مؤسسة الشرق الأوسط للنشر العلمي
عادةً ما يتم الرد في غضون خمس دقائق
This paper discusses a profound analysis of the levels of dramatic tension intensification in the novel The Thief and the Dogs, which envelops the narrative from beginning to end, making it a distinguished work. The author benefitted from modern literary techniques such as stream of consciousness and interior monologue, as well as related devices like flashbacks, foreshadowing, and cinematic montage. He also drew from the expressionist and symbolist schools in his handling of space and time; in addition, existential philosophy which highlights the individual's suffering in society and the crises surrounding him. The author chose these tools to express the protagonist’s crisis in facing betrayal and the desire for revenge. The Thief and the Dogs is the first of Naguib Mahfouz's six novels which adopted the expressionist style of writing. This novel holds a special place, having been published in 1961 when the shortcomings of the 1952 revolution became apparent due to the leaders choosing dictatorship over socialism, which had been the aspiration of many people, including the writer. The novel portrays a thief who believes in socialism but is betrayed by everyone around him, leading him to think of nothing but revenge in every word, sentence, and line of the story. Through this, the novel exposes society and its structure from top to bottom. What makes the study challenging is the vast amount of analyses and interpretations found in articles, books, and theses focusing on the work and its objectives. Accordingly, we began with a social analysis as a starting point before addressing the philosophical or symbolic dimensions of the novel. In addition, the novel's brevity required the author to concentrate and intensify every aspect of its construction, where every word and action carried meaning or impact. We relied on the analytical method in our research to achieve the desired results. This paper will explore levels of conflict that contribute to tension, whether with space, time, or characters, as humans are products of their environment. Spatial and temporal environments play a crucial role in shaping dramatic characters, just like other dimensions. However, the author's depiction of them was not traditional, as in realism. Instead, these elements became characters that challenge and conflict with the protagonist. Symbolism served as a tool for the author to intensify this conflict without limitations, utilizing metaphor to express intense disturbance and anxiety.