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(Said overhears the men outside Tarzan's café)

“When all you have to think about is the hangman’s rope around your neck, it’s natural enough to fear tranquillity” (58).

This perfectly reflects Said's motivations and is among the first instances in the novella in which his fears are made explicit, even if it is not himself speaking.

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(Said's internal monologue, thinking about Rauf) “I wish I could penetrate your soul as easily as I’ve penetrated your house, that house of mirrors and objets d’art, but I suppose I’d find nothing but betrayal there: Nabawiyya disguised as Rauf, Rauf disguised as Nabawiyya, or Ilish Sidra in place of both—and betrayal would cry out to me that it was the lowest crime on earth” (47).

The "objets d'art" mirror Rauf's embracing of wealth and foreign culture, which Said is quite opposed to. Describing the setting of Rauf's villa as ostentatious and foreign reinforces Said's view of him as a traitorous dog.

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In Beloved, the setting switches between the Sweethome plantation and 124. The characters travel along the underground railroad across the Ohio river. They begin at Sweethome which is in Kentucky and they travel to 124 which is in Ohio, meaning that they travel from a slave state to a free state. The use of setting helps to characterize and provide context for the characters, helping to understand the trauma they experienced as slaves.

"In the boxes the men heard the water rise in the trench and looked out for cottonmouths. They squatted in muddy water, slept above it, and peed in it" (129). This scene explains Paul D's experiences in the chain gang which comes up throughout the novel as it is the root of a lot of his trauma.

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( Alex, Jasper, Ruby, Nisha)

The thief and the dogs:

Said ascends into madness, becomes psychotic and the entire novel follows his POV (stream of consciousness and italics) this skews the perspective of the plot and the choices Said makes. You get an internal perspective of Saids reasoning.

Beloved:

The narration is fragmented and jumps between characters with no warning. Non- linear story tellings. jumps between past and present, very unclear of perspective. This pulls readers into the novel and forces them to experience the traumas, with some many perspectives/ story tellers, comes a wide variety of experienced which helps readers further delve into the tramas of slavery and empathize with individuals that are effected experiences.

Sepamla Poems: Narration and point of view of black community under apartheid law. Each poem shows feelings or stream of consciousness following events or effects of laws on community. Distrust among black community b/c of apartheid's systematic oppression represented in poems through POV.

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Sepamla: Focuses on the identity of black africans and how despite apartheid having ended, segragation and racism was still present. Even to this day, it exists and it highlights how segragation never truly disappears along with the trauma that people faced due to it. Most of his poems are after apartheid and as readers we are able to see how the dehumanization is still present and the extent it was to. We also understood due to context clues that laws and rules that were set during apartheid were still present so nothing had changed, apartheid was only announced as done but it wasn't.

Thief and the Dogs: We see how gender is portrayed differently, Nur is seen as this lavish and love sick woman whereas Said is proud and courageous as he's just a man who is trying to get his daughter back. We get an insight to his thoughts and learn more about Said as a person and discover he is very impulsive but his thoughts are also somewhat relatable- when someone is angry or stressed they think the unthinkable as a reaction/way of coping. Mahfouz also presents the feeling of being stuck in the past while everyone else moves forward. This is seen in Said throughout the book as time seemed to pause for him the moment he entered prison whereas that didn't apply to everyone else.

Beloved: In beloved we see how slavery is something that doesn't just go away, people carry the trauma and slavery becomes an extension of them- part of their identity. Motherhood is also a very big theme, Sethe murders her baby to free her from slavery and the idea brings her some freedom but the action ultimately crushes her as its a reminder of how cruel slavery is. Being a mother was really important to Sethe that she tried to push aside her trauma to be there for Beloved and Denver but we also saw the extent to which slavery traumatizes people as Sethe shut down after constant reminders of her time as a slave. We get a sense of community at the end when all the neighbors come to support Denver and Sethe, all of the women can sympathize and connect to one another as they all experienced the same or similar things during their time as slaves. In slavery, women were expected to give birth so that slave owners could continue owning slaves. Men were also dehumanized and told they were less and not men as they were black. This captures how slaves were not seen as humans but rather as tools that they could use.

