Said Mahran Passage Analysis

Chapter 6: Passage

To kill them both--Nabawiyya and Ilish--at the same time, would be a triumph. Even better would be to settle with Rauf Ilwan, too, then escape, go abroad if possible. But who'll look after Sana? The thorn in my side. You always act impulsively, Said, without thinking, but you mustn't rush this time; you must wait until you've arranged things, then swoop like an eagle. But there's no point in delay either: you're a hunted man--you became a hunted man as soon as they knew you were coming out--and now, after the car incident, the search will be intensified. Only a few pounds in the wallet of the factory owner's son--another stroke of bad luck. If you don't strike soon everything will collapse. Who'll look after Sana, though? That thorn again. She rejected me but I still love her. Should I spare your unfaithful mother for your sake, then? I must find the answer right away.

Analysis:

Analyse your selected passage and justify why that passage is a significant moment that contributes to the characterisation of Said Mahran. Your analysis must include an awareness of stylistic features and the effect on the reader. 

This passage allows the reader to see the full intentions behind Mahfouz's use of stream of consciousness narration. This passage reveals Said's ultimate inner conflict throughout the novel, that he seems to face in lieu of his previous mistakes. He feels a sense of injustice for the punishments he is meant to face for the crimes he once committed, despite the Robin Hood reasoning behind it. As a result, his actions throughout the novel are often fuelled with revenge, in which this passage perfectly encapsulates this. We are able to his the revengeful attitude in his wishing to kill all Nabawiyya, Ilish and Rauf Ilwan. 

The use of stream of consciousness narrative is what struck me most in this passage. The two sided argument we seem to see him experience effectively contributes and perhaps foreshadow his eventual downfall at the end of the novel. Sana, his achilles heel, always seem to be at the back of his mind fuelling his actions, making him fully aware of the repercussions of them as well. As readers, we are therefore able to see his ability to view his situation from a wider perspective, yet the lack of clarity or commitment he chooses to apply to his actions. 

Mahfouz's use of rhetorical questions in this passage show us the sense of confusion Said's feels in this situation. The effect on the reader would be a mirrored sense of confusion. As the text continues on, we find Said's actions to be rather sporadic, an intended understanding on Mahfouz's part as this further develops the complexities of Said's character. 

As a result of Mahfouz's use of these literary devices in this passage in the novel, Said is developed as a complex character with protruding attributes of a tragic hero. 

Thief and The Dogs Narration

Most Middle Eastern literature falls in a different category to Mahfouz's novel "the Thief and the Dogs", making it a groundbreaking text in and of itself. The stream of consciousness narrative that Mahfouz employs to the protagonist makes for a novel of great complexity. More specifically the variety of point of views that the protagonist, Said, takes on as a development of his character also aid the progression of the overall storyline. 

The storyline is seen to transition between a multitude of point of views all focused on Said's stream of consciousness. Mahfouz uses direct and indirect monologue between characters as a way of developing the complexity of the story. This also allows the reader to understand certain elements of Said's character. Although this constant shifting of point of views serves as an advantages to Mahfouz's storyline, it should also be noted that it can read as quite dizzy. By this, I mean that the constant shifting can be rather confusing and distracting when reading the text. Still, the creative intentions behind this are understood. 

In conjunction to this, an appreciation of language and style should be considered. An awareness of the translated nature of this text should be noted as certain anecdotes within the text can be lost in translation. However, with this, the translated nature of the text can also serve as an advantage to broadening certain point of views to English readers. The Middle Eastern attitude that Mahfouz's provides allows for a next level complexity to be achieved. 

Literature in Translation

In today's world, the translation of texts is vital to developing and maintaining respectable bonds between cultures, as well as cultivate our own hybrid understanding of them. The globalisation of the world has incited new appreciations of culture, which can be evidence in the translation of texts. The importance of this is as follows.

Translating texts can provide insight into a culture that not even travelling to their country can. It allows different cultures to examine and interpret certain ideas and values in alternate ways. Foreign texts are popularised through the translation of them, as cultures have more access to different understandings of the world they share. 

