American International School in Egypt

Grade 10 Summer Assignment

Welcome to English 10. We will be exploring Middle Eastern Literature during Term 1. Then we will move geographically to Asia, Africa and finally Latin America. World Literature is a very interesting course because we will be exploring literature from different cultures. Please take your summer assignment seriously as it will be the main novel we study in Term 1.

1. Read and annotate The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz.

Use the following guide for annotation:

Blue: Characterization

Green: Theme

Pink: Figurative language

Orange: Symbolism

Yellow: General Analysis

2. Answer the following questions. Use examples and quotes from the text to support your responses to the following questions. Responses should be in paragraph form. Each response should be at least 200 words long. Your questions must be written in MLA format. You need to use internal citations for your quotes. For information on MLA, go to Purdue OWL MLA Format (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/)

1.  When Said Mahran breathes "the air of freedom" at the beginning of The Thief and the Dogs, Naguib Mahfouz also describes the "stifling dust" and "unbearable heat." Why might the author have chosen to begin his novel in this way?

2.  After Said is released from prison, he goes directly to the home of Ilish Sidra. Is he more motivated by the hope of reuniting with his daughter, Sana, or by the desire for revenge?

3.  Ilish Sidra denies having Said's money and contends that he married Nabawiyya out of a sense of duty. Do you believe him? What clues about his personality do his actions in the novel's first chapter provide?

4.  What are your impressions of Said's ex-wife, Nabawiyya? Is she a sympathetic character? Why or why not?

5.  What is the Sheikh trying to communicate to Said? What role might the Sheikh play as the story unfolds?

6.  Said first knew Rauf Ilwan as a leader in the student movement and viewed him as a friend and mentor who was "Not just a revolutionary student, but revolution personified as a student." What prompts Said's opinion of Rauf to change?

7.  Sheikh Ali al-Junaydi provides Said with food and refuge. What does he ask in return? Why is Said unable to accept his wisdom?

8.  The Thief and the Dogs Ch. 11-15Though Nur earns her living as a prostitute, she is portrayed as a good woman who offers Said hope of a new life. How can her occupation and her devotion to Said be reconciled?

9.  What do we learn about Said during his encounter with Bayaza? Why does he only take ten pounds? Some readers see similarities between Said and Robin Hood. Do you agree?

10.  Which characters in the novel are most supportive of Said? What do they have in common with him and with each other?

11.  Discuss the ways Mahfouz describes the streets of Cairo. How is the setting similar to your city or town? How is it different?

12.  How dependent is this novel on its setting? In what ways is it about Egyptian society in particular? In what ways is the story universal?

If you have any questions regarding the assignment, please contact .

BRING YOUR ANNOTATED BOOK AND ASSIGNMENT WITH YOU ON THE FURST DAY OF SCHOOL!