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Questions From The Thief and The Dogs

This document contains thought questions about the short story "The Thief and the Dogs" by Mahfouz. It asks questions about various symbolic elements in the story including the role of Said's daughter, the significance of names, settings like the cemetery and Sheikh's hut, characters like Said and Jur, motifs like imprisonment and darkness, and the use of stream of consciousness narration. It explores themes of betrayal, misunderstanding, and the tragic fate of the protagonist Said. The questions probe for deeper meaning and analyze how various literary techniques enhance the reader's understanding of the characters and themes.

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888 views

Questions From The Thief and The Dogs

This document contains thought questions about the short story "The Thief and the Dogs" by Mahfouz. It asks questions about various symbolic elements in the story including the role of Said's daughter, the significance of names, settings like the cemetery and Sheikh's hut, characters like Said and Jur, motifs like imprisonment and darkness, and the use of stream of consciousness narration. It explores themes of betrayal, misunderstanding, and the tragic fate of the protagonist Said. The questions probe for deeper meaning and analyze how various literary techniques enhance the reader's understanding of the characters and themes.

Uploaded by

tiffany_kim_25
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Thought Questions: The Thief and the Dogs 1.

What role does the brief appearance of Saids daughter play in the story, and how does her reaction to Said affect the course of Saids behavior? . Why does !ahfou" throw together the #is#atched couple of $ur and Said? %loo& for #eaning'translation of na#es( ). *ow did the author portray Saids insecurity through Saids point of view versus the outside narrators point of view? +. ,. -. .. /. 1. 12. 11. 1 . 1). What does the ce#etery sy#boli"e and how does it have a recurring role in the story? What is the sy#bolic significance of the dar&ness of the Shei&hs hut? Where did $ur go? What happened to her? Was she a spy? Why is Saids fathers history with the Shei&h relevant? 0s Said a tragic hero? 0s The Thief and the Dogs a tragedy? %refer to tragic hero notes( *ow do the interior #onologues serve as an aid to the reader? Through what techni3ues does !ahfou" evo&e pity for Said? What does $ur see in Said 4 why does she long for his affection? What does the author intend when he says that Said was brainwashed by revolutionary ideas? *ow did #isunderstandings and unwise choices affect the lives of the characters in the story?

1+. Why are $abawiyya, 0lish, and 5auf allowed to live a nor#al life while Said #ust be punished, if they were the ones that betrayed and #istreated Said? 1,. 1-. 1.. *ow does the title play out in the story, and is it accurate? What, if any, is the sy#bolic significance of Saids boo&s? What role does irony play in the story 4 Said as a #aster thief, crac& pistol shot etc.?

1/. What is the purpose of the #otif of confine#ent and walls in the novel? *ow does it wor& as a device? 11. *ow does !ahfou" use dar&ness to reflect the protagonists state of #ind? 2. 6ite a passage that is heavily dependent on i#agery, what do you thin& is the authors purpose? 1. 7o you thin& it is by necessity Said had to be chased down by the dogs? . The recurring i#ages of prison, betrayal, and dar&ness a#ongst others also per#eate the te8t. 6ite a passage for each #otif and co##ent on each. ). The novel is re#ar&able because it is the first novel to e#ploy the strea# of consciousness style of writing in 9rabic. 6ite a revealing strea# of conscious passage and co##ent on it.

+. What other #otif do you notice in the novel other than the #otifs #entioned above? 6ite a passage and co##ent on it.

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