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.
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