The Thief and the Dogs

In the aftermath of the murder, Said develops a public profile, gaining fame as the newspapers cover the story. With Nur's gentle encouragement, Said begins to believe that his fame has turned him into a folk hero. The newspaper description allows Said to justify his actions by allowing him to view himself as a vindicated agent of the working class battling against the unfair society which oppresses him. This public persona is divorced from reality. The murder was a random, brutal mistake, conducted with little ideological motivation. Said wanted to kill Ilish and he shot a different man instead. Just like Ilwan used to provide Said with an ideological justification for theft, however, the newspapers and Said's growing fame allow him to justify his accidental murder as though it had been intentional. Said needs to pretend that his actions have meaning, even when he knows that they do not. He feels an urge to pretend that he is part of a greater mission, fighting on behalf of the poor people against the wealthy class. The absurdity of Said's public profile illustrates the meaningless of his ideology. For all of Said's political and philosophical justifications, he is an emotional being acting purely out of a desire for revenge. The ideology and the fame become justifications for his basic urges and provide an excuse for the killings which allows him to frame himself as the hero, satisfying his damaged ego and giving him the illusion of power after his total loss of agency in prison. Said’s appropriation of the military uniform also recalls his political identity and desire to reconnect with systems of meaning that previously comforted him.

Tarzan and his café provide Said with a safe space. In addition to Nur's apartment, the café is the only other place where Said can relax. The café is a hive for criminality; arms deals and burglaries are planned inside, and Tarzan can quickly fetch Said a gun. The role of the café as a safe place for Said contrasts ironically with this inherent criminality. Said may not notice this, but the fact that he only feels secure when surrounded by criminals and arms dealers is illustrative of his own place in society. Said views himself as a victim and a good person, but he only feels safe when hiding from the police in criminal dens. The people who surround Said and in whose company he feels at home become a reflection of his character. By contrast, Said finds more compassion at the café filled with criminals than he does in the homes of his family and friends.

In a similar fashion, Nur's apartment reflects her tragic role in the narrative. Said hides in Nur's apartment but he cannot allow anyone to know that he is there. As such, he sits in the dark while she goes out to entertain clients and make money. Said is trapped in the home of a woman who loves him; he sits in the dark and does not comprehend the reality of his situation. The apartment is a metaphor for Said's ability to understand Nur. She loves him and wants him to give up his quest for revenge so that they can be together. Said ignores her affection and takes advantage of her love for him. Just as he sits in the dark each night with only his paranoid thoughts to keep him company, he is ignorant to the reality of Nur's emotions and thinks only about himself. Said's relationship to Nur is as dark and as lonely as her apartment. Even when she is physically present, he remains emotionally distant. He sits alone in the dark with his obsessions and ignores the affections of the world around him.