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The thief and the dogs follow Said's mental decline after his release from prison, where he returns to find no one had waited, or cared to. Said has his mind set on revenge to all he thought wronged him, but eventually goes mad and paranoid. The book takes place in post-revolutionary Cairo, Egypt, where Egyptians are already paranoid with one another, which contributes to Said's madness.

"he breathed the air of freedom... and no one was waiting for him; nothing but his

blue suit and gym shoes." (1)

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Importance of Setting in Sipho Sepamla and why it matters

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Importance of Setting in Sipho Sepamla and why it matters

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While most of the poems written by Sepamla take place in South Africa under Apartheid, some poems have different settings. Dakar, for example, takes place in Dakar, and Sepamla uses that setting in order to contrast with South Africa and show what South Africa could have been if not for apartheid.

"I tell my brothers and sisters in Dakar / This be the first time I come to Africa / They laugh in wonderfulness asking / Where's South Africa / I answers solemnly like / Somewhere is Africa island-like / cut off from the main body" (11-17)

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Sepamla: Reclaiming black identity (BCM), community grieving together (Soweto Uprising and Sharpville Massacre, loss of freedom from Apartheid), strength in community

The Thief and the Dogs: self-worth, lacking connections with others

Beloved: Strength in community, community grieving together, reclaiming self-identity after slavery and trauma, the role of motherhood, the role of women within communities after slavery (Baby Suggs as a preacher, Ms. Jones as a teacher)

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Importance of Historical Context in Thief

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Importance of Historical Context in Thief

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Within the Thief and the Dogs, it's important to recognize the historical context of Egypt, regarding the revolution of 1952 and the changing face of the country following this event. The revolution heavily impacted the way the Egyptian people lived, and this is strongly represented in the novel and Mahfouz's ideas.

He also emphasizes religion, and how people used it as a facade, or relied on it too heavily. The Sheikh is a strong representation of religious ideals and their impact on people like Said.

Mahfouz also utilizes ideas like the tragic hero, mental incarceration, and free will vs. determinism in Said's character.

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Sepamla: Importance of Historical Context

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Sepamla: Importance of Historical Context

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The historical context is important for many reasons. All of the historical context points tie directly into most of not all of the poems. For example in the poem "To Whom It May Concern" Sepamla speaks about many laws and articles passed by the white oppressors under Apartheid laws. Without prior knowledge of the Apartheid laws the reader would likely be confused.

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Authorial influences and inspirations and why this matters

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Authorial influences and inspirations and why this matters

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TATD Reese: Mahfouz's inspiration of the changing values of Egypt following the Egyptian Revolution is important because its seen in Said's character. Similar to Mahfouz's feelings of betrayal and disillusionment regarding Nasser's regime, Said feels betrayed by Rauf Ilwan, as he gives up his revolutionary ideals that once constructed Said's entire identity. This authorial inspiration matters because it builds Said's character and sets up his path of revenge that later leads to his downfall and existential collapse.

Beloved Sofia: Toni Morrison heavily implimented her ideas and beliefs into Beloved. This can be shown through her portrayal of Beloved herself and the emotion or lack thereof that she shows. Morrison herself stated in the Junot Diaz interview where she talks about how everyone gave their opinion on Margaret Garners actions and whether what she did was right or wrong however Morrison knew that the only person who could give judgement would be the child themselves which is why she chose Beloved as the title and why she made her into a physical being within the story that can give opinions and act on their own emotions to emulate what Morrison believes or has been communicated that the child feels.

Sepamla Ari: Sydney Sipho Sepamla's influence is important because of his role in the black consciousness movement and his influence to fight back against apartheid His inspirations, like the fight for freedom and the experiences of Black South Africans, help explain why his tone can feel powerful, angry, or hopeful. Without this a reader might miss the message about injustice or the call for change that’s often behind his words. knowing his influence helps readers understand the purpose behind writing his poems.

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the book is based off the 1856 Margaret Garner Case where she was tried for murder and infanticide in Ohio because of the Fugitive Salve act. The historical context turns the book into a powerful memorial for this event and also for the millions of slaves that suffered due to slavery and the dehumanizing reality of America.

