Ch. eleven; The Thief and the Dogs.

The first half of this chapter is all somewhat of a flashback. Said is recalling how his father, Amm Mahran, was a concierge of the student's hostel before he died. It is revealed that thanks to Rauf , Said was able to take over his father's job.
Amm Mahran's piety made him happy, and the students had respected him. His pilgrimage to Sheikh Ali's home was his only source for entertainment. He would encourage Said to join him, "It'll give you a sense of peace and contentment, the finest thing you can enjoy in life." It was obvious that Amm would talk about Said to the Sheikh, and when SheikhAli met him he said his heart was spotless (meaning PURE) and that there was 'a lot of intelligence in his eyes.' Both statements about his innocence as a child are very ironic, Said grows up to be a thief, who does not plan out his deeds despite how educated he is.
The Sheikh gives the young Said some advice, he recalls. Then, as the chapter goes on, Said is remembering how his father died when he was a child and how Rauf Ilwan was a young law student who helped him and his mother at the time. He took on these responsibilities as a child, and then his mother died of a disease. She had suffered for an entire month before death. In which he [symbolicly ? ] stole for the first time. Rauf there for him, as a very influential and important male figure in his life. And you begin to see how he first took him under his wing and "trianed" him to think it was justified to steal. Irony: Said says in his flashback, "Where have all your principles gone now, Rauf?" Now that their relationship has changed. He seems to remembering, however, in a more positive mood.... better days perhaps: 'times when sorrows could be forgotten, wounds could be healed, and hope could bring forth fruit from adversity.'
Then the chapter takes a twist back into present time. Said gets the urge to leave Nur's flat and take a walk, finding himslef back in his old seat next to Tarzan in the cofeehouse. Both Tarzan ( and old criminal friend of his) and an arms smuggler, give him advice since Said is now a fugitive. Tarzan suddenly gets up to look out the window because he believes he saw a face staring in at them... leading me to wonder if this is foreshadowing or if Tarzan is just paranoid. The waiter went outside to investigate, but Said didn't stay around. Said is very aware of his own fear. He sees the light in Nur's window on, and he is pleased. When he sees her he wants to caress her ( a sign that he seems to be liking her a whole lot more than earlier in the novel) but her eyes are red and he sees her cry for the first time in his life. He was deeply moved. It turns out her young customers BEAT her! "The DOGS!" exclaimed Said.
And still, she was sweet enough to remember to get him a fabric he requested from her so he could make a uniform. On page 108, she then tells him of a fortune-teller who said 'there'd be security; peace of mind.' Page 108 is full of references to human beings as DOGS. Very symbolic. You can tell Nur had a horrible day, since she is pessimistic to the point that it depresses the protagonist. She finally shows a glimmer of hope in the last sentence when she says, "That day will really come!" <--- referring to the safety and peace she wants promised to her.