There are many aspects to why a hero has fallen. The cohesion of fate-freewill can either better ones chances or result in their tragic end. In the thief and the dogs, Said's poor choices, and quest for revenge contribute to his poor fate. His interactions with supporting characters help balance his poor choices as Mahfouz paints characters like Sheikh,Nur, Etc. in a way which provides the road to happiness.
Sheikh al Junaydi is a minor character in the Thief and the dogs. He provides Said with an alternative to revenge, prayer. Considering this novel is set in Egypt it can be stated that he is a clear symbol for the Islamic culture and religion. Sheikh is a Sufi-Muslim, therefore puts more focus on finding the divine light. This symbols is portrayed, directly through the characteristics of Sheikh.
Said's first interaction with Sheikh is when he goes to his house to ask for accommodation. Although through the interactions it can be seen that Said subconsciously needed to be comforted. This stated it can be seen that Sheikh's character is portrayed as a friend, an individual who can listen to ones story, keep a secret, and provide a solution for ones problem. On the reader this impacts them into immediately thinking of Sheikh as trust-worthy as he is characterized through the eyes of Said.
Sheikh as a character also provides a reason for the reader to question Said. Up till his meeting with Sheikh the reader is able to sympathize with Said, as the interactions he has had portray him as the victim. This in turn allows the reader to justify Said's actions. Now after his first interaction with Sheikh the reader now understand that Said has a way out of his bad fate. As Sheikh provides explicit wording to "leave revenge" and turn to god, the audience is able to see the purity and reason in his statements. After Said rejects this suggestion the reader is able to see the power of his revenge to the extent he won't give up his pursuit. This interaction not only helps the reader question Said's actions, but also helps shape whether they think his end was what he deserved.
Examining the choice he was given above, Sheikh's suggestion is an excellent example of fate vs free-will. The interaction they have seems like a cross-road, where taking Sheikh's advice could have resulted in a different path for Said. Considering the only option to weigh was ego, this was one of the few times Said made a free choice. Fate was the element which came into play after this choice was made.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Sheikh - Fate vs Freewill
There are many aspects to why a hero has fallen. The cohesion of fate-freewill can either better ones chances or result in their tragic end. In the thief and the dogs, Said's poor choices, and quest for revenge contribute to his poor fate. His interactions with supporting characters help balance his poor choices as Mahfouz paints characters like Sheikh,Nur, Etc. in a way which provides the road to happiness.
Sheikh al Junaydi is a minor character in the Thief and the dogs. He provides Said with an alternative to revenge, prayer. Considering this novel is set in Egypt it can be stated that he is a clear symbol for the Islamic culture and religion. Sheikh is a Sufi-Muslim, therefore puts more focus on finding the divine light. This symbols is portrayed, directly through the characteristics of Sheikh.
Said's first interaction with Sheikh is when he goes to his house to ask for accommodation. Although through the interactions it can be seen that Said subconsciously needed to be comforted. This stated it can be seen that Sheikh's character is portrayed as a friend, an individual who can listen to ones story, keep a secret, and provide a solution for ones problem. On the reader this impacts them into immediately thinking of Sheikh as trust-worthy as he is characterized through the eyes of Said.
Sheikh as a character also provides a reason for the reader to question Said. Up till his meeting with Sheikh the reader is able to sympathize with Said, as the interactions he has had portray him as the victim. This in turn allows the reader to justify Said's actions. Now after his first interaction with Sheikh the reader now understand that Said has a way out of his bad fate. As Sheikh provides explicit wording to "leave revenge" and turn to god, the audience is able to see the purity and reason in his statements. After Said rejects this suggestion the reader is able to see the power of his revenge to the extent he won't give up his pursuit. This interaction not only helps the reader question Said's actions, but also helps shape whether they think his end was what he deserved.
Examining the choice he was given above, Sheikh's suggestion is an excellent example of fate vs free-will. The interaction they have seems like a cross-road, where taking Sheikh's advice could have resulted in a different path for Said. Considering the only option to weigh was ego, this was one of the few times Said made a free choice. Fate was the element which came into play after this choice was made.
Sheikh al Junaydi is a minor character in the Thief and the dogs. He provides Said with an alternative to revenge, prayer. Considering this novel is set in Egypt it can be stated that he is a clear symbol for the Islamic culture and religion. Sheikh is a Sufi-Muslim, therefore puts more focus on finding the divine light. This symbols is portrayed, directly through the characteristics of Sheikh.
Said's first interaction with Sheikh is when he goes to his house to ask for accommodation. Although through the interactions it can be seen that Said subconsciously needed to be comforted. This stated it can be seen that Sheikh's character is portrayed as a friend, an individual who can listen to ones story, keep a secret, and provide a solution for ones problem. On the reader this impacts them into immediately thinking of Sheikh as trust-worthy as he is characterized through the eyes of Said.
Sheikh as a character also provides a reason for the reader to question Said. Up till his meeting with Sheikh the reader is able to sympathize with Said, as the interactions he has had portray him as the victim. This in turn allows the reader to justify Said's actions. Now after his first interaction with Sheikh the reader now understand that Said has a way out of his bad fate. As Sheikh provides explicit wording to "leave revenge" and turn to god, the audience is able to see the purity and reason in his statements. After Said rejects this suggestion the reader is able to see the power of his revenge to the extent he won't give up his pursuit. This interaction not only helps the reader question Said's actions, but also helps shape whether they think his end was what he deserved.
Examining the choice he was given above, Sheikh's suggestion is an excellent example of fate vs free-will. The interaction they have seems like a cross-road, where taking Sheikh's advice could have resulted in a different path for Said. Considering the only option to weigh was ego, this was one of the few times Said made a free choice. Fate was the element which came into play after this choice was made.
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