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"🤬 baby/I want to squak/To say you don't need painted lips/You don't need hair sliding off like that/Cause a plaited head can do its own thing"

Context:Talk, Talk, and Talk has themes of distrust amongst black society in S.A as a result of apartheid's oppressive/racist systems. POV of someone preaching empowerment among black community and black pride.

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Context: Paul D reflects on how enslaved men were treated at sweet home.

Quote: “Was he naming what he saw or creating what he did not?”

Significance: This shows Paul D's internal struggles, it shows how his sense of identity was manipulated by others rather then his own.

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Context: Sethe is explaining why she killed her children to protect them from slavert

Quote: “I took and put my babies where they’d be safe.”

Significance: This show how Sethe's identity as a mother has been shaped by slavery, showing that her love is protective but also destructive

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Context: Said returns to Nur's flat after killing Rauf and looks at the injury on his knee.

Quote: " 'Why, you're capable of miracles,' he told himself. 'You'll get away all right' " (126).

This quote characterizes Said as overly confident and delusional. He becomes certain that he will seek revenge and says he is "capable of miracles," furthering his delusion and eventually downfall.

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Context: Said has just committed murder and as he is driving away, he stops to reflect on his actions.

Quote: "You are now one of those who commit murder; you have a new identity now and a new destiny! You used to take precious goods-now you take worthless lives!" (72).

This quote shows the point of no return for Said, as he has let his anger and fuel completely take over and reduce his judgement. This quote characterizes Said as reckless and irrational.

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Context: Denver is at the Bodwins' house because she needed a job, and was leaving through the back door when she saw

"a blackboy's mouth full of money. His head was thrown back farther than a head could go, his hands were shoved in his pockets. Bulging like moons, two eyes were all the face he had above the gaping red mouth. His hair was a cluster of raised, widely spaced dots made of nail heads. And he was on his knees. His mouth, wide as a cup, held the coins needed to pay for a delivery or some other small service, but could just as well have held buttons, pins or crab-apple jelly. Painted across the pedestal he knelt on were the words 'At Yo Service.'" (300)

Historical context is important because we learn that the Bodwins are slave abolitionists living in Ohio. It impacts the readers because, although the Bodwins were slave abolitionists and never owned slaves, they still benefited from racism, as they still had people of color work for them. Racism is systematically ingrained into people's heads, no matter their beliefs and goals.

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This poem talks about the differences between the two sides in South Africa with a focus in Pimville Station. With Pimville station, it shows that Black South Africans were kept in the poor and neglected areas of SA, while the white South Africans lived in the wealthier and cleaner side.

"two poles overlooking it / one bringing light / the other a link with the world outside" (3-5).

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Context: Shortly after robbing a rich man with the help of Nur, Said has a moment of reflection as he thinks back to those who betrayed him.

"To kill them both--Nabawiyya and Ilish--at the same time, would be a

triumph. Even better would be to settle with Rauf Ilwan, too...But who'll look after Sana? The thorn in my side. You

always act impulsively, Said, without thinking, but you mustn't rush this

time; you must wait until you've arranged things, then swoop like an eagle.

But there's no point in delay either...If you don't strike soon everything will collapse" (beginning of ch 7)

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Context: When explaining the events that occurred before Sethe killed Beloved, she explains to Paul D the limited affection she had for her children and how it

"Look like I loved em more after I got here. Or maybe I couldn't love em proper in Kentucky because they wasn't mine to love." (Pg. 190)

It is widely known that slave owners often sold or used the children of the slaves they owned whether the mother became pregnant out of force or want leaving little room for attachment between mother and child. This historical context greatly impacts the interpretation of the story as it gives a clearer reasoning behind Sethe's mindset and thinking behind the actions she took towards Beloved and her other children. While it may not fully justify it to some it allows for a more fair and accurate interpretation of the text

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"A revolver is more important than a loaf of bread." "What does a man need in this country Said?...He needs a gun and a book: the gun will take care of the past, the book is for the future. Therefore you must train and read." (ch. 5)

In this excerpt, Said is at Tarzan's cafe and overhears a conversation between two men that remind him in his current situation what the man who has trained him for war used to say to him.

