Chapter Three – Plot Development

Said visits his former mentor Rauf Ilwan, who is now a prominent writer for the Al-Zahra, but decides Rauf’s office “in Maarif Square” (p. 171) “isn’t a suitable place for reunion of old friends” (p. 172). He thinks “Rauf won’t be able to behave naturally [there]”. Instead, Said waits for Rauf outside his lavish home, “villa number 18” (p. 172). Said wonders “…what [has] become of the Rauf Ilwan he’d known?” (p. 171); Rauf’s apparent successes may have corrupted his former self. Said can sense the superficiality in their meeting. Rauf seems to welcome Said out of obligation, not courtesy. The two argue over a suitable job for Said and social class issues. He offends Rauf, Said leaves with no job, no hope in his former mentor, and a mere ten pounds in his wallet.

Chapter Three – Imagery

The use of contrast highlights the change between Said’s world before prison and after. His memories of the former Rauf Ilwan, with his modest writing ventures and meagre lifestyle are juxtaposed with his new superficial newspaper column and his villa. Contrast emphasizes this transformation.

Animal imagery is not as prominent in this chapter. “… Ilwan’s face had become cowlike in its fullness…” (p. 174) Here, the cow has negative connotations. Said is shining an unflattering light on Rauf’s face.

When describing Rauf’s suavity, Said says it’s “a quality that could only have come from a touch of blue blood…” (p. 174) The alliteration here emphasizes Rauf’s impersonal air. Blue has a connotation of cool, implying that Rauf is cold-blooded. Blue is also often associated with royalty, meaning Rauf’s new suave demeanour could be the result of his newfound high-society status. Colour is also used to create a dark atmosphere. “… leaving stars in a sky profoundly black…” (p. 172)

As further explored in other sections, setting and places are used to define character and express Said’s thoughts and feelings (pathetic fallacy).

Chapter Three – Characterisation

In this chapter we are introduced to Rauf Ilwan, Said’s former mentor and last chance to “begin life afresh” (p. 170). Rauf becomes a new antagonist after Said discovers he has “betrayed [his old] ideas” (p. 176) and compromised his ideologies for money. We also get a better understanding of Said.

Rauf Ilwan is Said’s former mentor and has changed considerably from when Said last saw him. He used to scribble inspiring articles about freedom; he was a working class hero. Now, he writes about trivial topics like “women’s fashions [and] loudspeakers…” (p. 170). Rauf is no longer the “young peasant with shabby clothes, a big heart, and a direct and glittering style of writing.” (p. 170)

Setting plays a symbolic role in building character throughout this chapter. Rauf’s office has “one glass wall overlooking the street” (p. 171); he is situated in a physically empowering position, looking down upon the common folk below. It is as if he sits one rung higher on the societal hierarchy of Cairo. Also, the simile “the rumble of printing presses behind the grilles of the basement windows was like the low hum of men sleeping in a dormitory” (p. 171) further emphasises this class disparity. The machines are compared to workingmen, who dwell in the basement of the office building. They are the underclass and should hence work underneath Rauf. These descriptions of setting indirectly express Rauf’s character.

Rauf’s transformation is also characterized in his new residence, “villa number 18”. As aforementioned, the posh house and everything inside are inward reflections of Rauf’s transformation. Rauf now resembles a victim of Said’s previous burglaries, burglaries that Rauf helped devise; there is a role-reversal. Rauf might feel like he has to suppress his former understudy in order to avoid being robbed.

Said’s enmity towards the upper class is felt in this chapter, with the constant detailing of the extravagancies in Rauf’s house and his office. These places and the objects in Rauf’s house (like the “silver water jug” and “pretty little violet-coloured ice bucket” (p. 175)) are all symbols of the unattainable, things he will never get to enjoy.

Said’s harsh gestures and tone further express his antagonism. His demeanour has become so insensitive that when at the information desk, he has to consciously use his “deep ‘public’ voice” (p. 171). He is also described as having “glaring eyes” (p. 171). Said feels comfortable communicating his abhorrence for this sort of people, as he “remembers a time when he would have fixed a gaze on them as if he wished to cut their throats.” (p. 171).

