The Social and Political Dimensions in “The Thief and the Dogs”

 The Social and Political Dimensions in “The Thief and the Dogs”. As we know, some readers put this novel in the context of the Egyptian political and social developments that followed the 1952 revolution. 

The Social and Political Dimensions in “The Thief and the Dogs”

This Title helps both the reader and the translator to understand the implied and unspoken aspects of the text. Hence, we need to consider some social and political aspects such as the public fears of the ruling fascists which promoted the writer’s politeness and some linguistic tricks. Let’s focus on this by reading some translators and writers’ analysis.

Muhammad Mahmoud Sulayman

Some analysts say that Mahfouz had begun to put out antenna which received the signals of a profound change in the Egyptian society. The readers of the novel may recall the real story of a clever thief called Muhammad Amin Mahmoud Sulayman, known in the state press as “al-Saffah” (the murder) – and who had stolen houses and villas of the wealthy people and gave the poor some of the stolen money.

This took place one day in April 1960, when people loved that thief who challenged the police and awoke the dreams of downtrodden people in Egypt. So, Sa’eid Mahran was considered the voice that declared the people’s separation from the state, there was no more harmony and agreement. “If someone kills me, this means they kill millions, because I am the hope and the dreams of the crowds. I am the real man and the tears that shame everyman’, he says. Sa’eid did realy realize that the state widened its bureaucratic and social gaps and foundations to meet its ambitious expectations. Sa’eid Mahran raised his voice and showed the society how were the cracks in the structure’s foundations.[i] (Mohamed Berrada, (2009), Translated by Christina Phillips, pp. 116-117)

Shortcomings of the 1952 revolution

 Rasheed El-Enany (2004-102) said that Najeeb Mahfouz’s “The Thief and the Dogs” is the author’s first tial in the chain which dealt with the shortcomings of the 1952 revolution. The betrayal of the revolutionary ideals is really one of the main themes of the novel. This idea is embodied by Mahfouz in the relationship between Sa’ eid Mahran, the protagonist of the novel, who suffers from his old friends’ betrayal, and Ra’ouf Elwan, his fallen fake hero.

Indeed, Mahfouz wanted to say that the newly emerged establishment betrayed many innocent people and inherited all too soon privileges of the former regime. This is not a simple political novel, but Mahfouz succeeds in transforming the predicament of Said Mahran into a consideration of issues such as the value of human action and the alienation of the individual from both the modern society and God. The thief and the Dogs appeared to mark a different direction in Mahfouz’s post revolution aesthetics.