Tuesday, February 20, 2018

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

Fate, also known as one's destiny, is defined as the development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power. 
One's fate cannot be altered with, whereas other aspects such as one's free will and the choices they make within, can be.
Mahfouz illustrates the aforementioned phenomenon in his novel 'The Theif and the Dogs', through the character of Said and his decisions and the choices he makes, in his free will. Mahfouz presents Said being released from prison and into the real world, where he now earns his freedom and has the free will to act in any way he chooses to do; it becomes obvious that he is aware of this when he states "I am alone with my freedom", implying that he is fully conscious in his judgements and therefore will be fully responsible for any consequences that may arise. Through this characterization, Mahfouz implies that fate is, in fact, a major determiner of one's happiness in life; in Said's case, his fate is that his life is taken away from him, only 18 days after he earns his 'freedom'. Therefore, it becomes clear that his actions within those 18 days shape and predict what he 'deserves' when he comes face to face with his fate. Moreover, the people within Said's life, and their actions, also play a significant role in illustrating why his fate turned out the way it did. This is because the people he once perceived as "family" have betrayed him and are now seen as 'dogs' in his eyes; this anger has led him to choose the path of vengeance and violence and dismiss any potential chances of him choosing the path of love and new beginnings or the path of forgiveness and spirituality. Overall, the lack of happiness within Said's life is predominantly determined by his unfortunate fate.

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