Said Mahran passage analysis blog post

Passage:

You wish to recall the sound of the bullet and the screams of Nabawiyya, feeling happy again that you did not hear Sana scream. You'd better greet the Sheikh, but your voice is too weak to say, "Peace be upon you!" There's this feeling of helplessness, as if you were drowning. And you thought you were going to sleep like a log as soon as your skin touched the floor!

How the righteous and God-fearing would have shuddered, turned away from him in fright--until recitation of the name of God had made them less particular, less hard of heart. When would this strange man go to sleep? But the strange old man now raised his voice and began to sing: "In my view, passion is nothing but ingratitude unless it issues from my witnesses." And in a voice that seemed to fill the room, he said: "The eyes of their hearts are open, but those in their heads are closed!" Said smiled in spite of himself. So that's why he is not aware of my presence. But then I too am not fully aware of my own self.

The call to the dawn prayers rose above the quiet waves of the night. It reminded him of a night he'd once spent sleepless until the same call to the dawn prayers, excited over some special joy promised for the following day. On that occasion, he'd got up as soon as he heard the call, happy at release from a night of torment, had looked out of the window at the blue dawn and the smiling sunrise, and had rubbed his hands in anticipation of whatever it was he'd been about to enjoy, something he had since completely forgotten. And therefore he loved the dawn, which he associated with the singing of the prayer-call, the deep blue sky, the smile of the approaching sunrise, and that unremembered joy.

It was dawn now, but he could not move from exhaustion, not even to shift his revolver. The Sheikh rose to perform his prayers. Showing no awareness of Said's presence he lit the oil lamp, spread out the prayer mat, took up his position on it then suddenly, asked, "Aren't you going to perform the dawn prayers?"

Said was so exhausted he was incapable of giving an answer and no sooner had the Sheikh begun his prayers than he dropped off to sleep.

Analysis

The passage reveals Said's conflict that he develops within himself. Mahfouz depicts this conflict in a very metaphorical and vivid manner, through the use of extremities and images that help the reader understand the emotions Said is going through. This conflict of Said with himself repeats throughout the text, as this conflict acts as one of the major contributors to Said's want for revenge.

The first few lines, that make use of the indirect interior monologue style, announce to the readers Said's thoughts about the shooting that had taken place at Ilish's house. He 'wanted to recall' the sounds of the bullet, but he couldn't because he was too tired. These thoughts of Said characterise him as someone vengeful and stubborn. He will do whatever it takes to get revenge. The usage of this narrative technique almost gives the reader a flashback to when Said broke into Illish's house to kill him. By contrasting Said's tired state now and how he felt happy that he hadn't heard Sana scream, Mahfouz establishes Said's character as one who acts as a puppet master: one who wants everything to go according to plan just because he deems himself and his ideals righteous.

But now, after the whole incident, Said is feeling tired and helpless. A parallel can be drawn in between the situation of Said then and the innocent family he attacked unknowingly before. Mahfouz uses the readers association with Said to subtly turn the readers against him. This further leads to Said's characterisation as a vengeful person. Further, he can't even muster strength to greet the people who have been good to him since the beginning, further contributing to his dastardly character.

The next paragraph describes how Said smiles at the Sheikh's clever words. Such an action gives the reader a glimpse of a sane and intelligent Said. However, Said quickly stops smiling, and understands that this is why the Sheikh is not acknowledging him. He then realises that he wasn't too aware of himself at that time, and this juxtaposition of him not being too aware of himself may also refer to him not being aware of the happiness he has in this world. This is another instance where Said is characterised as an antagonist.

A sudden shift in tone in the next few paragraphs is also an important technique that Mahfouz employs in order to show the readers the true colours of Said. Said is thinking about the beautiful morning he had woken up very early and how he saw the beauty of the dawn. However, from this nostalgic, relaxed and happy tone, a sudden change to an urgent and depressing mood is observed. This is obvious due to the deliberate mention of the revolver, meaning that Said still has some good left in him. However, he ends up ignoring it just as he ignores the Sheikh's call to him for prayer, and goes back to sleep in ignorance of the Sheikh and symbolically his 'good' side.

This is why I believe is one of the most important passages in this book. Said's true colours are slowly shown to the reader, and a more holistic version is formed for the reader. No longer is Said just a vagabond who wants revenge for his betrayal, but a once innocent and happy man, who is now enforced by circumstances to extract revenge for his sake.