Said also feels alienated from society. “…he looked rather out of place in his blue suit and gym shoes…” (p. 171).

Chapter Three – Themes

This chapter encompasses already established themes and raises several new ones. Here they are stated with a few brief comments.

Changing times – The use of question marks expresses Said’s uncertainty and unknowingness in the new times. “What was it that had happened in the world?” (p. 170)

“And now you’ve come out of prison to find a new world.” (p. 177)

Society moved on; Said got left behind. His manners and speech remained static, while Rauf, Nabawiyya, and Sana progressed in life. “… things are no longer what they used to be… Now the situation has changed. If you go back to burglary you’ll be a thief and nothing else.” (p. 179)

Truth is not constant could be a subtheme of this umbrella topic. Ten years ago, before Said’s incarceration, it may have been okay to steal from the rich and give to the poor, but commonly accepted truths change as time passes.  If one does not conform to this new sense of truth, he or she will be considered an outsider. In Said’s case, his refusal to satisfy this new norm and get a regular job might be the cause of his eventual demise. If it was acceptable to seek vengeance ten years ago, it is certainly not tolerable now.

Betrayal and treachery – Rauf was “the most important thing [Said had] left in this insecure world” (p. 171) and he betrayed him. “…only a shadow of the old self remained.” (p. 176)

When is wrong right? – Is it acceptable for Said to steal from the rich or those who Rauf deemed as deserving of being robbed? Is theft acceptable as a means of closing the social gap (stealing from the rich, giving to the poor)?

Compromise of self for money and power – “I never used to look at a villa like this except when I was making plans to break into it. Is there any hope in finding friendship in such a place now?” (p. 172)

Vengeance worthwhile? – “That’s how you feel now. But tomorrow, who knows how you’ll feel? You’ll change your opinion of your own accord. That’s the way of the world.” (p. 176)

Prison doesn’t change a man – It is evident that Said still assumes a thief mentality. When he reached the Zahra Offices, “…his first thought was that [they] would be very difficult to break into.” (p. 171) “The rows of cars surrounding it were like guards around a prison…” This quote underlines the building’s impenetrability. (p. 171)

The author’s use of diction also has criminal connotations. “… he slipped into the secretary’s office before an attendant had time to intercept him…” (p. 171) Said’s movements are discrete like a burglar’s. Also, “… stealing occasional glances at the objets d’art” (p. 174)

Honour among thieves – Said is portrayed as the protagonist, the story is told from his point of view, we can identify and sympathize with him. “Will he have changed, like you, Nabawiyya? Will he disown me, as Sana has done?” (p. 172) There is no denying Said’s hardship, and the reader can’t help but feel sorry for him. His stealing from the rich can in some respects be seen as noble, an almost Robin Hood-like gesture.

The influence of the past on the present – “My past hasn’t yet allowed me to consider the future.” (p. 178 )

Chapter Three – A sense of place

At the start of the chapter, we are introduced to the “Zahra offices in Maarif Square” (p. 171), the workplace of Rauf Ilwan. It is “an enormous building” (p. 171) surrounded by cars. There is a printing press “behind the grilles of the basement windows” (p. 171). As with other descriptions of Cairo, we get a sense of the heavy crowds with the “stream of people entering the building” (p. 171); Said’s new world is far busier and more commercialized than he’s accustomed to.

Rauf’s house is another significant place in chapter three.  It is very resplendent, adorned with objets d’art, vividly patterned carpets, and a “richly decorated” (p. 174) ceiling. When “A servant switched on the chandelier, … Said’s eyes were dazzled by its size, its multitude of upturned bulbs, its stars and crescents.” (p. 173). Said refers to it as a “palace” (p. 172). The thorough descriptions of its posh qualities, as we will later discover, do not only serve to describe the place, but as a marker of Rauf’s change in persona.

Throughout this chapter, emphasis is placed on the grandness and aristocratic qualities of these two new settings.