The Thief and the Dogs

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines existentialism as “a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad.”

Based on this definition, what notable historical events occurred in the 20th century that would have influenced the interest in existentialism? How would these events be connected to this type of philosophy?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the theme Existentialism and Individual Identity in the context of world history. Existentialism grew notably in popularity in philosophy and literature after the end of World War II. Somewhat similar to modernism in art and literature in terms of its reaction to post-war issues in society, existentialism grappled with the purpose of life as societies around the world sought to find meaning in their existences after the devastation of the war. Mahfouz’s novel is an example of existential postcolonial literature, in which main character Said struggles with his individual existence and the meaning of life in the burgeoning Egyptian state under the banner of Pan-Arabism. Students might approach this question by first listing other existential writers with whom they are familiar such as Kierkegaard, Camus, Kafka, and Dostoyevsky; discussion on the topic might include connected genres such as Black existentialism.

• The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy shares an in-depth analysis of “Existentialism” in literature and philosophy.
• A 2019 analytical study published in the International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Education, “The Existential Predicament Perspective in Naguib Mahfouz’s Selected Novels,” explores the theme of existentialism in The Thief and the Dogs and three other texts by the author.

2. At the end of World War II, colonized regions in Africa and the Middle East successfully achieved independence from their colonizing metropoles. What were some of the reasons for this major shift in global politics? How did the advent of newly independent states in these regions shape new forms of collective national identities?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question will help to orient students with the political and sociological contexts of Mahfouz’s novel: a post-World War II independent Egyptian republic. Egypt experienced two notable political changes in the 20th-century post-war years: First, in 1922, Egypt officially became independent from the UK; second, in 1952, the monarchy was overthrown by a coup d’etat, and the Egyptian republic was introduced. Contrary to the existentialist form of thought, which centers on the individual’s existence and identity, the rise of nationalist thought in postcolonial societies focused on collective forms of identity that surround a specific unit. In particular for Egypt, President Gamal Abdel Nasser espoused the Pan-Arabism ideology, which sought unity with other Arab countries under the banner of a collective Arab identity while simultaneously rejecting Western political and social influences.

• Britannica provides a detailed historical background of Egypt’s history in the 20th century, particularly in the years surrounding Egypt’s independence and transition into a republic.
• The Foreign Policy Research Institute explores “Post-Colonial States and the Struggle for Identity in the Middle East Since World War Two.”

Short Activity

Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz is one of the many writers who touched on postcolonial themes in their literary canons. Working in small groups, select one postcolonial author and share a brief overview of their background with your classmates in a presentation. Use the following questions to structure your research:

• Who is your author of choice? Where is this author from and how does this author’s postcolonial setting shape their works?
• What are some of the themes that this author focuses on? In particular, do they touch upon the themes of Existentialism and Individual Identity, Paranoia as Narcissism, and The Benefits and Limitations of Religious Meaning? If so, how?
• Finally, how was this author’s literature received during its time of publication, and has the reception changed over time? If so, how?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity invites students to explore the literary context of postcolonial literature. Based on the background of the class, this Short Activity might be utilized formally, where students work together in order to create and deliver a cohesive presentation with slides and/or visuals, or informally, where students briefly share their findings in a group discussion. After students present their information, students might note ideas or predictions regarding the ways in which the chosen post-colonial author compares to Naguib Mahfouz.

• The University of Washington shares a succinct guide to understanding “An Introduction to Post-Colonialism, Post-Colonial Theory and Post-Colonial Literature.”
• Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project provides an overview of “Naguib Mahfouz.”

Differentiation Suggestion: For an approach that also includes an opportunity for literary analysis, groups might select a passage from the chosen author that exhibits the themes of Existentialism and Individual Identity, Paranoia as Narcissism, and/or The Benefits and Limitations of Religious Meaning. The presentation can include an excerpt of this passage read aloud to the class as well as the group’s analysis of the presence of themes.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Mahfouz incorporates the stream-of-consciousness writing style within his novel. After reviewing  a guide or description of this style, write a stream-of-consciousness narrative. After writing, re-read your narrative and examine the themes and motifs you explored in your text. List these in your notes or a reading journal and look for any parallels in theme or style as you read the text.  

Teaching Suggestion: Protagonist Said often moves into a stream-of-consciousness state, particularly as his actions begin to demonstrate less control and as the theme of Paranoia as Narcissism develops. This Prompt directly connects to the Discussion/Analysis Prompt, where students will be asked to compare and contrast the writing style of their response to Mahfouz’s text. Readers who would benefit from examples of this writing style might consider passages of stream of consciousness by writers such as James Joyce and Toni Morrison.

Oregon State University offers a video discussion of this style with examples in “What Is Stream of Consciousness?”