Narrative structure in The Thief and the Dogs

Naguib Mahfouz uses a large array of narrative techniques in his book The 'Thief and the Dogs'. By alternating between techniques such as stream of consciousness, direct or indirect interior monologue, and soliloquy, Mahfouz enriches the character development in this text and allows the reader for a more holistic approach than usual for developing a perception of the character.
Mahfouz's objective with this text was to depict the changes that the Egyptian middle class had gone through. It wasn't simply a narration of a story set in post-revolutionary Egypt. It's purpose goes much more beyond that. By using such a variety of styles, Mahfouz is able to establish the characters the readers are supposed to sympathise with, and hence achieve the goal of the book: to show his dissatisfaction with the current state of Egyptian society then.
Mahfouz draws the readers in and encourages them to take the side of Said Mahran, by using a stream of consciousness narrative technique. For example, when Mahfouz writes Said's thoughs as "Nabawiyya. Ilish. Your two names merge in my mind. For years you will have been thinking about this day, never imagining, all the while, that the gates would ever actually open. You’ll be watching now, but I won’t fall into the trap. At the right moment, instead, I’ll strike like Fate.", the readers are forced to sympathise with Said. This example of stream of consciousness technique is smattered with instances of imagery. When Said thinks of the two faces of Nabawiyya and Ilish merging together, the readers think the same. When he thinks about how they will have been thinking for 'years' that the gates would never actually open, the readers are perturbed by Nabawiyya and Irish's existence and are cajoled into having the same view of the situation as Said. Imagery and personification of Said as Fate, as well as the capitalisation of the f in fate solidifies Said's rage, and provides the reader something to associate with. The readers almost certainly have been a situation like this, and Mahfouz making use of this fact achieves his objectives by using narrative techniques such as this.
Sometimes, the narration includes phrases that are very vague. Indirect interior monologue like"What love he’d had been the exclusively property of that other, unfaithful woman. He’d been made of stone. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than loving someone like that." makes the reader appreciate Said's struggles. The struggle of the woman he loved could also refer to his love for Egypt. He'd devoted his heart to the country he considered his best love; however he never could do anything about it. This made him forget himself, forget that he himself had had a heart at one point. His love for his 'country' turned his heart into stone. When his love for his country is described as heartbreaking, the real situation is depicted accurately. He wanted to make his country a better place because he loved 'her'. However, he couldn't do anything about it, and hence his heart broke. By using such narration here that makes Saids thoughts sound vague in terms of whom he is referring to, Mahfouz is given place in the text to express his disdain with the current state of Egypt then.
However, this usage of stream of consciousness has some drawbacks as well. One must remember that this technique is drawn from other languages, and isn't native to English. This makes such a narration seem rather exotic and not relatable, since the reader understands that the text isn't written in English initially. It also makes the reader take a specific point of view, which is later very hard to change. It might not always be disadvantageous, but a rigid perspective always drags down the credibility of certain literature.
Hence, through the usage of the stream of consciousness technique, Mahfouz ensures that he tells the story in accordance with his objective, and develop conflict that is perceived from only side of the argument. The adoption of such techniques from other languages, however, is only how literature can keep being evolved and bettered.

The Power of literature in translation

There are the usual literary texts, the ones that are found on the best-selling shelves of big bookshops, and then there are translated works. These, even thought usually dense with knowledge and new cultural information, are hidden away as works that are studied by courses in schools examining the relation between culture and literature. Sounds familiar? Well, the reason these books are chosen are because of their power: the Power to spread different ideas and raise different questions all throughout the world. Notice how the word Power is capitalised through this text; it is an attempt to give Power to translated literature.
The first aspect of the uniqueness of these texts is their Power in raising questions we could never think of. If texts in English raised the question of 'pursuing a specific career path solely in order to delay marriage in Egypt', they would be considered backward, and would receive a lot of criticism. Some might even go as far as calling it cultural appropriation. However, when an Arab text does so, it'd be considered organic, and answering questions that are relevant to it's culture. Hence, the context of reception matters a lot, and translated texts hold this power of influencing the reader's mind; to ensure the spread of ideas in an as transparent manner as possible.
The next Power is the use of translated literature itself as a medium to propagate literature continually. Literature has evolved throughout the century, and keeps on doing so. However, without translated texts, literature would be analogous to a sea with only one type of fish. It would eventually become bland. Translated texts bring another dimension to literature, and ensures that literature is diverse, just as it is supposed to be.
However, there are certain drawbacks as well. As the phrase goes, some texts are 'lost in translation'. This is especially true with Arabic texts, since the dialect of arabic spoken usually helps in establishing a setting. However, when it is translated to English, all speech appears to be the same. Arabic is depicted as a single strand when translated to English, when it is in reality a collection of a bunch of different smaller strands. Literature loses its power sometimes, and there is very less one can do to prevent this. However, an overview of the context of the book gives a very good idea of the culture and the setting of the book. This is because the context can affect the interpretation of the book, and is a major factor in how the readers see the chronological position of the book.
As explored above, the Power literature has is immense. It can turn even the most stubborn of minds to a much more flexible one, and provide a platform for topics of debate that are nonexistent. However, with great Power comes great responsibility, and one mustn't forget the responsibility the authors and translators have over the perception of their culture.