This quote emphasizes the state of the country, where it is more important for a man to have power than food to nourish himself. It brings attention to the fact that a weapon is more necessary and will have a greater impact on a person. This highlights Naguib Mahfouz's opinions on the changing state of Egypt.

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Context: The four horsemen were on their way to 124 to capture Sethe and her children. They came with the intentions of bringing them back to Sweet Home as slaves. Sethe felt it was better for her children to be dead rather than be slaves and have experiences she had.

"Inside, two boys bled in the sawdust and dirt at the feet of a woman holding a blood-soaked child to her chest with one hand and an infant by the heels in the other... he simply swung the baby toward the wall planks, missed and tried to connect a second time..." (175).

This quote describes the scene of Sethe attempting to kill her children. Sethe believed her only options was by slitting the throats of all her children, killing them. This quote describes what the men saw when they entered the shed looking for them, what they saw was Sethe in the act of killing Beloved.

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Portrait of Another Brother: " Talk of a peacock's strut / See this guy walk / One hand in the pocket / He treads like he's got eggshells to miss!" (30-33)

Context - Due to Apartheid, there was racial segregation and reclassification of race for many people of color in South Africa. Many Black South Africans would have their race recategorized as White and would begin to act as if they were White as well.

The Applicant: “For lately blood content/ has shown a preponderance/ of black corpuscles” (21-23)

Context - Discovering any Black ancestry during Apartheid usually meant that they would be required to reclassify.

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"you have been a huge quiet cemetery / where many have been buried by day / resurrected at night" (17-19). This poem is an ode to Soweto and acknowledges the wounds Apartheid has brought on it, as Sepamla directly addresses the city with "you" and "your" pronouns. This type of narration creates a feeling of deep personal connection between the author and the subject, which leaves a similar impact on the reader as they may empathize with this relationship and Sepamla's words.

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"And the hour was coming when he would confront them...when those who had betrayed him would despair unto death...The bars have shut down and only the side streets are open, where plots are hatched" (13-15).

The story of Ahmad Amin Sulayman, a thief, being released from prison seeking revenge on his treacherous wife, friend, and mentor was widely covered in 1960s newspapers, which inspired Mahfouz to explore the protagonist's psychology. This inspiration is clear in the quote above, with Said Mahran, upon release from prison, focused on the task of revenge. Additionally, this quote also reflects Mahfouz's interests in the changing face of Egypt due to tourism, which bothered him and also bothers Said here.

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Sepamla Quote #2: from In Search of Roots

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Sepamla Quote #2: from In Search of Roots

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The poem talks about how living under apartheid, many Africans haven't had the ability to express themselves for who they really are, and show their culture. The quote explains to the reader the importance and significance of reclaiming cultural roots and traditions. "we will have to speak up / because for too long others have spoken for us" (11-12).

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Context: Sethe has become overly obsessed with pleasing Beloved and getting her forgiveness that she has started neglecting herself and her duties as a mother. Beloved has slowly begun to drain her energy and life force as Sethe continues to pour her attention on her.

"Beloved bending over Sethe looked the mother, Sethe the teething child...the bigger Beloved got, the smaller Sethe became...she sat in the chair licking her lips like a chastised child while Beloved ate up her life" (295)

Sethe's identity as a mother has been destroyed by slavery, the love that drove Sethe to protect her children is now destroying her. She is being consumed by the guilt of murdering beloved, but also the trauma that she experienced. Rather than healing, Sethe is forced to relive her past trauma as Beloved remains a reminder of her past choices/mistakes. Beloved also becomes more than a reminder, she becomes a force that is draining Sethe's life force every day (metaphor: ate up her life). She represents gluttony, her insatiable hunger in both terms of food and life, she cannot get enough of the food so she begins to eat away at Sethe's life.

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Sethe's family has run out of resources since Sethe lost her job and Beloved, like a parasite, is taking everything while leaving Sethe with nothing. Sethe's family has been isolated from the community for 20 years since Sethe killed Beloved. Denver, hoping to help out her mother but not knowing where else to turn, seeks out Lady Jones in search of work.

