Imagery is a vital piece of the novel “The Thief and the Dogs.” Although the most recurring form of imagery is the metaphor of ‘dogs,’ in chapter 14 the imagery conveyed is directed more towards the scenery and background that Said is placed in. There is a point where the setting is described as a “fine starry night, a cool breeze blowing, the quarter moon still visible in the clear sky above the trees along the riverbank.” (Page 247) It seems odd that this quote gives a sense of serenity when Said is trying to kill Rauf. This could be thought of as Said trying to achieve peace, for himself as well as the community, through murder.
Similar to the previous chapters, the idea of ‘darkness’ is mentioned in this part of the novel. When he is in the process of infiltrating Rauf’s house, he notices that while he was “gazing out from time to time at the dark surface of the river; his thoughts fled to Rauf’s treachery, the deception that had crushed his life, the ruin that was facing him, the death blocking his path, all the things that made Rauf’s death an absolute necessity.” (Page 249) He seems to associate the darkness with ‘deception’ and ‘treachery’ which is saying that Rauf as well as the ‘darkness’ are the causes for everything that is going wrong in his life. Since he believes that his perspective is the side of justice, he feels like killing Rauf is “an absolute necessity” (Page 249) This idea of darkness is also emphasized when Said is inside of Nur’s apartment and the setting is said to be in “complete darkness.” (Page 250) In the context of the previous analysis about darkness representing the people in their community who are unjust, this description of Said’s surroundings could insinuate that he feels as if immoral people surround him. He has a dramatic monologue (Page 250-251) in this “complete darkness” which shows itself to be a connection between the actual scenario that happens within these pages and how it represents his daily life where his environment is an unlawful one and the only place of true life is his thoughts.
