Chapter Ten – A Sense of Place

Said is again at Nur’s apartment awaiting her return, “staring up at the cracked white ceiling, a dull echo of the threadbare carpet, killing time”(p 219). Nur’s apartment is surrounded by a lot of graves, “laid out as far as the eye can see”(p 218).

Chapter Ten – Themes

Many of the themes in this chapter are ones that apply to the novel as a whole. However, the influence of the past on the present, and the conflict between life and death, are especially prominent.

Influence of the past on the present – Because the memories with Nabawiyya dominate Said’s interior monologue, the influence of the past on the present is especially heavy in this chapter.

Life and Death – Said uses death and life to describe the serious conflicts in his life such as Nur’s love for him as “a bad habit, getting stuck on someone who’s already dead of pain and anger…?”(p 224) and how “he’d win in the end, even if only after death”(p 226). However, he also uses death and life to describe mundane events such as the concept of “killing time”(p 219) and the observation of “a moth overhead made love to a light bulb in the dead of the night”(p 228). This use of death could be a foreshadowing of events to come.

Solitude – Nur’s character is only active in the beginning and end of the chapter. Throughout the majority we are alone with Said’s thoughts. Even upon Nur’s return Said considers himself “quite alone, separate from everyone else” claiming that everyone else “does not comprehend the language of silence and solitude”(p 226).

Betrayal and Treachery continue to drive the narrative as Said is still motivated by the desire for revenge on those who have betrayed him.

Chapter Ten – Characterisation

This chapter provides a deep insight to Said’s raw emotions and opinions through his lengthy interior monologue from which he does not take one moment of respite. His dark thoughts seem to be triggered by the graves outside of Nur’s apartment that “speak of betrayal; and thus make [him] remember Nabawiyya, Ilish, and Rauf”(p 219). Once Nur leaves her apartment and Said is left “alone in the full sense of the word”(p 219) his thoughts go immediately to his daughter, Sana. He describes the time when he saw her as “very disquieting, like seeing the graves”(p 219) but yet how he “longs to see her, if only as [his] last wish on earth before [his] extinction.”(p 226).

His thoughts are inevitably drawn to the early stages of his relationship with Nabawiyya: their first exchange and their engagement and marriage. We are impacted with the contrast between what we know to be Said’s feelings towards Nabawiyya now, and the compassionate ones that we find out that he once felt. He remembers how “she was always so nicely dressed, much neater than the other servant girls”(p 220) and intricate details such as how “she appeared with her hair neatly combed and plaited in along pigtail” and how “her peasant’s gown flowed around a sprightly and nimble body”(p 220). Said seemed to also be entranced by “her round, full face, her brown eyes, her small chubby nose, and her lips moist with the juices of life”(p 220). He recalls how he would “glow with anticipation” whenever she moved close to him, and how she was “like some lovely melody, welcomed whenever she went”(p 220). These thoughts that Said has of Nabawiyya probably serve the purpose of creating a stronger contrast between the love he felt for her when he first met her, and hatred he feels for her now.

Said also reflects on how their “wedding was so lovely that everyone talked about it ever after”(p 222) and how “Ilish Sidra seemed absolutely overjoyed at it all, as if it was his own wedding, playing the part of the faithful friend while he was really no friend at all”(p 223). It is clear that Said regrets trusting his “friend” when he describes his being “taken by him” as “odd”(p 223). It is hard to feel anything but sympathy for Said as at some point we have all felt betrayed by a friend to some degree.

Nur’s character remains static as she continues to have strong yet submissive feelings towards Said. Nur’s job takes negative, exhausting tolls on her that cause her to wake “unrested and run-down”(p 218 ) but upon seeing Said she smiles and tell him about her dreams. Her dream happened to consist of Said being “far away” and Nur “going out of her mind waiting for him”(p 218 ). Nur’s dream is parallel to the negative representations of women noted in the initial chapter. These representations are again apparent towards the end of the chapter when Nur returns to her apartment “smiling, carrying a big parcel.” She says that she “brought home a restaurant, a delicatessen, and a patisserie all in one!”(p 225) Said notices that “she’d spent a lot of money”(p 226). Nur’s does not “want to lose [Said] again.”(p 228 ) She also believes that “to live at all we’ve got to be afraid of nothing.” When Said challenges her by asking, “not even death?” she assuredly responds that even she forgets when “time brings her together with someone she loves”(p 228). This insight has Said “astonished at the strength and tenacity of her affection, and feels compassion, respect, and gratitude towards her”(p 228). 