In reference to an article written by Anderson Hephzibah at BBC, the number of books English readers read are 97-98% English, eliminating the need for translation. Hephzibah discusses the nature of translated texts and their relevancy in English literature. This can be explained by the historical colonization of English speakers, as well as their geographical locations. Perhaps translated texts aren't appealing to English speakers as they don't present an interpretation of the world most Westerners agree with. 

Part 3 of the language and literature course requires a study of translated texts and provides the following as learning outcomes:

"Consider the changing historical, cultural and social contexts in which particular texts are written and received."

"Demonstrate how form, structure and style can not only be seen to influence meaning but can also be influenced by context."

"Understand the attitudes and values expressed by literary texts and their impacts on readers."

The novel of study in this course, "the Thief and the Dogs" provides a thorough understanding of these outcomes. The foreign nature of the novel and the Middle Eastern point of view that the author takes on, differs from that of previous texts we've studied in this course, and is therefore more likely to conjure different impacts on us as readers.

Propaganda Blog Post

Deception is just as bad as telling an outright lie.

In Al Jazeera's depiction of Iraq's point of view of their war, some truths surface from how American news channels' portrayals of the same war have contributed to the extreme bigotism against Arabs and Islam. American media is widely considered to be hijacked by the US government as leverage against enemy countries, such as Iraq. In the American depiction of the Iraq war, their news outlets have made a conscious effort to antagonise the Iraqi and middle Eastern culture. Considering this, the deception exuded by the American media is just as bad as telling an outright lie. 

Firstly, the representation of the United States' perspective on their news outlets materialised to be innocent and often downplayed their military actions. The American President at the time had a large involvement in the media as he often contributed his strong point of views. He created an enemy out of Iraq by stating things like "Al Jazeera is the mouthpiece of Osama Bin Laden" or publicly communicating that he felt the U.S. was being fair in their military actions. From an American civilians' point of view, they are only able to view their government as being just and honourable. Yet, their government is in fact disguising their real involvement in the war through language manipulation and fact deception. In many instances, American news outlets have used soldiers as their new anchors and describe certain military events as having "heroic resistance" or perhaps "miscalculating" some of their moves, which is in fact a huge paraphrase of the true events occurring within Iraq. The tone of voice used by their anchors also appears to be calm and certain, which acts as a tool to the media in reassuring the American audience and disguising the American government at the time. It is obvious that what the American news outlet are showing benefits their country rather than communicating the truth. In doing so, the truth will never ultimately be revealed to the American public demonstrating these U.S. journalists' inability toe be objective. 

On the other hand, Al Jazeera's approach at news seems to be much more effective. Despite inevitably having bias, their conscious effort at covering news that demonstrates neutrality and truth, effectively allows for their audience to come to their own conclusions about the truth. Their head director has confidently expressed that their news outlet only wishes to hear individuals and depict news that does not overtly communicate only one side of the story. The lack of support from the Iraqi government goes to show how they do not rely on the middle Eastern support to convey the truth. 

All in all, American media's obstructing the process of their own media is in fact misinformation and in this case can be viewed as an outright lie. The public deserves the right to know and understand the truth concerning their country's affairs with other countries. 

Media Bias - Rewrite

Private Prison Stocks Skyrocket Following Donald Trump's Election Win

Wednesday morning, following Donald Trump's victory in the election, stocks for CoreCivic (formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America), the biggest private prison in the United States, was up by nearly 60 percent. Stocks for the second biggest, GEO Group, went up by 28 percent. While both have subsided since early this morning, stocks have remained rather strong.

This marks an undoing of the Obama administration, which, in August of 2016, announced plans to phase out and cease use of private prisons, some of which have been used to house undocumented inmates. According to the Justice Department's Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, "They simply do not provide the same level of correctional services, programs, and resources; they do not save substantially on costs; and as noted in a recent report by the Department's Office of Inspector General, they do not maintain the same level of safety and security." 

Stock prices for both CoreCivic and GEO Group had dropped around 25 percent following the Obama administration's announcement, but both are now back up a mere hours after the Trump's election victory. Under Hillary Clinton's administration, Obama's plan would have been continued. But Trump's republican stance has predicted an expansion of private prisons. Despite Trump's lack of vocalization on the exact matter, it's long been known that the prison system has been owned by private owners. However, the Motley Fool notes that the spike is curious considering Trump's end game for illegal immigrants is deportation, not imprisonment. 