Perfect Paper 1: "Why Fight for Russia?"

Poster propagating propaganda (Caring)

Rationale:

This propaganda poster aims to present ‘Caring’, one of the essential IB learner profile ideals as the most important. The poster has been created using propaganda appeals such as card stacking which involves testimonials, glittering generalities and transfer device.

The transfer device takes the form of an image where a dog is feeding milk to a goat using a bottle. Since most people will agree that the picture is cute, they will also identify the fact that the dog and the goat are from 2 different species and this gives an essential realization that we as one species should take care of each other. The quote from Mahatma Gandhi has been provided to contribute to the ethos of this propaganda just as the picture of the caring dog has been used to apply to the pathos of the viewer in a subtle way.

The testimonials provide physical evidence on the importance of being caring, and solidify the message being conveyed.

The glittering generalities (...Strive to be EXCELLENT at...) provide a new dimension to the poster. It showcases an IB learner as one who shines even amongst the most clean of mirrors.

The visual language contributes to the importance of caring for each other as the bold font emphasizes the ideal. The background picture also provides a general overview, as the heart sign made using the hand is a mainstream thing and it can be easily identified. The picture of the globe within the heart has an obvious connotation, to love and take care of the world around us.

Poster 

Reflection on Propaganda

Throughout the past week, we have been exploring propaganda and some of it's subtle and not-so-subtle forms in the media. Before beginning this journey, we played a little game of 4 corners. The prompt: "It is okay for the government to mislead in order to promote security." was the one that hit me more than the others. Such a statement has been nibbling me at the back of my mind for the entirety of my bring. Initially, my response was that 'misleading by the government' was morally wrong. It was unethical, and the abolition of such a totalitarian statement will be the only path to a Utopia. However, throughout the past week, my stance on the statement has changed.
Propaganda has taken over our life, whether it be in the form of media or the daily talk we have with our family at the dinner table. Propaganda is everywhere, and is unstoppable as it is the by-product of human nature. This extreme form of bias is natural; if there was no propaganda in this world, there might as well not have been emotions.
This is evident from the Jessica Lynch case about which an article was assigned to us as a reading. Some consider the rescue of the then 19 year old American soldier heroic; others less so. The BBC and American media have taken widely different stances on this issue. The media in the USA had been accused of tweaking and manipulating the fine details of the story. It was portrayed as a very heroic story, one similar to those in action movies. This led to the induction of a new cult symbol in the USA. Even if the story is exaggerated, it gives hope to the Americans, and upholds the very fabric of society. Sure, the fact that the US government is not doing too well on foreign soil, or the fact that they shouldn't be there in the first place is not mentioned anywhere in american media. However, it is this confidence that holds America together: what's the point of reporting news that's going to bring a society apart? Societal structures in developed countries like the USA are fragile, and need to be maintained with great care in order to prevent the breaking down of one of the most powerful economies in the world. Imagine an America in turmoil: everyone running around in panic due to their lack of confidence in their military. This does not make a very pretty sight does it? Propaganda through the subtle impact of the American Government on American media provides an identity to an American even though they might not be wholly true: as those who stand for justice to anyone anywhere.
The documentary 'Control Room' also further emphasises my point on the importance of propaganda. Everyone considers Jazeera News to have some form of propaganda. The owner himself says that the main objective is to bring the Arab World to the forefront of technology. Iraqi media says that they have an American bias, whereas American media says they have an Iraqi one. This intertwining and mingling of different viewpoints on propaganda proves that everyone is human: objective reporting in extreme cases (such as the Iraqi one) is quite simply impossible. Since propaganda is going to be present anyway, wouldn't it be better if the almighty power of a country use certain propaganda and information in order to strengthen the identity and quality of life of a country?
Such a view might seem extreme if thought about initially. However, throughout the lessons, these are thoughts that have been going through my head. Propaganda is inevitable: you might as well use it for good purposes, even if it involves manipulation of facts. Willing citizens can make what they want to of the news being reported. This has finally changed my perspective to that of an "strongly-agreeing student" about this prompt. I can't say a lot of the others would say the same...

