The Thief and the Dogs, an intriguing short story by Naguib Mahfouz, is the story of a man named Said Mahran who had just been released from prison. He was condemned as a thief and feels betrayed by everyone he was close to. One of his former colleagues, Ilish Sidra, talked about him and then married his wife Nabawiya and took custody of his daughter Sana; Sidra in fact brainwashes her to reject Said. Said also feels betrayed by his previous mentor, Rauf Ilwan, who encouraged his theft from the beginning. Said now has a mission: to seek revenge. I believe Mahfouz creates an internal conflict in the protagonist through the use of contrasting influences, the lyrics trying to guide Said. The motifs of media and religion in their various forms act as conflicting influences in Said's life that make him feel trapped and give him hope respectively; through such narrative, it seems that Mahfouz is highlighting the role of religion and the media for people living in post-revolutionary Egypt in 1952. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, it is essential to consider Mahfouz's use of religion. It is represented throughout the book, it is called the Holy Law, the Quran and also through the words of the sheikh. The latter was a religious figure that Said's father trusted and followed as a disciple to whom Said went for refuge after being released from prison. We see Said recalling the times he spent in the sheikh's house accompanying his father, his father saying "look and listen, learn and open your heart" (25). Mahfouz paints a very safe, inviting and peaceful picture of the sheikh's house, the door was always open, “a joy like the joy of heaven”. Looking back on her father's time in the Sheikh's house, she sees it as a place of wisdom and even a sanctuary. The sheik is a very important representation of religion in the book. He provides answers, but in his cryptic nature they are never direct, his answers are also very ideal but do not seem to be practical. I believe Mahfouz created such a character to embody the characteristics of religion. The Sheikh's words are often difficult to understand, with each answer or answer in the form of a riddle, in Said's flow of thoughts he says "My father could understand you, but you turned away from me, treating me as if you were kicking me out of your home"( 28). Showing us that this side of the sheikh was not welcoming. A revealing example of the sheikh's ideal cryptic nature is when he says “are you not ashamed to ask for his approval while you are not satisfied with him?” (29). believes he is doing what was right (acting as a form of Robin Hood and supporting militant activity and revolutionary struggle) and therefore cannot understand why he was punished and therefore Said is also angry at religion for all the his misfortunes. The idea seemed ideal but it was not practical. How can one be pleased in the Lord after going through a great misfortune and how can one alleviate one's misfortune if one is not pleased in the Lord? This paradox attempts to give hope to Said showing him the way out of his misfortunes but in a way it makes him feel stuck because he doesn't know what to do or how to do it and the advice doesn't make the situation clearer. Said later flies into a rage, recounting his entire misfortune while becoming increasingly angrier in response. The sheikh simply told him to wash himself and read the Quran, then we see the sheikh trying to give him words of hope by quoting the Quran 'If you love God, then follow me and God will love you' and 'I have chosen you for myself'”( 32) and then continues.