Rewritten

Just this morning, following Donald Trump's pyrrhic victory in the US election, stocks for CoreCivic (formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America), the biggest private prison in the United States,  immediately raised by 60 percent. Stocks for the second biggest, GEO Group, went up by 28 percent, a significant rise. Since Trump's election as American President, prison stocks have increase in value.

This marks an instantaneous downfall of the Obama administration's effort to improve America's prison conditions. In August of 2016, the government declared intentions to phase out and cease use of privately owned prisons, some of which have been used to confine undocumented men and women. According to the Justice Department's Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, "These prisons are not equipped with humane correctional services, programs, and resources; and the costs are most beneficial to the rich white male owners; and as noted in a recent report by the Department's Office of Inspector General, they marginalise basic levels of safety and security needed for a prison." 

Stock prices for both CoreCivic and GEO Group had notably decreased nearly 25 percent following the Obama administration's announcement, but both are now back up a mere hour after Trump's unfortunate election. Under Hillary Clinton's leadership, Obama's favourable objectives would have continued to make a difference. But Trump's racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant stance has predicted an expansion of these prisons owned by America's 1%. Despite Trump's absent vocalisation on the matter, it's long been known that the prison system has been fueled by racism. White men are now unable to own slaves, so the privatisation of prisons is plan B. However, the Motley Fool notes that the spike is curious considering Trump's end game for immigrants is deportation, and less focus on imprisonment. 

Sylvia Plath Practice IOC

Provided below is a link to my practice IOC on Sylvia Plath's poem "Lady Lazarus":

https://youtu.be/bR7GpbBvBxg

Coriolanus IOC Practice Passage Outline

This particular passage is sourced from Shakespeare's play Coriolanus, particularly towards the  end of scene IV during a period after Coriolanus' banishment from Rome, prior to his attempt at returning. This Shakespeare is renowned to the most politically exploratory of his plays, ultimately leadings to the overall discussion of my following commentary. This commentary will thematically explore the relevance of social classes in Rome at the time Shakespeare created this play. Throughout the tragedy, the conflict between Aufidius and Coriolanus has developed, and the reader can expect a negative characterisation of the protagonist throughout this passage through his enemy's dialogue. 

Chunk 1: Characterisation of Coriolanus

• In multiple instances in the text, Coriolanus is compared to predator-natured animals as Shakespeare ultimate characterisation of this multi-faceted protagonist as a powerful and violent figure. 
• The characters prevalent within this passage are immediately indicative of the tone Shakespeare sets as the dialogue progresses. 
• The development of Coriolanus as an anti-hero is foreshadowed in the final two lines of the passage, where Shakespeare uses the protagonist's enemy to reveal Coriolanus' eventual downfall from the power he continuously longs for. 

Chunk 2: Transition of power roles in Rome

• Since the beginning of the text, the reader can recognise a struggle for power between the upper and lower classes of Rome, Coriolanus depicting the upper class while the Plebeians are considered lower class. The democratic nature of Rome hints at the reader that Coriolanus would never be appointed power within Rome due to his incredibly selfish nature. As the story progresses, this unsuspected transition of power is becoming more and more probable, much to the demise of Aufidius, who struggles for power as well. 
• At this particular point in the play, Coriolanus is in his most powerful state due to his manipulation of his social appearance as a noble, amicable soldier, to which even Aufidius admits, from lines 10 to 15, that this manipulation of power should result in his seizing of power.

Chunk 3: Roman Social classes

• Coriolanus' inability to consider a life without power and dominance, leads to his manipulation of Rome's upper class of their opinion of him. Despite the lower class of Rome being much more abundant in size, Coriolanus is aware that a close relationship with the upper class will allow him to achieve his ultimate dreams. 
• This characterisation of Coriolanus serves as a tool to Shakespeare to comment on the dominance of the wealthy of the poor and the lack of control the poor essentially had in a Roman democracy. 
• This downfall of Coriolanus as an anti-hero ultimately serves as a commentary about the social flaw Rome has inherited, in its inability to adhere to social equality. 

All in all, Shakespeare's most politically endowed play serves as a relatable template to similar social issues modern day societies encounter, faced with the flaws of greed and the need to control.