Biased newspaper article (Pastiche)

Sierra Leone: Is it really free of Ebola?

Thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, Freetown, at the stroke of midnight - marking 42 days without a single declared case of the disease. What they don't know is that the virus is slowly multiplying and rebuilding itself in a part of their body which the immunity system finds hard to reach.

There were further cheers when the WHO local representative made the official announcement later on Saturday.

But for Ebola survivors this milestone does not mean the end of the impact of this disease on their lives. The last month has significantly altered our understanding of how Ebola virus interacts with the human body, based on new research publications as well as information from the case of Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey.

Cafferkey, who volunteered at an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone, contracted Ebola last December. She survived after a protracted battle with the virus only to have it reappear as meningitis months later. This information, taken together with the evidence that Ebola can also survive in the sperm of a quarter of male Ebola survivors up to nine months after recovery, tells us that the virus invades and hides away in areas of the body where the immune system does not wield a strong response. It then lies in wait, all the while slowly replicating in the background and posing a potential threat to the health of the host.

The outbreak killed almost 4,000 people in Sierra Leone over the past 18 months.  This is the second highest number of people killed by Ebola in the extremely affected countries.

Ebola deaths
Figures up to 1 November 2015
Source: WHO
Getty

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At the scene: Tulip Mazumdar, BBC News, Freetown

11,314

Deaths - probable, confirmed and suspected

(Includes one in the US and six in Mali)

• 4,808 Liberia 
• 3,955 Sierra Leone 
• 2,536 Guinea 
• 8 Nigeria 

Many gathered around a giant cotton tree in the centre of the city. There were candles lit around a cotton tree in memory of the dead.

Dr Oliver Johnson, from the King's Sierra Leone partnership, worked at an Ebola clinic in Freetown, and has strong links with medical professionals there. 

"[For] everyone I've spoken to, there's a sense of relief that this might finally be over and maybe a bit of disbelief that after so many false starts, or false ends, we might finally be there," he told the BBC. 

A country is considered free of human-to-human transmission once two 21-day incubation periods have passed since the last known case tested negative for a second time.

This is the moment Sierra Leone has been waiting for. Thousands of people took to the streets of the capital on the run-up to midnight. 

Women's groups came together to organise a march through the city centre; the final point was a 600-year-old cotton tree which sits on a huge roundabout. Usually, the area is jammed with cars, but last night it was packed with people. Some held up candles, others jumped around dancing and a military band led the procession through the city. 

There were waves of celebrations, and then silence as names of some of the dead were beamed on to a screen. Health workers in particular were honoured for their bravery and sacrifice, they were some of the first to die when Ebola struck. Today is an enormous milestone for Sierra Leoneans, and people are overjoyed. But this historic moment is bittersweet. 

Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma is due to address crowds in the city later. 

On Friday, he blamed the WHO for delaying Sierra Leone declaring a state of emergency and restricting movement during the Ebola outbreak. 

He said his government did at the time what it could do and did not have the knowledge to fight the disease.

Indeed, the lack of infrastructure of the country did not help slow down the spread of the life-destroying virus that combines the nastiest symptoms of some of the diseases out there. They delays were indeed inappropriate: not due to the fact that the delays were long, but rather due to the fact that delays were shorter than they should have been.

He said his government had to put up with the delays because international organisations such as the WHO "were the experts".

Neighbouring Liberia was declared Ebola-free in September following 4,800 deaths there.

A handful of cases are still being reported in neighbouring Guinea. Sierra Leone has said it will take heightened security and health screening measures at their shared border.

Nevertheless, we have to assume that the late manifestations as discussed in Cafferky's case at the beginning  are already happening in some of the nearly 17,000 Ebola survivors in West Africa.

These new findings about Ebola reveal a severe blind spot in the medical community. Were these symptoms present in Ebola survivors from prior outbreaks as well? Did we just not pick them up because we weren't looking for them or had no capacity to look for them? How confident can we be about our knowledge of Ebola and other emerging pathogens when the majority of the cases are occurring in communities that lack the medical resources to pick them up.

The Ebola survivors in Sierra Leone and the other affected countries have taught us — the medical and the public health community — the importance of sticking around. Good medical infrastructure and the presence of enough sharp clinicians in the affected areas could not only make a significant difference for the patients but also contribute to the preparedness of the larger global community. For West Africa, the most critical question is how do we equip these healthcare systems, which have been severely debilitated by the Ebola epidemic, to handle the new disease burden among survivors, alongside the burden of other communicable and non-communicable diseases?

[Link: Ebola outbreak: Sierra Leone declared free of disease]