Stream of Consciousness in The Thief and the Dogs

How and to what effect does Mahfouz employ stream of consciousness narration in the novel?

In the novel The Thief and the Dogs, Naguib Mahfouz breaks away from the old narration technique, seeking for modernism. His work follows a complex narration, involving stream of consciousness. Mahfouz chose to move towards modernism, adapting to the conventions of realistic literature rather than romantic literature. On top of that, Mahfouz also placed high focus on exploring psychological complexity within his novel. He wanted to create something that the reader can adapt to. His main aim is to have the audience exposed to the protagonist's inner thoughts, and how Said's brain works. With this novel, Mahfouz brought psychological realism to arabic fiction, as he mimics the continuous flow of ideas humans have.

Mahfouz creates diverse dialogue consisting of third person narrative, soliloquy and interior monologue in order to highlight interaction between the protagonist Said and the reader. The third person narration provides a sense of stability whereas the interior monologue brings light to the characters internal thoughts and implications. Mahfouz's aim in writing this novel is to enhance his personal feelings towards the new Egyptian regime. He wants to present Egypt in a way that no one has seen before, hence why he deliberately choses to expose the reader to Said's thoughts and internal struggles. As a result of this, Mahfouz incorporates change to his writing style, making him one of the first writers in the world of arabic literature to do such a thing. Through a stream of consciousness, he is able to represent the psychological implications, which can be seen in the character's thoughts and emotions taking over. Said is essentially a replication of Mahfouz, demonstrating the desire for revenge against the corrupt government in Egypt during the 20th century. 

The technique of "stream of consciousness" allows Mahfouz to communicate the inner thoughts of the protagonist before the character is able to make sense of them. This technique can be further categorised as interior monologue in which the author makes it seem as if the narrator is gone, and the thoughts are spoken of out loud. By doing so, the connection between the reader and, in this case, Said is further intensified. This is due to the fact that the reader is exposed to emotions and beliefs that define the character, and possibly justify his/hers actions. For example, in the first chapter of the novel, the stream of consciousness narrative characterises Said's sense of paranoia. This is seen in the lines "This social visit will tell you what they've got up their sleeves. So study the road carefully, and what's on it." 

The historical time period also plays a large role in Mahfouz choice of incorporating a stream of consciousness narration into his work. During the time that Mahfouz was writing The Thief and the Dogs, the world of literature was changing. It switched from a direct presentation of characters and their lives to a much more psychological portrayal. Adapting to psychological realism enabled authors like Mahfouz to freely neglect time and place, creating an accurate image of Egypt. Mahfouz made use of internal experiences as a way to portray and shape an understanding of the outside world. As a whole, Naguib Mahfouz followed the conventions of modernism by combining realism and stream of consciousness narrations in order to create a unique piece of psychological realism.