Chapter 11 Passage Analysis

Passage:

As he neared the house in Sharia Najm al-Din he saw light in Nur's window. It gave him a sense of security for the first time since he'd left the coffee-house. He found her lying down and wanted to caress her, but it was obvious from her face that she was terribly tired. Her eyes were so red it was obvious that something was amiss. He sat down at her feet.

    "Please tell me what's wrong, Nur," he said.

    "I'm worn out," she said weakly. "I've vomited so much I'm exhausted."

    "Was it drink?"

    "I've been drinking all my life," she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

    This was the first time Said had seen her cry and he was deeply moved. "What was the reason, then?" he said.

    "They beat me!"

    "The police?"

    "No, some young louts, probably students, when I asked them to pay the bill."

    Said was touched. "Why not wash your face," he said, "and drink some water?"

    "A little later. I'm too tired now."

    "The dogs!" Said muttered, tenderly caressing her leg.

    "The fabric for the uniform," Nur said, pointing to a parcel on the other sofa. He made a gesture with his hand affectionately and in gratitude.

    "I can't look very attractive for you tonight," she said almost apologetically.

    "It's not your fault. Just wash your face and get some sleep."

Analysis:

In this excerpt from Chapter Eleven of the novel 'The Thief and the Dogs,' Saids internal conflict reaches a changing point. In the majority of the novel, Said Mahran, the protagonist, experiences inner desires of revenge since his release from prison. This attitude of immense anger is shown towards many characters in the story, through internal and external conflicts, sometimes leading to murder. This is what leads home to his downfall at the end of his story.

Here, however, another side of Said is revealed. Said finds Nur outside the cafe, badly hurt. In reaction to this, he demonstrates a feeling of sorrow. There is a degree of pathos shared here, as the sight of Nur crying made Said feel 'deeply moved.' "Said was touched." More proof of his rare sense of affection in this excerpt is in his hand gestures, described through third person narration. "He made a gesture with his hand affectionately and in gratitude." 

The theme of love is  covered in this chapter. When Said finds that Nur is badly hurt, he begins to feel passion for her, as it is indicated that Said “wanted to caress her.” While Said has expressed sympathy for Nur before, this is the first time that Said has felt an emotional urge to comfort and console her. 

This is clear evidence of Said leaning more towards a feeling of affection and love, demonstrating a rapid change in his personality. Through this, Mahfouz is able to further characterise Said, while adding more complexity to his character, and perhaps getting rid of any preconceptions made of Saids ruthless character by the reader, based on the events leading up to this passage. 

Here, there is no incidence of internal monologue, direct or indirect, but his change in personality is clearly depicted through third person narration, as his feelings of affection and care for Nur are effectively described to the reader. 

Overall, the main purpose of this extract is to develop the theme of love as an internal quality of Said, and also the characterise him in this excerpt as a complex character, as more than an agrivated character, but one with an affectionate nature.