he tells himself continuously that his actions are righteous. He even addresses Rauf's conscience , deviating from his own. This demonstrates his pride for himself and how he refuses to accept that he may be more flawed than anyone else he's accused. What takes the cake is the thought that comes after, of breaking into his house and  stealing his riches. The fact that he feels justified to do so shows his skewed perception of a balance of right and wrong. 

When is his reversal of fortunes?

When Sa'id accidentally shoots the wrong man and only realises the next day as he reads it on the newspaper. He had wanted to kill Ilish to have revenge and scare his ex wife for the rest of her life, to make her regret her cheating on him. 

"A failure. It was insane. And pointless. The rope would be after him now,while Ilish sat , safe and secure. The truth was as clear as  the bottom of an open tomb."

(Chapter 8 pge 81)

At his point Sa'id is acutely aware of his failure and perhaps in this instance he for once, acknowledges the fact that his thirst for revenge has gotten in the way of carrying out his plan correctly. He realises that after this, he'd no longer be safe and that he can't justify his actions after all. Describing the truth to the bottom of an open tomb symbolizes not only his understanding of being doomed but also his implication that the truth will lead him to his death. This specific thought decides how he choses to deal with his problems for the rest of the novel. He is now convinced that in order to escape death, prison , his consequences , he must pretend as though he hadn't failed as drastically and that as long as he refused to believe the truth, he was safe. 

At what point in the text does he recognise the reversal was due to his own actions?

When he has a nightmare , that is when he begins to realise the consequences of his actions. His dream has everything going against him and when he wakes up, the world seems empty and meaningless to him. 

"He dreamt that he was in jail, being whipped despite his good conduct , screaming shamelessly, but not offering any resistance."

Being whipped despite being innocent could be Sa'ids subconscious telling him that he WAS in fact at fault and even though his conscious self did admit to it, his guilt was concealed in the whipping of innocence. 

"Said sat up hurriedly, and looked apologetic , assailed by memories that rushed into his mind like roaring flames"

(Chapter 8 page 77-78)

Even when Sa'id wakes up, the guilt follows him into reality. His first instinct is to sit up quickly and appear as innocent as possibly, his actions making that evident. It is not his usual self to express any humble emotions and as such this scene makes it all the more obvious that he feels guilty about his actions. The memories rushing into his mind like roaring flames could be a symbol for him having to face hellfire due to his bad deeds and his conscience telling him so. 

Is his fate greater than he deserved?

His fate was what he deserved as he took two innocent lives , and even if he had killed the right person it would be just as flawed , misused a loyal friend by putting himself in danger constantly and the fact that he thinks he is justified. 

Sai'd is doomed from the start because as he emerges prison his daughter rejects him ; his only hope.

He doesn’t blame himself for his flaws, rather he blames everyone else and seeks revenge.

He perceives himself as noble and righteous, that killing and stealing from others would benefit everyone else. 

His story arouses fear as he constantly puts himself in risky situations and doesn’t realise whats headed for him and empathy because of all the misfortune that has happened to him, especially his daughters rejection. he is spiritually wounded because he turns to God at times but then faces bad luck and doesn’t seem to understand that his own actions are what lead him to all the bad situations. He never learns from his mistakes because all he can see is taking revenge. Finally,  he dies thinking that he will defeat the police men.