At this point we are still not sure what Said’s true feelings are for Nur. Does he simply appreciate her, or does he truly have feelings for her and will these feelings develop? He does however, tell her that “there aren’t many women like [her].”(p 226). Nur “smiles at the compliment”(p 226-7) but can we really consider this a compliment? There aren’t many women that would put up with Said? Or there aren’t many women who would be so kind and caring?

In terms of insight to Nur’s occupation, we can infer that it probably does have something to do with exploiting her sexuality. “She was thirty years old, but she lied outright, hoping to appear younger”(p 219). Also, when Nur arrives back at her apartment, Said tastes alcohol on her lips as he kisses her. He asks her if she’s been drinking and she responds, “I have to; it’s part of my job”(p 225)

In terms of basic personality traits, we can infer that Said is stubborn by his telling himself that “he’ll have to put up with the dark, the silence, and the loneliness – for as long as the world refuses to change its naughty ways”(p 224). This is likely another one of Said’s delusions of grandeur.

Chapter Ten – Imagery/Symbolism

Graves and Bullets – An eerie, angry tone is immediately set as Chapter 10 is introduced with the image of “headstones like hands raised in surrender”(p 218). The image of graves continues to appear in succeeding parts of the chapter: “The graves remind you that death cheats the living”(p 218 ) and “the flat must stay as silent as the graves”(p 224). 

Bullets are another item that continually embellish the chapter. He describes the betrayal that was inflicted upon him as an “unseeing bullet [that] was fired”(p 218). He then however, tells himself that he “still has bullets of fire”(p 218), suggesting that he will do all that he can to seek revenge. His thoughts go to “that slinking bitch Nabawiyya who’ll be in mortal fear until the rope’s safely installed around [his] neck or some rotten bullet is lodged in [his] heart.”(p 224). He then wonders what would happen to Sana if this were to happen and comes to the conclusion that “she’ll never even know the truth of your love for her, as if that, too, was just a bullet that went astray”(p 224) and how she would “certainly never love him now. Not in this life, so full of badly aimed bullets, desires gone astray”(p 219). Said probably uses such a metaphor in order to convey the impact that his situation has on him.

It seems as though Said is driven by a goal beyond revenge: death. Images of both the graves and the bullets can also be considered symbols to support this underlying theme. Because of such imagery the idea of Said’s death being inevitable begins to become apparent.

Animals – Consistent with the previous chapters, animal imagery is apparent. He compares himself with Ilish by questioning Nabawiyya’s choice of Ilish over him: “How could she ever give up a lion and take to a dog?”(p 223). 

In one of his memories of the early stages of his relationship with Nabawiyya he describes “her neck arched like an angry cat’s”(p 221). Said’s choice of words reflect his current feelings for Nabawiyya; it is likely that at the time in his memory, he considered her neck with gentle, feline connotations, but now, given the circumstances, his memories have been polluted with hatred and anger and he thus describes his memory of Nabiwiyya’s arched neck like that of an angry cat’s. 

In this same memory Said discloses how he reacted to a specific conversation with Nabawiyya. He remembers a time when he stalked her as she went shopping and audaciously decided to approach her. After their brief banter he remembered that he “returned to the palm tree and climbed it, quick as a monkey”(p 222) and “went back to the hostel, singing, in a deep voice, like a bull in ecstasy”(p 222). 

One possibility for Said’s frequent use of animal imagery to describe the other characters in this novel could be to represent Said’s savage personality/view of the world.

Chapter Ten – Plot Development

Said is taking refuge in Nur’s apartment. While Nur is out to work the chapter is dominated by Said’s interior monologue. His seeing Nur get ready and go off to work triggers a train of reflection of Nabawiyya. Towards the end of the chapter Nur returns and the two exchange small talk over dinner. The chapter closes with “a moth overhead made love to a light bulb in the dead of the night”(p 228 ). This quote could be a metaphor for the act of love making between Said and Nur. It is up to the reader to decide who is the light bulb and who is the moth.