Fate and Free Will in The Thief and the Dogs

How does Mahfouz illustrate how fate is a major determiner of one’s happiness in life?

Within the novel, Mahfouz communicates the idea that fate is closely linked to someone's happiness. Simultaneously fate influences someone's free will. Fate is presented as the ability to act in whatever way someone wishes to without feeling any form of restraint. However, in The Thief and the Dogs, Mahfouz demonstrates the complexities of this. Each person is brought up differently, which can have a massive impact on their view of fate. When looking at the novel, Said's upbringing impacts the way his life progresses throughout the story, which is closely linked to the Marxist theory. Since Said is brought up in a poor family, it is unlikely that he will become someone or achieve something other than his destiny has laid out for him. Regardless of having the free will to go and explore different life opportunities, the social circumstances may not always give us the freedom to do so. For example, once Said's parents have passed away, Rauf influenced the decisions Said made later on in his life, such as becoming a thief. Due to the internal conflict of Said, we are able to see his mental instability. This eventually leads to more conflict once karma comes into play. Throughout the novel, we are able to see Said's obsession with revenge. Even though he has the free will to chose a different path after killing an innocent man, he proceeds with his harmful actions, where karma eventually destroys him completely. These examples relate back to Mahfouz's purpose in emphasising the idea that fate is related to someone's state of happiness. Said has a measure of his own free-will, which can be used to abuse of enrich the lives of others.