Sheik al Junaydi is a
secondary character however, through the portrayal of the interaction between the
Sheik and Said Mahran, the protagonist of the text, Sheik is symbolized as the
conscience voice of Said Mahran. Said Mahran’s morals are depicted through the
characterization of Said Mahran.
Sheik al Junaydi was the
mentor of Said’s father and so when Said is released from jail, he goes to the
Sheik’s place in order to find a place to reside, as he has nothing left. At
this point, the audience feels sympathy towards Said because this is
immediately after his daughter, Sana, rejects him. It is also seen that Said
has respect for the Sheik; even though throughout the text it seems as if
Said’s perception on everyone else is that he is outcasted.
There are many instances
where Said Mahran morals are consciously shaken by the words of Sheik and this
is seen through Said’s immediate infuriation at Sheik’s words. When Sheik lets
Said stay at his place, which is more of a religious house where people come to
pray, Said starts showing his gratitude by thanking him and saying that he knew
he wouldn’t look badly upon him because he was in jail. The Sheik’s response is
that he isn’t the judge but rather, it is god or the most supreme that is the
judge of right or wrong. This immediately establishes how the Sheik himself
doesn’t believe that Said’s character is morally strong and Said catches on to
that implication and therefore he starts explaining his problems including how
his own daughter rejected, maybe in the hopes of gaining sympathy and to be
seen as the victim however, he is faced with the Sheik’s nonchalance. Also, the
Sheik instantly realizes Said’s dishonesty and that is why he responds with, ‘
You seek a roof, not an answer,’ when Said verbally expresses his thankfulness
through the use of god.
The tone of the Sheik
contrasts to the rest of the novel. The novel as a whole is very fast paced and
has a sense of urgency to it whereas in the midst of all this ‘chaos’ that is
going on; the Sheik is the only character with a calm and soothing aura to him.
This deliberate characterization of Said is done in order to convey the message
that no matter what the situation is, the use of free will can be very
advantageous and can act as a great determinant of one’s fate if used with a
calm mind and Said completely disregards this calm nature and influence of the
Sheik- this is demonstrated through the many opportunities of free will Said is
presented with not only through actions and opportunities, but also through
words of advice from the Sheik, that could have led to a different, if not better,
fate of Said Mahran, as any fate is arguably better than death. As the story
progresses, more opportunities of free will and essentially ‘endless’ second
chances have been given to Said which leads to the audience feeling frustrated,
losing sympathy and wondering why he’s so stubborn in the belief that he is
essentially ‘invincible.’ Naguib Mahfouz’s purpose of demonstrating increased
opportunities of free will with the progression of the text is to show the
audience that his insanity is led by the perception of his own fate.
Additionally, not being able to realize that his free will was what guided his
fate and not his invincibility was his fatal flaw in my opinion.
Word Count: 614