“Lady Jones told her that no one, not herself, not anyone she knew, could pay anybody anything for work they did themselves. ‘But if you all need to eat until your mother is well, all you have to do is say so’” (292)

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Context: Said is running away from the cops, as he runs he end up at a graveyard where he is surrounded and shot at. Then it stops and he succumbs to death (what is presumed).

Quote: The darkness was thicker now and he could see nothing at all, not even the outlines of the tombs, as if nothing wished to be seen. He was slipping away into endless depths, not knowing for himself either position, place or purpose" (158)

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Said is released from prison and starts walking to Cairo already thinking on revenge and reflecting on the 4 years he lost to betrayal from his wife and former accomplice.

"No one smiled or seemed happy. But who of these people could have

suffered more than he had, with four years lost, taken from him by betrayal?

And the hour was coming when he would confront them, when his rage

would explode and burn, when those who had betrayed him would despair

unto death, when treachery would pay for what it had done."(pg 13)

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"A fully dressed woman walked out of the water. "

- The woman is referring to Beloved that Sethe, Paul D and Denver see outside 124 when they come back from the carnival

-Morrisons inspiration, she saw a girl wearing a straw hat walk out of the river when she went to the pier

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Sepamla Quote #1: from I Remember Sharpeville 

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Sepamla Quote #1: from I Remember Sharpeville 

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The poem reflects on the trauma and injustice experienced on March 21, 1960 by many Africans living under the harsh realities of Apartheid and oppression. It gives the reader an idea of the harsh reality of what life was like for Africans living under apartheid. "Like a sponge / it sucked into its core / the aged and the young" (11-13).

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A young boy was brutally killed by a white man, who was probably a cop, after he ran away from a burning shop out of fear.

"because a monster was known to stalk the streets" (9).

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"You made me and now you reject me: Your ideas create their embodiment in my person and then you simply change them, leaving me lost--rootless, worthless, without hope--a betrayal so vile that if the whole Muqattam hill toppled over and buried it, I still would not be satisfied." (47)

Naguib Mahfouz was inspired by the changing values of Egypt after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, where Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew the monarchy and took power. Similar to Egyptians' feelings of disillusionment after failed political ideologies of Nasser's regime, Said Mahran feels betrayed by Rauf Ilwan's rejection of him after being released from prison. Upon learning Rauf has abandoned his revolutionary ideas and became the elites he once robbed from, Said feels hypocritically judged by Rauf and robbed of his identity.

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Said goes the see the Sheikh for the first time since being released from prison, searching guidance.

"""

Did the Sheikh

remember him? "Forgive my coming to your house like this. But there's

nowhere else in the world for me to go."

The Sheikh's head drooped to his breast.

"You seek the walls, not the heart." He whispered.

Said was baffled; not knowing what to say, he sighed, then quietly

remarked.

""" (27), Chapter 2

To better understand why Said relies on the Sheikh this way, the historical context of Egypt can be used and analysed. Egypt is a majority muslim country, and Islam plays a large role in daily life. This explains the role of the Sheikh, being this highly important religious leader.

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Sethe reflects upon some words of advice from Baby Suggs, prompting her to return to the Clearing--an open place in the woods where people would gather to watch Baby Suggs preach. There, Sethe reminiscences about the role and impact that Baby Suggs' had on the community.

"It started that way: laughing children, dancing men, crying women and then it got mixed up. Women stopped crying and

danced; men sat down and cried; children danced, women laughed, children cried until, exhausted and riven, all and

each lay about the Clearing damp and gasping for breath. In the silence that followed, Baby Suggs, holy, offered up to

them her great big heart" (103).

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Quote 1. "Things are no longer what they used to be. In the past you were both a thief and my friend, for reasons you well know. Now the situation has changed. If you go back to burglary you'll be a thief and nothing else"

Context: After getting released from prison, Said pays a visit to his own friend Rauf who used to be his mentor. In the past he encouraged Saids actions but has now completely changed.

