"Rauf Ilwan," Said pleaded aloud, "tell me how it is that time can bring such terrible changes to people!"Not just a revolutionary student, but revolution personified as a student. Your stirring voice, pitching itself downward towards my ears as I sat at my father's feet in the courtyard of the building, with a force to awaken the very soul. And you'd talk about princes and pashas, transforming those fine gentlemen with your magic into mere thieves. And to see you on the Mudiriyya Road, striding out amidst your men you called your equal as they munched their sugar cane in their flowing galabiyyas, when your voice would reach such a pitch that it seemed to flow right over the field and make the palm tree bow before it--unforgettable.
Yes, there was a strange power in you that I found nowhere else, not even in Sheikh Ali al-Junaydi.
That's how you were, Rauf. To you alone goes the credit for my father enrolling me in school. You'd roar with delighted laugher at my success. "Do you see now?" you'd say to my father, "You didn't even want him to get an education. Just you look at those eyes of his; he's going to shake things to their foundations!" You taught me to love reading. You discussed everything with me, as If I were your equal. I was one of your listeners--at the foot of the same tree where the history of my love began--and the times themselves were listening to you too: "The people! Theft The holy fire! The rich! Hunger! Justice!"
Analysis
The passage above reveals Said Mahran's growing anger towards his ex-accomplice Rauf, who's current success and personal growth disappoints him. Mahfouz depicts Said's emotional pain by delving deeper into the protagonist's stream of consciousness as he tumbles over his disturbing thoughts. This sentiment resonates throughout the rest of the text as Said continues to reminisce over old memories of his past that now anger him in the present.
Through the use of both indirect and direct monologue Mahfouz, Said expresses his inner thoughts as he contemplates how "time can bring such terrible changes to people." This bold statement emphasizes the significance of examining Said's relationship with Rauf in both the past and the present. Said's internal monologues allows the reader to gain access into Said's past and present as his story reveals itself progressively throughout the novel through the use of flashbacks and his internal monologues. For example, in this particular passage we learn more about the relationship that Said used to have with Rauf 4 years ago before he was imprisoned. We learn that Said looked up to Rauf as a father, as he appeared as a teacher, a parent, and a devoted friend to Said. "You discussed everything with me, as If I were your equal." This empathetic bond between the reader and the characters is amplified when Mahfouz uses a metaphor to describe Said's devotion to Rauf.
The experience of peering into Said's deeper thoughts, especially at this moment in time in the novel, allows the reader to truly understand the meaning of his past and make relevant observations. When Said is released from prison after 4 years, he is exposed to the evident changes that the Egyptian revolution has brought amongst him. The changes that he sees are "not just a revolutionary student , but revolution personified as a student." Mahfouz's use of personification further emphasizes the intensity of Said's conceptual thoughts and emotions. As he is exposed to the realities of treachery, the reader can only question what is to come.
Ultimately, the final line of the passage reinforces the significance of Said's anger and thoughts of betrayal against Rauf. Again, Said shares his underlying pain as he exaggerates the "history of their love". Mahfouz use of concise yet powerful wording adds a dramatic end to the passage as Said somewhat exclaims the main themes of the novel, "the people! Thef! The holy fire! The rich! Hunger! Justice!". Henceforth, Said's societal placement is clearly represented as he exclaims fury towards the upper class.
Through the use of both indirect and direct monologue Mahfouz, Said expresses his inner thoughts as he contemplates how "time can bring such terrible changes to people." This bold statement emphasizes the significance of examining Said's relationship with Rauf in both the past and the present. Said's internal monologues allows the reader to gain access into Said's past and present as his story reveals itself progressively throughout the novel through the use of flashbacks and his internal monologues. For example, in this particular passage we learn more about the relationship that Said used to have with Rauf 4 years ago before he was imprisoned. We learn that Said looked up to Rauf as a father, as he appeared as a teacher, a parent, and a devoted friend to Said. "You discussed everything with me, as If I were your equal." This empathetic bond between the reader and the characters is amplified when Mahfouz uses a metaphor to describe Said's devotion to Rauf.
The experience of peering into Said's deeper thoughts, especially at this moment in time in the novel, allows the reader to truly understand the meaning of his past and make relevant observations. When Said is released from prison after 4 years, he is exposed to the evident changes that the Egyptian revolution has brought amongst him. The changes that he sees are "not just a revolutionary student , but revolution personified as a student." Mahfouz's use of personification further emphasizes the intensity of Said's conceptual thoughts and emotions. As he is exposed to the realities of treachery, the reader can only question what is to come.
Ultimately, the final line of the passage reinforces the significance of Said's anger and thoughts of betrayal against Rauf. Again, Said shares his underlying pain as he exaggerates the "history of their love". Mahfouz use of concise yet powerful wording adds a dramatic end to the passage as Said somewhat exclaims the main themes of the novel, "the people! Thef! The holy fire! The rich! Hunger! Justice!". Henceforth, Said's societal placement is clearly represented as he exclaims fury towards the upper class.
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