Saïd the Fisherman · Question
How does Saïd the Fisherman develop the theme of Violence and Chaos?
Answer
Saïd the Fisherman by Marmaduke Pickthall develops Violence and Chaos across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The book depicts mob violence, religious massacres, and personal brutality, showing how societal order can collapse into chaos and how individuals participate in or fall victim to it.
Soldiers violently take Saïd's donkey, and he is struck with a carbine butt, illustrating the brutality of the time.
The chase and the physical confrontation between Saïd and Cassim, including biting and cursing, highlight the violent struggle for survival.
Mustafa's explicit curses wishing rape, murder, and butchery on the family, and his vision of a coming storm of Islamic wrath, foreshadow violence and chaos.
Evidence in the book
- IV
Soldiers violently take Saïd's donkey, and he is struck with a carbine butt, illustrating the brutality of the time.
- VIII
The chase and the physical confrontation between Saïd and Cassim, including biting and cursing, highlight the violent struggle for survival.
- XVIII
Mustafa's explicit curses wishing rape, murder, and butchery on the family, and his vision of a coming storm of Islamic wrath, foreshadow violence and chaos.
- XIX
Mustafa's vow to kill all non-believers and the lawyer's call to rise against the heathen reflect the potential for communal violence.
- XX
The chapter builds toward communal violence, with Mustafa inciting a crowd and the lawyer's futile plea for peace.
- XXI
The chapter depicts mob violence, religious hatred, and the breakdown of order in the city.
- XXII
The chapter escalates into a violent riot, with fighting, death, and the mob's attack on Yuhanna's house.
- XXIII
The riot and murder of Yuhanna illustrate the destructive power of mob violence and religious hatred.