Pivotal in Saids turn to anger and violence and overall loss of identity

Quote 2: “When he was with others his stature seemed to grow giantlike: he had a talent for friendship, leadership, and even heroism.” (139)

Context: Said returns to Tarzans cafe. Said has a moment of reflection about how much he dislikes being alone.

Gives the reader and idea of Saids values towards the beginning of the book. Also a preface for how Saids own actions will later dig him deeper into isolation from his community he once valued.

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Context: the speaker is recounting their experiences in Dakar after being in South Africa their whole life and describes the beauty in Africa when it isn't tainted by colonialism.

"The people/The winding streets/The tall buildings/The ramshackle shops/The street-vendors" (Dakar)

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"I stood on Gore Island / Listening to faraway voices / I heard whispering from the surrounding sea" (40-42) In this poem, Sepamla describes the things he sees at Gore Island and what has come from these things. This quote reflects his experience visiting Gore Island, along with his reflection on the past of African history. This provides the reader insight on the firsthand experiences of those who are marginalized against, and the importance of recognizing history.

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"Inside, two boys bled in the sawdust and dirt at the feet of a - woman holding a blood-soaked child to her chest with one hand and an infant by the heels in the other. She did not look at them; she simply swung the baby toward the wall planks, missed and tried to connect a second time" (175)

-This quote is from when Schoolteacher and the white men come to the 124 looking for Sethe and her children, and then Sethe decides to kill her children to prevent them from being taken back.

- Highlights Morrisons' inspiration from Margret Garner who killed her children

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Context: Said is released from jail and after being rejected by his own daughter he decides to go live with the Sheik (in a mosque in Cairo) for the time being.

Quote: "A long night is waiting for me, the first night of freedom. I am alone with my freedom, or rather I'm in the company of the Sheikh, who is lost in heaven, repeating words that cannot be understood by someone approaching hell" (33)

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"Vertical slits for windows/Were they to mock ebbing spirits/or give cold comfort to the besieged" (Gore island)

This quote utilizes imagery in order to show the perspective of the slaves on the island and utilizes this image in order to enhance the larger question about the intent of the island designers, where it is unclear whether they intended to psychologically torture the slaves or not.

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In this poem, Sepamla draws inspiration from the Soweto Uprising (June 16, 1976), and tells it from the perspective of one of the children who was murdered by police, Hector Peterson. "he was grabbed / he was hurled to the ground / like grain / he was pounded and pounded / with a gun but / we buried the mess / another day" (20-26)

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Said overhears a conversation in Tarzan's Cafe where two strangers argue about philosophy.

"""

"The real tragedy is that our enemy is at

"Maybe we are cowards. But how can you be brave in this age?"

"Courage is courage."

"And death is death."

"And darkness and the desert are all these things."

What a conversation! What did they mean?

""" (58) Chapter 5

The meaning of this quote can be better understood with the historical context of Egypt's recent political revolution and social changes, as this conversation represents the flow of new ideas in the society of Cairo.

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This part happens when Denver had convinced the community that something supernatural was going on at 124 so they all gather around the house to confront it. A group of women come out to sing and pray to do an exorcism to get rid of Beloved which they believe is a ghost or reincarnation of Sethe’s dead daughter.

"For Sethe it was as though the Clearing had come to her with all its heat and simmering leaves, where the voices of women searched for the right combination, the key, the code, the sound that broke the back of words." (308)

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This excerpt follows Paul D who was sent to a prison in Alfred, Georgia. He was sent there after trying to kill Brandywine, the man school teacher sold him to. Him and 46 others worked there in terrible conditions, and would be chained together. "Occasionally a kneeling man chose gunshot in his head as the price, maybe, taking a bit of foreskin with him to Jesus" (126).

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Sepamla Quote #1: from Portrait of Another Brother

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Sepamla Quote #1: from Portrait of Another Brother

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In this poem, the speaker talks about a black person who has completely assimilated and fully adopted the stereotypes in order to fit in. Sepamla draws inspiration from those who assimilated during apartheid: "Try to meet the guy: / A relic of Africa's yesterday." (45-46)