What a lot of graves there are, laid out as far as the eye can see. Their headstones are like hands raised in surrender, though they are beyond being threatened by anything. A city of silence and truth, where success and failure, murderer and victim come together, where thieves and policemen lie side by side in peace for the first and last time.
Nur's snoring seemed likely to end only when she awoke in late afternoon.
You'll stay in this prison until the police forget you. And will they ever really forget? The graves remind you that death cheats the living. They speak of betrayal; and thus they make you remember Nabawiyya, Ilish and Rauf, telling you that you yourself are dead, ever since that unseeing bullet was fired.
But you still have bullets of fire.
At the sound of Nur's yawning, loud, like a groan, he turned away from the window shutters towards the bed. Nur was sitting up, naked, her hair dishevelled, looking unrested and run down. But she smiled as she said, "I dreamed you were far away and I was going out of my mind waiting for you."
"That was a dream," he observed grimly. "In fact you're the one who's going out and I'm the one who'll wait."
She went into the bathroom, emerged again drying her hair; and he followed her hands as they recreated her face in a new form, happy and young. She was, like himself, thirty years old, but she lied outright hoping to appear younger, adding to the multitude of sins and sillinesses which are openly committed. But theft unfortunately was not one of them.
"Don't forget the papers," he reminded her at the door.
When she'd gone he moved into the reception room and flung himself down on one of the sofas. Now he was alone in the full sense of the word, without even his books which he'd left with Sheikh Ali. He stared up at the cracked white ceiling, a dull echo of the threadbare carpet, killing time. The setting sun flashed through the open window, like a jewel being carried by a flight of doves from one point in time to the next.
Your coldness, Sana, was very disquieting. Like seeing these graves. I don't know if we'll meet again, where or when. You'll certainly never love me now. Not in this life, so full of badly-aimed bullets, desires gone astray. What's left behind is a dangling chain of regrets. The first link was the students' hostel on the road to Giza. Ilish didn't matter much, but Nabawiyya--she'd shaken him, torn him up by the roots. If only a deceit could be as plainly read in the face as fever or an infectious disease! Then beauty would never be false and many a man would be spared the ravages of deception.
Analysis:
This passage reveals Said’s moral understanding of justice towards his actions. We are exposed to Said’s raw emotions and opinions through his interior monologue. His darker thoughts are triggered by the graveyard outside of Nur’s appartement. In this passage, we can see that there are some gaps regarding Said’s understanding of the world. Said speaking of the bullet: “ever since that unseeing bullet was fired”, further demonstrates this. The fact that he is still contemplating his actions shows how Said is unable to get rid of his wants for revenge.
Said’s mention of Nabawiyya reveals the important role Said’s wife played in his life. Throughout the novel, it becomes clear that Said shares a strong feeling of hatred towards her. However, in this passage, the importance of Nabawiyya’s presence and the impact on his future life is shown. His thoughts are drawn towards the early stages of their relationship. This creates strong contrast between what we know to be Said’s feelings towards his wife, as opposed to the much more compassionate thoughts present in this passage. Moreover, this demonstrates the love he felt for her in comparison to the hatred he holds of her now.
Through the interaction between Nur and Said it becomes clear that Said is developing a sense of affection towards her. His relationship with Nur reveals a softer side of Said, rather than the harsh character that is enforced through his actions. It is almost as if Said takes a break from the desire for revenge when he is with Nur. This is seen as he moves away from the window, demonstrating gratefulness for Nur. Even though Said did not cherish Nur earlier on, Nur’s dream of reinforcing love and acceptance for him is part of Said’s daily life.
Furthermore, we are exposed to Said’s love towards his daughter Sana. As soon as Nur leaves the appartement, Said’s thoughts immediately go back to Sana. He talks about the last time he saw her as “disquieting, like seeing the graves”. This reveals a feeling of regret, as he realises that his actions have denied him a relationship with his daughter. We are further exposed to Said’s remorse for his actions.
No comments:
Post a Comment